These days, its even on trend to add faux-brick accents as a home improvement project! If I have one bit of advice it's this:buy yourself an SDS drill and a wide chisel bit, it'll cut the time it takes forremoving plaster in half. Again, as a landscaper I've had some 1200 gauge damp proof membrane sheets lying around. Therefore, the clean up operation only took me a few hours. I won't go into too much detail on cleaning, but I do think it worth mentioning a few facts so that you can be better prepared, or at least allow the time to do it properly. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. On a plastering job, youll Hopefully, as is a chimney breast, I wont need to worry about cables, but am going to check just the same and as there is a woodburner and liner already in place, I shouldnt have to worry about getting the inside of the chimney relined either. The good news is I've covered this in a separate How-to - How To Repair Plaster, where I also tell you how to diagnose individual areas of bad plaster. As it's time intensive but low skilled, it's something that anyone can do to save money. Once we'd taken off the 100 layers of old wallpaper, the plaster resembled one of those really old paintings you find in museums that have those hairline cracks. To repair old, faded, or crumbling brick, seal with a clear brick sealer. I'm only a part-timer so bought a 50 1050W SDS from Argos. Using Muriatic Acid to Remove Dried Mortar Wear the proper safety equipment. Concrete is one of the most challenging materials to cut safely, and it pays to use high-quality oscillating tool blades. This meant that moisture within that slab was able to travel up the plaster and effectively keep it constantly moist, for about 60-70 years, since my house was built. Have a quick look and you'll see why it's a no-brainer to get yourself (purchase or hire) an SDS drill with the wide angle chisel bit. Trace the cable detection tool above the sockets and light switches. Hire it (Natal) is able to Hire and Sell all of the power tools you require for removing plaster specifically the 11kg Chipping Hammer. So use what you have available. I live in a victorian terrace house in Hackney with reasonably high ceiling guessing about 8/ 9 ft. i would like to expose the brick work so there might be some need to repointing. Also, those tools are too heavy for removing plaster. Clear brick sealer Instead, several brick cleaners are available that, because of special buffers, work well without those problems. Plaster Removal Creates a Lot of Dust You'll need to lay something extra on top. You'll want to tape all the doors, effectively sealing yourself in the room, so you'll need to do/have the following: You can really see how much dust is kicked up when removing plaster! Using a heavy marker, draw their path on the wall. However, when I stripped the plaster from my dining room I discovered that 3 out of 6 cables took a more diagonal route! So you're all prepared and ready to take action. Put that down on the floor first, make sure it's held in place around the edges, masking tape works well. Hit the back end with your hammer to drive the blade into the plaster and separate it from the brick. You're only half way there. If you need a mechanical one, then use a 2kg sds drill with roto-stop. If I were to wallpaper it, I probably would have left it as is, because those cracks would't have shown through the paper. Get it as soon as Mon, Mar 15. Similar tools will also work for this. I'm a landscaper in my day job so I always have some membrane lying around. Muriatic acid is very After these manipulations, mechanized methods can be applied. It had carpet and despite the ridiculous amount of dust sheets I used, I had to hoover the stairs three times and Vax it twice, as well as wiping the doors and architrave. The original plaster had been taken down to the ground floor slab, only noticeable one I'd removed the skirting. I recommend Silver line SL40 1.8m feather edge. Plastering a brick wall is not a complex task, being similar to plastering a drywall, but you have to follow a couple of guidelines, as to get the job done in a professional manner. When you're ready to remove your plaster, its important not to start striking the wall Once youve removed all the plaster, you can begin to beautify the exposed brick wall interior by patching mortar. Anyway, Read a bit further down and I'll discuss more reasons, pros and cons and all that. Cover the ground in plastic as well, securing the plastic to the ground with heavy objects or tape to make for a much easier clean up. Old bed sheets work a treat. If your paving stones still As a minimum, you would need (all links open in a new tab in Amazon by the way): To make the job much easier, quicker and safer (I'll explain why further down), you'll need: It's going to take you longer than you might think - the preperation beforehand to control the dust (taping up doors, numerous sheets on the floor etc). normal chasing isnt an option. Afterwards, you'll have to spend quite a long time cleaning up. The two reasons for this were: Before you put the new plasterboard on the walls make a note of all the cable/trunking positions that traverse the walls in odd directions. You can get this from your local builders merchants but it typically comes in 4 x 25m roll and would set you back around 40. Nope! If you need to cut concrete, brick, plaster, grout, or any tough porous material, check out these excellent blades from Imperial Blades. Plaster and Lath Pro Tips. Mix up a fresh batch of mortar and patch crumbling sections of mortar on the wall. Since then, Ive gotten smarter. Prep the area by removing nearby furniture and covering all that you can in painters plastic. Don't place your tools on the floor. As mention in the intro, My dining room plaster definitely required replacing for two main reasons: To my relief, I'd found the source of my damp problems once I'd taken off the old skirting - the plaster had been taken right down to the ground floor slab! My brother, Thom, is also doing up his house and found similar problems. Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel. Learning how to plaster a brick wall and getting it right starts by using the right tools! If you are looking for the best tool for removing tiles but would like a kit option which gives you a variety of chisels for tile removal or for work on concrete, brick, or mortar then, look no further, this is a quality set of chisels that will help you with your task. Replacing plaster is a big undertaking - I've produce a whole course on the topic covering 6 extensive blogs posts. Bricklayers chisel Take care of your brickwork - the act of hitting a chisel by hammer or SDS onto a wall will produce a large impact load onto a small area. This is what caused the cracking. Similar tools will also work for this. Or perhaps you need to remove single bricks in order to install a vent cover for a kitchen or bathroom vent fan. Your email address will not be published. Make it obvious and use a really thick marker, so that the dust doesn't cover the lines when you're working way. Have a job coming up where it needs some delicate cutting without going too heavy on the wall. If you have a comment or would like to get in touch, fill out the email form below and hit subscribe, I look forward to hearing from you. Hard floors obviously make it easier to clean up and I was also able to chuck the old plaster straight out the window. Don't tape the dust sheets to the skirting boards. Once all is taped out, make sure you have your tools ready (see the list at the top of the page). A I found a buried cable that lead to no socket or switch - there was no sign of it on the surface of the old plaster. Im starting on my hallway this weekend. You'll realise that it won't take much for this thin plastic material sheeting to tear, and after a few bits of falling plaster it will end up practically useless. The problem also manifested itself in the form of black mould - not very healthy for my wee nippers (kids). Joined: 25 Dec 2005 So, plan ahead, make sure you allow one full day per room - a short day if it's a hard floor, and a long day if it has carpets. I made every mistake in the bookmistakes that cost me time, frustration and blood. Thanks loads this has been most helpful! A seal able travel mug of drink (to get rid of the dust from your mouth occasionally), Tissues (you're going to sneeze and want to blow you're nose, even with the really good dust masks), Check the extension lead & SDS drill (if you're using one) reaches everywhere. Hard water stains on brick walls can be as tenacious as an uninvited fly at a picnic. Utility Knife. My dining room measures 3.6m x 3.6m and has a hard floor. The reason for this is simple - if you started from the top of the walls, then the skirting will get covered with fallen plaster that will only serve to get in the way when you reach the bottom. And, that was only one of of the walls! Removing cement based render from brickwork: One of our most frequently asked questions! Brick wall interior, archways, fireplaces, and more add to much character to a home. This makes sense, good plasterers are expensive these days! Then go to the top of the walls and work downwards. 99. All rights reserved. Safety goggles Providing helpful home DIY advice for everyone, helpfulhomediy.co.uk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, REASONS FOR REPLACING PLASTER - THE PROS & CONS. Bricks, Masonry, Cinder Block, Paving & Walking Stones, Asphalt and Concrete - removing plaster off brick - I am trying to remove plaster from brick without completely destroying the brick face. We wont spam or share your email with anyone. Tape them to the edges of the floor, right up against the skirting. Hi Guys Would the following tool from HSS be my best bet for removing plaster from a brick wall? The thing is more than man enough to remove sand/cement render (up to 3" thick in places!!!) Dust mask I could use a standard blade but it will kill the blade. "The easiest way to remove the old plaster off the walls is using a sds hammer drill with a flat chisel.You dont need a professional you can do it yourself , keep the sds in an angle so you are removing the plaster and not damaging the bricks . A brick wall is one of the sturdiest, most durable construction elements there is, which can offer some challenges if you find it necessary to remove a single brick from that wall. The common places to find buried cables are above anything electrical, such as sockets and light switches. Its a great way to take out some frustration and with it, removal seems to go twice as fast. In the end it died so I got a new one under guarantee. Take care of your brickwork - the act of hitting a chisel by hammer or SDS onto a wall will produce a large impact load onto a small area. Removing plaster isn't a difficult task, nor does it really require any skill. Thanks Teece, appreciate the feedback. At this angle, it'll still be able to cut through the plaster without difficulty. Read on and Ill show you how to remove plaster and lath faster, safer and better. Scrape the faux brick sheeting away from the wall with a paint scraper if adhesive has been used. Cables are usually buried beneath metal trunking (this is a metal strip covering the cable) and are almost always embedded within the plaster, not within the brick walls. Fill holes