DIYers - Concrete internal walls (7 Viewers)

[fernandopartridge]

I bought a 60s house earlier this year (privately built). The internal walls are all covered with paper which has been painted on, I had assumed this was to cover up some poor plaster but upon stripping off paper in the living room it is actually concrete.

Has anybody come across this before?

 

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[Nick]

Bit weird, so they havent plastered over the concrete to give it a smooth finish?

 

[fernandopartridge]

Bit weird, so they havent plastered over the concrete to give it a smooth finish?

It's smooth concrete so has a nice finish, you can't paint on to it with emulsion though. They'd put lining paper on to it and painted over that. I think we're just going to have to do the same but their are potentially areas that need repairing (subject to getting the paper off), not sure who would do that work, does your average plasterer do concrete too?

 

[wingy]

You sure it's actual concrete, and not cement over cinder blocks ?
Came across that combination in a Hairdresser's near Blackpool.
Doing a refit 10-15 yrs ago.
Strange stuff.
You should be able to find a local plasterer familiar with the finish.

 

[skybluetony176]

Sure it’s not just a cement screed finish instead of plaster? Has the house been extended at any time? Maybe it’s just an old external wall that was screeded and they left it instead of stripping it and re-plastering. Take a drill to it and see how deep it is and if there’s brickwork behind it.

 

[fernandopartridge]

It's all the internal walls, load bearing ones included, @skybluetony176

i think it's probably rendered on to cinder blocks like you say, just not something I expected. I actually quite like exposed concrete (must be a Cov thing). Just working out what to do with it once it is stripped, it all looks in better condition than the paper covering suggested oddly.

 

[fernandopartridge]

It is concrete over brick. Whichever cowboy they used to rewire the place has filled in the channel he knocked out for a light switch with plaster though.

 

[Nick]

It is concrete over brick. Whichever cowboy they used to rewire the place has filled in the channel he knocked out for a light switch with plaster though.

At least he made a channel and didnt just put a plastic tube over the wire

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

It is concrete over brick. Whichever cowboy they used to rewire the place has filled in the channel he knocked out for a light switch with plaster though.

I can only assume that the walls have been cement rendered for reasons to do with damp and/ or the type of brickwork . Has the house been rendered/dashed on the outside, has a cavity wall / solid wall and a DPM. If the house had failed dpm it would, in the old days , been cement rendered up to the height of around 1 metre and then plastered above..
Is it cement rendered upstairs ?

In fairness to the electrician you shouldn't cement render over electrics because of the acidic reaction in the render.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I can only assume that the walls have been cement rendered for reasons to do with damp and/ or the type of brickwork . Has the house been rendered/dashed on the outside, has a cavity wall / solid wall and a DPM. If the house had failed dpm it would, in the old days , been cement rendered up to the height of around 1 metre and then plastered above..
Is it cement rendered upstairs ?

In fairness to the electrician you shouldn't cement render over electrics because of the acidic reaction in the render.

The concrete rendering is full height, it's directly on to the brick. I assume the whole house is the same pretty much including upstairs, the reason why I say that is they've covered all walls with paper which is painted on.

The outside is clad on top of bricks and tiled.

I shall speak to one of the neighbours to try and ascertain whether this is the original construction or something that was done afterwards.

Anyway, it isn't a major issue apart from one part of the wall where the concrete is missing (looks like it might have been the former home of an electric fireplace or similar) and has been clumsily filled with plaster by a non-professional, 10mm difference in level!

 

[wingy]

It's all the internal walls, load bearing ones included, @skybluetony176

i think it's probably rendered on to cinder blocks like you say, just not something I expected. I actually quite like exposed concrete (must be a Cov thing). Just working out what to do with it once it is stripped, it all looks in better condition than the paper covering suggested oddly.

If it's that it may be best to reline it fp.
One that saves at least one coat of paint and guarantees the paint will take to the paper , not guaranteed onto the cement . Also that cement surface is prone to crack a lot if you have to fix anything to the wall involving hammering , drilling etc.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Take the lining paper off, dot and dab with 9mm plasterboard and overskim. You can diy the dot and dab if you're reasonably competent. It's a lot of labour but not particularly difficult and you'll save a packet.
Of course, you have to consider sockets, carpets , skirtings, architraves etc.

 

[fernandopartridge]

If it's that it may be best to reline it fp.
One that saves at least one coat of paint and guarantees the paint will take to the paper , not guaranteed onto the cement . Also that cement surface is prone to crack a lot if you have to fix anything to the wall involving hammering , drilling etc.

That's the plan but need to do something about the botched wall where they've cut away the concrete for a fireplace or something and just slapped plaster on its place unevenly

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

That's the plan but need to do something about the botched wall where they've cut away the concrete for a fireplace or something and just slapped plaster on its place unevenly

Plasterboard the whole wall.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Are all the houses in your street clad on the outside ?
Only asking because houses built of blocks on the outer skin are not necessarily water repellant and would need further protection ie rendering/pebbledash.
As for cinder blocks on the inside this is not at all uncommon and most are usually skimmed with plaster in the same way as standard medium / lightweight density blocks. They do not need cement rendering.

 

[wingy]

That's the plan but need to do something about the botched wall where they've cut away the concrete for a fireplace or something and just slapped plaster on its place unevenly

Depending on how bad that is could you float a coat of dry lining compound or some easysand to even it out?

 

[Kieranp96]

I've been renovating my house for a good 2 years when we first stripped the wall paper back all the plastered had ripped off, we put it down to the heat from the steamer but who knows anyway I filled in what I could and sanded it down but we lost one whole wall of plaster but the concrete u derneath was fine just needed sanding down to even it out and we papered over it, house was built in the 50s I belive maybe earlier.

 

[Kieranp96]

Plasterboard the whole wall.

Expensive, if you just plan on wallpapering then there's really no need to, especially if it's the wall joining your house to neighbours.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Further inspection seems to suggest it's grey plaster, possibly Thistle Durafinish. It's just a bit stronger than standard plaster and grey rather than pink!

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Expensive, if you just plan on wallpapering then there's really no need to, especially if it's the wall joining your house to neighbours.

It's not expensive if you can dot and dab tapered board, scroll and skim the joints yourself.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Further inspection seems to suggest it's grey plaster, possibly Thistle Durafinish. It's just a bit stronger than standard plaster and grey rather than pink!

Glad it's not a major problem !

 

[hill83]

It's not expensive if you can dot and dab tapered board, scroll and skim the joints yourself.

I don't know what any of that even means, sounds painful ha ha. Safe to say I wouldn't be able to do it.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

I don't know what any of that even means, sounds painful ha ha. Safe to say I wouldn't be able to do it.

Haha. It makes a bloody mess and covers you with white powder !

 

[shmmeee]

Haha. It makes a bloody mess and covers you with white powder !

Standard Saturday night in Earlsdon.

 

[hill83]

Standard Saturday night in Earlsdon.

Pillsys

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

Depending on what you want to do with the ex-fireplace, i reckon dot-and-dabbing that wall sounds like the best way to overcome the difference in levels. Did a bit of dot-and-dabbing just this week (to repair a patch that the previous had cut out to mount a TV flush to the wall surface). First time i've done it and it has come out really well, especially with a lick of paint. There are some REALLY useful Youtube vids on the subject (one by a company called A&E - but don't let that or the Leicester accent put you off!).
Was a bit worried when you started off talking about grey cement in a 60s house - asbestos alarm bells - glad it's Durafinish.