Hello building community,
I had hoped not to have to post anything in this forum, but it seems these issues really can’t be avoided on any construction site…
After several discussions with the construction management, planning team, and my painter, there are currently major disagreements regarding the quality of the interior plaster. The trade was contracted separately. A lime-cement plaster was specified.
According to construction management, the interior plaster is fine and meets the agreed quality as specified (ready for wallpapering). Unfortunately, as you never stop learning, I found out that the scope of work lacks a specification for a quality level. It is supposed to be Q1, but even my painter strongly doubts this, and I can understand why when looking at the photos from last night when we were discussing tiles and walls. Initially, the issue was that the plaster is not smooth but shows dents and waves. Also, some of the mortar joints between the bricks are extremely visible and wavy.
Now, about one month after the screed was installed in the house, bubbles are forming all over the plaster, which can be easily scraped off with a fingernail, revealing large holes underneath. The painter tried using a sander to see if it could be sanded down or if it was extremely hard. He applied very light pressure and a cloud of dust appeared; the plaster can be sanded down multiple millimeters under this dust cloud, and underneath it becomes very coarse, rough, or whatever you want to call it. The painter now even doubts that filler would adhere properly to the surface. A trowel cut along the ceiling edge was only made after pointing it out, even though it was included in the specification.
Can someone give me some advice or maybe interpret what might have gone wrong here based on the pictures?
The situation with the exterior plaster is perhaps even worse (same company). All window reveals are crooked, the trim strips are often interrupted several times and patched with silicone. Now they want to chip off the window reveals on the ground floor and re-plaster them, but a friend told me that this will definitely damage the outer appearance of the textured plaster and it will never match perfectly, so the area where it was chipped off will always be visible. Is that true? Up on the upper floor, they said, it tends to even out after some time. The attached photo shows the small gable window under the roof, but you can see this issue most clearly in the pictures. Unfortunately, nearly every window looks like this.
I had hoped not to have to post anything in this forum, but it seems these issues really can’t be avoided on any construction site…
After several discussions with the construction management, planning team, and my painter, there are currently major disagreements regarding the quality of the interior plaster. The trade was contracted separately. A lime-cement plaster was specified.
According to construction management, the interior plaster is fine and meets the agreed quality as specified (ready for wallpapering). Unfortunately, as you never stop learning, I found out that the scope of work lacks a specification for a quality level. It is supposed to be Q1, but even my painter strongly doubts this, and I can understand why when looking at the photos from last night when we were discussing tiles and walls. Initially, the issue was that the plaster is not smooth but shows dents and waves. Also, some of the mortar joints between the bricks are extremely visible and wavy.
Now, about one month after the screed was installed in the house, bubbles are forming all over the plaster, which can be easily scraped off with a fingernail, revealing large holes underneath. The painter tried using a sander to see if it could be sanded down or if it was extremely hard. He applied very light pressure and a cloud of dust appeared; the plaster can be sanded down multiple millimeters under this dust cloud, and underneath it becomes very coarse, rough, or whatever you want to call it. The painter now even doubts that filler would adhere properly to the surface. A trowel cut along the ceiling edge was only made after pointing it out, even though it was included in the specification.
Can someone give me some advice or maybe interpret what might have gone wrong here based on the pictures?
The situation with the exterior plaster is perhaps even worse (same company). All window reveals are crooked, the trim strips are often interrupted several times and patched with silicone. Now they want to chip off the window reveals on the ground floor and re-plaster them, but a friend told me that this will definitely damage the outer appearance of the textured plaster and it will never match perfectly, so the area where it was chipped off will always be visible. Is that true? Up on the upper floor, they said, it tends to even out after some time. The attached photo shows the small gable window under the roof, but you can see this issue most clearly in the pictures. Unfortunately, nearly every window looks like this.
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Bauexperte23 Oct 2016 10:21Good morning,
Did your supplier know what final wall treatment you planned? This must be included in the tender documents so that the plaster can be prepared accordingly.
Regards, Bauexperte
GehliJr schrieb:Based on visual inspection and thus with reservation, I would also estimate at most Q1 and would strongly push the site manager (SM). "If no quality level is explicitly agreed in the contract, Q2 applies by default."
According to the site management, the interior plaster is acceptable and meets the agreed quality as specified (ready for wallpaper). Unfortunately, and as one never stops learning, the scope of work does not include a specified quality level, as I have just learned. It is supposed to be Q1…
GehliJr schrieb:Painters always complain about the quality of the existing plaster; that is my conclusion from years of experience. But in this case, he is correct.
but even that is vehemently doubted by my painter…
Did your supplier know what final wall treatment you planned? This must be included in the tender documents so that the plaster can be prepared accordingly.
GehliJr schrieb:Interpretation won't help and won't change the current situation. If you, your supplier, and the site manager cannot reach an agreement, an expert for plastering must be called in to provide solutions. I would assume that the plaster needs to be completely redone; whether the old layer must be removed first can only be determined by an expert.
Can someone give me advice or try to interpret from the pictures what might have gone wrong here?!
GehliJr schrieb:Despite looking several times, I can’t grasp what you mean. Do you perhaps have better photos?
An even worse situation with the exterior plaster (same company). All the window reveals are twisted,
GehliJr schrieb:Yes.
… but a friend told me that this definitely ruins the appearance of the plaster (textured render) and can never be replicated perfectly, so the transition where the work stopped will always be visible. Is that true?
Regards, Bauexperte
Where does the clause "If nothing is agreed in the contract ... Q2 is considered agreed" come from?
Is it stated officially anywhere?
The sides of the window (window reveals?) are uneven. If you look at the wall from top to bottom, you see nothing at the top because it is dark, and at the bottom edge of the window, you see the white interior wall.
Is it stated officially anywhere?
The sides of the window (window reveals?) are uneven. If you look at the wall from top to bottom, you see nothing at the top because it is dark, and at the bottom edge of the window, you see the white interior wall.
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Bauexperte24 Oct 2016 11:39GehliJr schrieb:
Where does the clause saying "If nothing is agreed upon in the contract ... Q2 is considered agreed upon" come from?
Is this stated officially anywhere? "Issues in Interior Finishing – Sheet 24.1.11 Requirements for a Skim-Coated Plasterboard"
Excerpt:
Information sheet 2 explains in detail the requirements for the different quality levels. Therefore, the target quality level must be specified in the contract. If nothing is agreed upon, the quality level Q2 automatically applies. Accordingly, Q2 is considered the standard level for skim coating.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Clarification question: Is it valid to directly apply the information sheet concerning joint compound on drywall panels to plastered solid walls?
Also, please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it generally not allowed to evaluate plasterwork using raking light? I think I’ve read something like that before, but I can’t find the source anymore. (Although, the plaster surface here will probably look terrible even under normal lighting.)
Also, please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it generally not allowed to evaluate plasterwork using raking light? I think I’ve read something like that before, but I can’t find the source anymore. (Although, the plaster surface here will probably look terrible even under normal lighting.)
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Bieber081524 Oct 2016 14:01GehliJr schrieb:
If you look at the wall from top to bottom, you won’t see anything at the top,Can you just upload the pictures directly here?Similar topics