Local Traders News » ceiling

Firm Destroys Historic Plaster Ceiling During Renovation

Sarah — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:00:52 +0000

While carrying out property development of a historic listed building in Aberdeen, Stewart Property Services Ltd carried out unauthorised internal work to the property, making changes that planning permission had not been granted to cover. The unauthorised work consisted of creating 15 bedrooms in the property which had been approved to consist of 9 bedrooms, with the remaining space being used for resident meeting space, games rooms and seating areas.

The affected space contained two examples of fine plaster ceilings dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, which were considered to be among the best examples of decorative plasterwork that have survived to be seen today. An historic buildings inspector who visited the property in 2007 had commented at the time that although there were ‘grander, more elaborate’ examples than the ceilings that could be seen in the Victoria Court property in public buildings in the city such as theatres, they were not as old, and it was also noted that the plasterwork ceilings of the listed building were in good condition.

When the planners questioned about the unauthorised work, the developer advised that as renovation work had progressed, problems with dry and wet rot had been discovered which would have resulted in a large amount of repair work which would have been costly. The developer also tried to justify the change to 15 bedrooms rather than the original approved 9 bedrooms that he was requesting retrospective planning permission for by advising that it was “financially imperative” for his company to allow the change to the original permission.

During the renovation process, one of the ceilings was removed completely and the other was obscured by a false ceiling which had been fitted with a sprinkler system. The Development Management Sub-Committee members at the city council unanimously decided that action needed to be taken against the developer in order to protect the remaining plasterwork ceiling and to enforce the undertaking of remedial work to reinstate a plaster ceiling in place of the plasterwork that was destroyed.

The enforcement action that the council has imposed includes removal of the partition walls that were built on the first and second floors, returning rooms to their original sizes and any original features should be restored with replacement features to match existing surviving decorative elements where these are missing, ensuring the pattern in which they are applied matched the original design – work which would have to be approved by the planning authority. In addition to this, the false ceiling would have to be removed to reveal the original plasterwork ceiling that was not damaged, and a new ceiling would have to be applied to match the original plasterwork design.

Kate Dean, the convener, condemned the actions of the developers, saying it was unacceptable to destroy parts of buildings that are of historical importance, but noted that she would be looking forward to the proposals submitted by the development company to address the requirements of the committee.

Choosing the Best Type of Coving and Cornicing

Sarah — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:09:30 +0000

Coving and cornicing can be an attractive way to add the finishing touch to your redecorating project by adding interest to the tops of your walls. Coving is particularly effective in period houses such as Georgian or Victorian properties but can also add interest in a more modern home.

There are a number of different types of coving that you can purchase, each with their own different characteristics, making some more appropriate for your project than others. These are:

Polystyrene coving
Plaster coving
Paper covered plaster coving
Duropolymer coving

It is important that you choose the best type of coving to meet your needs. As budgets often have an impact on the choices made when redecorating or renovating a property, this could be a large factor in choosing the right type of coving for your project.

Polystyrene coving is the cheapest type of coving, but there are a couple of drawbacks from the money you save choosing this over the other types of coving that are on the market. As polystyrene is light, it is easy to fix to the wall and won’t be a problem weight-wise. It is however quite delicate so could easily be damaged, therefore if you are not careful when installing it, you could end up paying out to replace broken pieces of polystyrene coving. As polystyrene is an absorbant material, you will also find it takes more coats of paint to get the desired finish compared to coving made from other materials.

Plaster coving is at the other end of the spectrum in terms of cost, being the most expensive option. It is also often quite heavy therefore you may find you need to use screws to secure it to the wall in addition to using adhesive, but one big plus point is that it does not need so many coats of paint because of the bright white smooth finish plaster coving naturally has. It is often the most attractive option, especially for period properties, as a number of different mouldings are available, including ceiling roses and door surrounds, which can give an excellent coordinated finish overall to your room.

Using paper coated plaster coving can help cut down on the amount of coats of paint required compared to polystyrene, and the coating of paper provides an easier surface for applying paint. Weight is also a consideration with paper coated plaster coving however.

