ᐅ How much plaster should be replaced in an old smoker’s house?
Created on: 6 Mar 2019 13:16
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TassimatHello everyone,
In my older building from the 1960s, there was unfortunately a lot of smoking. Under the wallpaper, the wall still looks slightly yellowish. I will try to upload a photo of it later.
We don’t really want to apply a nicotine-blocking primer; instead, we want to remove the nicotine. Is it usually sufficient to just replace the top layer of plaster (maybe 5mm (0.2 inches)), or should the base coat plaster also be removed?
In my older building from the 1960s, there was unfortunately a lot of smoking. Under the wallpaper, the wall still looks slightly yellowish. I will try to upload a photo of it later.
We don’t really want to apply a nicotine-blocking primer; instead, we want to remove the nicotine. Is it usually sufficient to just replace the top layer of plaster (maybe 5mm (0.2 inches)), or should the base coat plaster also be removed?
If there is still a smell with just bare plaster, I would personally recommend removing everything completely. Sanding down just a few millimeters is an incredible mess (dust!) and ultimately involves almost the same amount of work to restore the surface to a usable condition for further wall treatment. Plus, you won’t have any real assurance that the problem is actually resolved.
After 60 years, it’s also perfectly reasonable to replace the interior plaster.
If you’re considering doing this yourself, I would suggest looking into an air lance (pneumatic scaler). It’s a significant investment upfront, but given the scope of the work, it will definitely pay off in the end. And if you can use the air compressor for other purposes afterward (as a hobby), the cost balances out anyway.
I have tried working with electric demolition hammers weighing 6 and 13 kilograms (13 and 29 lbs). The smaller one sometimes lacked the necessary power, and the larger one quickly became incredibly heavy over time (and sometimes caused more damage than intended ;-) ). You can forget about using plaster chisels or similar tools for this job.
After 60 years, it’s also perfectly reasonable to replace the interior plaster.
If you’re considering doing this yourself, I would suggest looking into an air lance (pneumatic scaler). It’s a significant investment upfront, but given the scope of the work, it will definitely pay off in the end. And if you can use the air compressor for other purposes afterward (as a hobby), the cost balances out anyway.
I have tried working with electric demolition hammers weighing 6 and 13 kilograms (13 and 29 lbs). The smaller one sometimes lacked the necessary power, and the larger one quickly became incredibly heavy over time (and sometimes caused more damage than intended ;-) ). You can forget about using plaster chisels or similar tools for this job.
Tassimat schrieb:
In my old building from the 1960s, a lot of smoking unfortunately took place. Under the wallpaper, the walls still appear slightly yellowish. This parallel does not have to be causal. I have also lived in a house from the 1960s where there were certainly only non-smokers before, yet under the wallpaper the plaster was largely yellow. There was no smell, and nothing came through any wallpaper. This was likely a reaction between the plaster and the adhesive of one of the earlier wallpaper layers.
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First of all, the photos from last night don’t show it clearly, so I’m not posting any yet.
I know for sure that the previous owner smoked in the apartment. A serious lung condition was the reason for selling, and I had to dispose of countless tobacco tins from the house. Anyway, this background is enough reason for my partner to want to replace all the plaster. Unfortunately, the architect agrees. I’m unsure myself and hesitant about the effort involved. But if in doubt, better to tackle the plaster.
Is there any way to determine, other than by a smell test, whether the yellow discoloration is caused by nicotine contamination?
Interesting. A simple model for 500€ plus air compressor seems still somewhat affordable. It could also help me remove the reinforced concrete pond in the garden.
11ant schrieb:
This parallelism doesn’t have to be causal. I have also lived in a house from the 1960s where, before the non-smokers moved in, the plaster behind the wallpaper was mostly yellow. There was no smell at all, and nothing came through the wallpaper; it was probably a reaction between the plaster and the paste used in one of the earlier wallpaper layers.
I know for sure that the previous owner smoked in the apartment. A serious lung condition was the reason for selling, and I had to dispose of countless tobacco tins from the house. Anyway, this background is enough reason for my partner to want to replace all the plaster. Unfortunately, the architect agrees. I’m unsure myself and hesitant about the effort involved. But if in doubt, better to tackle the plaster.
Is there any way to determine, other than by a smell test, whether the yellow discoloration is caused by nicotine contamination?
Dr Hix schrieb:
If you’re thinking of doing it yourself, I’d recommend looking into a "compressed air lance."
Interesting. A simple model for 500€ plus air compressor seems still somewhat affordable. It could also help me remove the reinforced concrete pond in the garden.
Tassimat schrieb:
Is there any way to tell, other than by smell, whether the yellowing is caused by nicotine or not?Maybe try using a degreaser. Nicotine should be dissolved by it, whereas adhesive residue would not.
Tassimat schrieb:
Anyway, this prior knowledge is reason enough for my better half to want to redo all the plaster.I do not doubt that the previous owner was a smoker; I was merely pointing out that yellowing of plaster under wallpaper does not necessarily have to be related to that. I am not aware of plasters that react with nicotine; I certainly would not expect it to "reappear" in a sponge-like manner. Nicotine forms a film and generally does not diffuse through wallpaper.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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