as well. Removal of plaster from chimney breast to expose brickwork Im looking to have the plaster removed from around my chimney breast. If this is done repeatedly in the same position, the brick may become loose or dislodged. If air is passing from the room you're working in, through a tiny little hole and into another room, it'll be pumping dust into that "clean" room for hours. This caused the lower parts of the plaster to become brittle, and it was crumbling easily. In any case, first remove the weak areas of plaster over the entire surface using hand tools. The render was made of a bad mix (this is the thick coat of sand & cement that's skimmed directly onto the brick/blocks, to which the final skim coat of plaster is applied). Remember, you'll be removing these too because the plaster goes behind the skirting. $12.99 $ 12. I realize when our building was built, the brick wasn't meant to be exposed, but it just looks so cool, as we all know. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. When you've traced all the known cables, scan your detection tool horizontally along all the walls, just to make sure you've not missed any. Continue moving the bolster along the face of the brick, removing large chunks fo mortar. mortar and brick tools 4.3 out of 5 stars 692. If youve uncovered original brick in your home and youre looking for ways to remove plaster from brick to restore what once was there, we can help you out. Apply with a paint brush to bricks individually or roll on with a roller brush to coat entire surfaces. Or use a hammer and chisel for difficult paneling. Avoid this by aiming the chisel at 45 degrees to the wall. Removing plaster and lath is always an ugly ordeal, but my first try, 25 years ago, was the worst. This is a simple do it yourself project as long as you have the right materials. Now, the plaster wasn't going to fall off the walls anytime soon but it would look unsightly as I intended to paint directly onto it. So use what you have available. Simply closing the doors isn't enough, you need to go all out. However, there were still traces of dust within those rooms. If you're lucky, you may only need to remove the odd patch here and there. After stripping the plaster off the walls, I discovered two of the buried cables travelled diagonally. In my case, I found that the plaster in most of my house was in pretty bad condition, in my dining room especially. These sealers are available from matt to high gloss. This is part 1 of my 6 part course on re plastering a wall, the next step covers putting up the plasterboard on the brick or block wall. Jul 11, 2018 - Remove plaster from your brick wall interior with these tips and tricks! Avoid this by aiming the chisel at 45 degrees to the wall. Tools required: 1 Club Hamer 1 Bolster Chisel 1 Power Drill 1 Wire attachment (for drill) Use the club and bolster to remove the majority of the plaster, then use the drill and wire brush attachment to clean up the bricks. This caused the render to separate from the wall so that when knocked, made a hollow kind of sound. The latter depend on the type of the mixture applied earlier. I bought a couple tools at good ol' Harbor Freight and it really expedited the work on removing an inch of plaster over brick. Thanks for taking the time to read through this page, I really appreciate it as it took a long time to put together. Feeling tough, some might grab a sledge hammer. Youre very welcome and Im glad its helping you prepare. Painters plastic for mess control The original plaster had been taken down to the ground floor slab, which caused damp problems, and it had cracks all over it. This is fairly tough stuff and will do the job. You may have sheets of the plaster falling off at any time and it reaches quite a speed by the time it hits the floor and will chip it. This is going to be interesting I am looking at removing plaster from a chimney breast, and revealing lovely brickwork I hope thanks for the tips (especially about taping doors etc for dust). Allow time for cleaning, it takes longer than you might think! The answers depend upon many factors,such as the condition and type of brick, the reasons for the render in the first place, the type of render and how it was applied ,etc ,etc. Use a hammer and masonry chisel to break up the bulk of the plaster. However, this will take twice as long compared to using an SDS drill with a wide chisel bit. I often hear of homeowners opting to remove old plaster themselves, before a plasterer is due to plaster the walls, to save money on the plasterers fees. and went on for a whole house worth of removing sand/cement ceiling high, and many other jobs after that. This is Step 1 in a 6 part course covering re-plastering. Generally, theyre composed of calcium carbonate and youll need an acid-based cleaner to get rid of them. Hope it helps" Answered on 20th May 2020 - Member since Apr 2020 - Wire brush Cheers In other words, it's an ideal DIY task to do yourself instead of paying someone else to do it. I would highly recommend finding out where these are by using a cable detection tool. Sam. Sam. Having decided on the need to remove the old finishing layer, the next step is to examine what methods of dismantling can be used. Start with the skirting and several inches above it, all the way along the wall's length. This is how youll clean out the small textured crevices and mortar. Imperial Blades offers a complete line of oscillating blades for a wide range of materials. They'll get covered in debris and will likely get thrown out during the clean up process. Finally, and this is very important, go to the toilet! Hi Digby, Very important point - An SDS drill does not accept standard