Duropolymer coving is a new product on the market that is lightweight compared to plaster coving and also offers the same benefits that using plaster coving offers in terms of painting and decorative mouldings. This could therefore be the most attractive option for your redecorating project.

Whichever type of coving you decide to go for, it is worth measuring your room prior to settling on the product for you so you can know your budget in advance rather than getting a nasty surprise when the quote comes in. Alternatively, you can speak to a professional plasterer who can advise on the best product to suit your needs.

Reinforcing Roof Joists to Support a Loft Conversion

Teresa — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:48:00 +0000

If you have been thinking of extending your living space in the home an attic room is a good idea to give you that extra square footage. It can be used equally well as a general loft storage area or if you want to make an extra bedroom perhaps with en suite facilities, or simply just a chill out area.

The first step is to talk to your local council to determine if any building permits or planning permission are required before you start remodelling your home, especially if you will be making modifications to any structural elements of the building.

You will need to evaluate the attic space and joists to see if they are going to be strong enough to support traffic from use and the weight of things being stored or furniture being used in the living space before you begin to make any further plans for your attic conversion. They can be reinforced relatively easy if needed. I suggest that you expose all of the joists from within your attic space by removing any loft boards and insulation so you can see all round the joists themselves.

If the ceiling joists are spaced incorrectly they will need to be adjusted so that weight can be evenly distributed and not put too much strain on too few joists. The same joists that support the ceiling of your rooms will become the flooring joists for the attic room and less is needed to support a ceiling from below than day to day use as a floor from above. The ideal scenario is 2×6″ joist for each 16 inches of floor space. If they are spaced 18 to 24 inches apart like in older properties, you will need to insert an extra joist in between each of them by fixing a joist hanger to the beam or trimmer joist, then secure the 2×6 wooden joists to it.

Another important step to take is to make sure that the foundation and integrity of the exterior walls are in good condition as the extra weight of secondary storage can be quite heavy. Reinforcement may be needed if they are not in excellent condition. It would be a good idea to have a contractor to evaluate the situation. Professional help is always the best way to go about things, it would be very costly if thing went wrong, but localtraders.com can make finding a reputable builder to provide a competitive quote for your loft conversion quick and easy. Just submit your details today.

Getting Rid of Artex – Plaster Over or Remove It?

Craig — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:56:42 +0000

A home improvement trend that has definitely left a lasting impression is artexing. We’ve all seen it; many of us probably still have it decorating our ceilings. The question lies in how we get rid of it when we decide this look is no longer what we want for the living room, hallway, dining room or kitchen. There are generally two ways in which you can go about the task; either removing the artex or covering it up, so we’ve provided a guide to each method popularly used to rescue your artexed room.

Plastering Over Artex

Generally it is said that to cover over artex, you first need to remove or knock off any large points as these would protrude through the plaster that would be used to give you a smooth surface. Once the surface is prepared, adding two layers of PVA undercoating is said to give you a firm enough base to plaster onto, and then the actual plastering can begin.

Up to three layers of plaster tend to be used to suitably cover the original textured surface and give a good quality finish. This is a time consuming task that requires skill, and is generally considered not for the untrained due to the amount of prep work and the actual plastering work itself that are involved, so if you are considering plastering over your artexed ceiling, you should consult with a quality and professional time served plasterer.

Removing Artex

Although artex can be sanded down or scraped off your interior walls, this method can be considered dangerous as older artex can contain asbestos. This makes sanding or scraping artex off a wall or ceiling a potential problem for both people living in the house and the tradesman completing the work as the carcinogenic fibres would be released into the air.

Wallpaper removers can be an effective method for removing artex, although this can turn messy as the plaster returns to its original form. If you are planning to scrape or sand your artex, it is essential to seek professional advice, find out when your artex was installed and whether it’s safe to sand it off. Local councils may be able to help with this.

In summary, there are two solutions to your artex nightmare – to plaster over or to remove your artex from the wall or ceiling. Both methods require skill and caution is advised. The best advice we can give you is to speak to local quality plasterers who know their trade, and get quotes on both methods to enable you to make an informed choice. Remember some plasterers may prefer one method over the other, so speak to a few to get a balanced view on how to go about removing or covering that artexed ceiling or wall.