Fixing Plastering Above Skirting

[Bes]

Hi,

I had a new wooden floor put down and when the guy came to do it he strongly recommended pulling the skirting off the wall before starting in order to get a good finish (The floor/ room was expensive so the last thing I want is a crap looking skirting there). He did warn me I was risking pulling some of the plaster off as the skirting is 100 years old.

I agreed, skirting is off, new floor is laid, and looks great. However, now of course, I have a wall where the plaster line is uneven and extends a few inches above what I would call a standard skirting board in some places. I've never done any plastering but am alright at DIY and this is a 100 year old brick wall. Do I:

A) Buy all the materials and try and patch myself (Am I likely to get a nice finish? Is it difficult for a newbie?)

B) Get a plasterer round to do the wall down to a few cm off the ground so I can re-do the skirting myself? Any ideas what they might charge? It's about 5 metres of wall that will need doing along the entire length to get a top quality finish.

C) Fit a high skirting board knowing it won't match the other walls or any other room and patch up any untidy parts with Tout Pret or similar? (The room is a kitchen, the units run in an L around 2 sides of the room and the other wall is separated by a door and has a sideboard and built in cupboard against a part of it anyway.)

Thanks

 

[rexehuk]

Depends how bad it is... But I'd probably fill it with some toupret tx110 and sand.

 

[mrbazmondo]

Filling isn't that difficult. Get some sort of plaster filler. The one above sounds like it will sand fine. Some set like concrete - avoid those. Don't try and fill it smooth, put in a bit more than you need. Let it fully dry for a day or whatever it needs, then sand it till its flush. Repeat again if necessary, then paint.

 

[MassiveJim]

Filling isn't that difficult. Get some sort of plaster filler. The one above sounds like it will sand fine. Some set like concrete - avoid those. Don't try and fill it smooth, put in a bit more than you need. Let it fully dry for a day or whatever it needs, then sand it till its flush. Repeat again if necessary, then paint.

if using this method, definitely check the filler you are using does not set like concrete.

I have fallen in to this trap a few times n the past, sanding down hard filler is not in the least bit fun.

 

[Martynt74]

Yeah, filling over the hole is the way forward. I always used to try filling it smooth which required a few goes and never worked well. Putting too much on and sanding back is much easier.