drill bits. Hydrolichloric solution I can't begin to express the need for dust control, especially so if you have other people living in the household. Then you can use your hammer, chisel or other tools and chip around the hole. If you don't have any old sheets, go to your local builders merchants and ask for a roll of 1m x 15m membrane for 5 - 10 (perfect width if you're removing plaster from a corridor or stairs), or a 2 x 25 roll of membrane for 15-20 (if you're doing a room). Don't think you're in the right place? Paint brush. Start chipping away! It may be easier to remove plaster from your brick wall faade if you first chip a hole all the way to the brick in one location. Watch the video for the main points, read below to get more Just a quick mention that sometimes removing all the plaster is not necessary. I get the point about dust, what else do I need to do to control it? However, It's not all about the tools. Learn how your comment data is processed. Good luck with your hallway! A variety of glosses will add to the visual texture of your wall. To keep the "character" of the brick, and you have time and youth on your side, try the least aggressive way possible, hammer and broad chisel. FINAL PREPARATIONS BEFORE GETTING STARTED. the whole clean up operation for this was about 10 hours. Mortar I am looking for recommendations for a decent multi tool blade to cut through plaster and some brick/block. Open the windows in the room that you're working in and close all other windows and doors throughout the rest of the house to avoid a through-draft. Applying a bit of paint and varnish stripping gel to the surface of an When you set out to remove plaster to expose a brick wall interior, your first step is to chip off as much plaster as possible with your bricklayers chisel and masonry hammer. Once youd chipped off all that you can, apply a hydrochloric solution to the thinner layers of plaster still clinging to the brick and scrub with a wire brush. Fingers crossed the brickwork is nice beneath the plaster. That's it, you're ready to get your hands dirty and remove that old plaster. Now is the time for the big clean up operation! Click here for video Call us on 031 764 2525. Please note that the plaster dust gets EVERYWHERE so ideally seal the room and open the windows. Reasons for Replacing Plaster - The Pros & Cons, Final Preparations before getting started, putting up the plasterboard on the brick or block wall. If you're floor is quite nice, say a wooden type or tiles that chip easily, put some extra sheets down to protect it. Most of the time they'll go vertical. You will need the usual plastering tools (more detail by clicking the link), and 1 major tool that makes the difference: a decent straight edge. You can use a mallet/hammer and a bolster. For example, a cracked or damaged brick in a fireplace or exterior wall may need to be removed in order to replace it. If this is done repeatedly in the same position, the brick may become loose or dislodged. As for the stair, this was a little more time consuming. This stuff is used to go under concrete slabs to prevent rising damp, it's really really tough. Grout Removal Tool, Caulking Removal Tool, Grout Cleaner, Scraper, Scrubber Brush, Tile Joint Cleaning Brush, Remove Grout or Cleaning for Tile Joints and Seams or Corner. Scrub the paste into the stained areas, then rinse away with fresh water. Uncovering an old brick wall inside of a fixer-upper home is like striking gold. However, there are a number of tools and helpful tips you should be aware of that will make the job: Removing plaster is one of those jobs that anyone can do, as long as they don't mind putting in some time and getting a bit dirty. I've already hinted at the need for good preperation. As you go, try your best to remove all the small bits of plaster stuck to the walls, as these will only get in the way when it comes to re-plastering the wall later on. We are REMOVING SOME OF THE PLASTER from the INNER BRICK WALLS of a 'loft' in an old commercial building we own, built in around 1902. ^woody^, 4 Dec 2006 #3. mutantgoat. Prepare for a huge mess when you aim to remove plaster from any surface, especially porous brick. Thanks for all the tips, especially in regards to the electrical cables! If you have a look at my Youtube video on this topic (you can watch it at the top of the page), I made a comparison between the two methods. When you set out to remove plaster to expose a brick wall interior, your first step is to chip off as much plaster as possible with your bricklayers chisel and masonry hammer. If you're due to have a professional plasterer in, he'll only thank you for it. Or you can use one style of gloss for all of your repairs. I took no risks with the dust control measures. Dust has this ability to get through the smallest of cracks. You will be able to reuse it so if you have a few rooms to do, I'd recommend this. Slow & Steady. Copyright 2020 HowToBuildIt.org. You can get this stuff in large rolls from any hardware store. A high-quality utility knifes usefulness cant be overstated. It's now a case of how to chisel off the plaster, it's time to get dusty! With this in mind, I want to challenge you to think if it's worth it, and whether the benefit outweighs the time, effort & cost. If you're sure you need to remove the lot, read on. With this, you'll have something to refer to if you need to put up a picture frame up in the future. Pick the wall you want to expose (an exterior wall) First, after picking your wall, drill a pilot hole to be Lay down more robust sheets on the plastic sheets. I had to walk with the waste (in buckets) through the kitchen to get it outside, resulting in a dusty kitchen.