At some point in the life of the home, cracks or holes will have to be filled with plaster on some of the walls of the house, due to its own deterioration, or as part of the normal plastering preparations. In this sense, there are the tasks of eliminating a chimney or treating an entire wall or even eliminating one of the walls of the house.
Steps to follow for Plastering on a fireplace
A bricked-up fireplace constitutes a space large enough for the hobbyist to get a good practice in the handling and use of masonry tools, without involving an excessively complicated job. These types of repairs can be done with single coat plaster or with a primer and a finish coat.
- Prepare the facing by removing the dust from those loose particles that are found in the brick and around it. Then mix the plaster in a bucket.
- Later, moisten the parameter with clean water and place a wooden board so that the plaster remains can be easily collected.
- Mix the plaster on an easel and apply to the bricks with a trowel. Apply the plaster in an orderly manner, starting at the bottom of each section extending vertically; performing the plastering by areas, joining the edge of one of the areas with the next to obtain a greater thickness.
- Level with a ruler and fill in any holes that may exist. And re-level the worked surface with the ruler.
- Let the plaster harden for at least 45 minutes, and when you notice that the pressure of your finger does not leave a mark on the wall, lightly moisten the surface with a sponge.
- Moisten the trowel and give the plaster a smooth and smooth finish, exerting firm vertical and horizontal pressure, and keeping the tool in question always wet.
- Allow to dry completely, for approximately six weeks, before placing the fireplace. Apply a primer coat and a finish coat as described above.
How to act to repair a broken corner
When a piece of a plastered corner has been broken and brick is visible, it can be perfectly rebuilt by plaster with one or two layers. To do this, use a 100 mm wide strip to do the job well and accurately. Using the chisel, remove the plaster from the damaged edge of the corner and expose about 100 mm of the brick wall. If using two-layer plaster, first position the guide board against the old plaster. Then nail the wall, but away from the corner so that it is not damaged more than it is.
Mix the plaster of the primer coat, wet the brick wall and the edges of the old plaster and fill in the side that is level with the board, but not the wall. Then scrape off the new plaster with the trowel. When the plaster is hardened, remove the board from the wall to prevent the new plaster from coming off. The new edge that has been worked on represents one of the faces of the finished surface, so you will need to refine it with the trowel and ruler.
Once you have finished and let the plaster dry on one side, nail the board again on the other side without fixing, but this time up to the level of the new corner. Do the same procedure as before and fill the gap that appears with plaster. If necessary, moisten the primer coat to improve the adhesion of the plaster. When both sides are firm, buff the new plaster with the trowel, rounding the right angle. Afterwards, let the whole set dry, so that later it can be painted again as the color it had previously.
If you have any questions, ask me and I will respond as soon as possible.
