Gypsum plaster on solid brick walls???

[curium]

Hi

I need to get my kitchen plastered ahead of fitting a new kitchen. The walls are solid brick (1934).

There are a few spots where the existing plaster is badly damaged or blown so I’ve taken it back to the brick work.

Having had a few bad experiences with trades I like to do as much add I can myself and then research the rest so I’ve an idea how it should be done. This can lead to conflicting advice sometimes.

Basically some sites state that you shouldn’t use gypsum plaster directly on a solid brick wall as it attracts moisture. Various suggestions including sand and cement and lime base coat with skim coat on top.

Obviously I want a durable finish. I have an area where the plaster is blown but the bricks are currently dry so it’s not obvious that gypsum plaster directly on to bricks was the cause. I’ve lived here less than 1 year so don’t know the history.

The kitchen will be delivered mid-March. Advice gratefully received. Cheers!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

You may not have the space, but have you considered dry lining onto resillient bars or dotting and dabbing boards as an alternative? With a solid wall this would give you extra thermal insulation and potentially reduce moisture coming through the wall

 

[curium]

You may not have the space, but have you considered dry lining onto resillient bars or dotting and dabbing boards as an alternative? With a solid wall this would give you extra thermal insulation and potentially reduce moisture coming through the wall

I had considered this but it’s more work as I’ll need to remove the pipe work for the gas, water, flow and return in order to get a nice job. There’s also a window and patio door.

There’s no current evidence of moisture coming through but the plaster is blown in one place and the ground level does need lowering outside.

Plastering does allow more flexibility for getting a nice finish ready for installing the kitchen.

 

[Deleted member 292770]

If the wall is dry and no sign of rising or penetrating damp you can s/c render and skim over, or batten and board.
Personally I wouldn’t dot/dab or use bagged gypsum undercoats.

 

[stevethespreader]

Agreed dot and dab would almost certainly lead to thermal bridging

 

[MJGoodman]

I agree, dot and dab, and generally gypsum plasters, will give you problems.
I would recommend using a lime, which is probably how the building was plastered originally.
You might find this recipe for plastering solid brick walls useful:

3 Tips to Fix Damp, Cold Solid Brick Walls for Good - Roman Lime Plasters

There are actually 2 typical problems with solid brick walls:

romanlime.co.uk