0

The house I live in is quite old and the renovations made ~ 15 years ago by the previous owners are of extremely(!) poor quality. It's like the people who plastered it did it with their toes. In some spots, the plastering work is lower, higher or unevenly layed on the wall, etc. The walls are made of bricks, except one which is a drywall.

I really don't like plaster or plastering, and I want to avoid it. I don't want to sand the wall once it is done. I was thinking to apply a layer of mortar over the walls to get an even texture everywhere, and then paint it with wall paint. Would the mortar stick to the plaster wall, provided I use a primer? Would it be strong?

I know that after releveling the wall will not be completely straight, and that is fine, I don't mind it as long as there is an even structure. This video describes what I would aim for, but with a different texture or finish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQxPIf4xRAI&ab_channel=getAMCI

enter image description here Let me know what you think! Thanks!

Improve this question
1
  • The room is pretty small already, so I am not willing to add plaster boards.
    – M. B.
    Commented Jul 21, 2023 at 12:18

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

The pic you posted is really far from the worst jobs I have seen.

You have an aversion to plaster, but is it because you don't want to be sanding or is it the product itself? Do you want to use stucco because you don't have to sand it? Stucco is usually not used on interior walls. Drywall compound (commonly called mud) is used for that. It's more common than plaster in North America. There are a few way to coat walls with drywall compound that do not require sanding.

Drywall compound is much more forgiving than stucco. It can be wiped with a damp sponge to smooth it even after it has dried. No sanding, unless you want to. You can't do that with stucco.

You stated, "This video describes what I would aim for, but with a different texture or finish..." What finish would you like? There are a variety of techniques to get different finishes. Orange-peel is sprayed on. Lace is sprayed and smoothed or troweled on and smoothed. There are textures from using sponges, rollers, rags. combs, brushes, taping knives, and more and combinations of some.

If you were to show an example of what texture you want on your walls, as well as a pic of what the wall is now, we can tell you the best way to try to achieve that. You can also experiment to see what you like.

Improve this answer
2
  • Your answer is very useful. I do dislike plaster for having to sand it, and also because it is not good with humidity. Where I live, it is pretty humid in general. It seems that mud can shrink pretty much. Do you know what that would mean if I would apply it on an entire wall? Would it crack? Regarding the texture, I would probably use a sponge with water to give it some fine lines but still keep it smooth. I also understood that plaster dries really fast, which makes it difficult to work with, which is another reason why I would not use it. But maybe I am wrong, or there is enough time?
    – M. B.
    Commented Jul 21, 2023 at 12:09
  • Please understand there is a difference between plaster and drywall compound. I do not like plaster either. For your purposes I recommend drywall compound. An all purpose compound has worked well for me. It does shrink, but cracks come only if it is applied too thick. The humidity is not an issue. I live in Florida where it is very humid. we use drywall compound all the time.
    – RMDman
    Commented Jul 21, 2023 at 13:04

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.