Full House Re-skim & Ceiling Replacement by a Plasterer in Richmond upon Thames

This project was carried out at a period property in Richmond upon Thames, TW9 — a type of home commonly found across South and South-West London. The house had undergone years of gradual wear and multiple failed patch attempts, leaving walls and ceilings in poor overall condition. With a full renovation underway, the homeowner commissioned London Plastering Service to strip back and re-skim the entire property, including a full ceiling replacement in the kitchen area where the existing structure had deteriorated beyond repair.

The images reveal a property in significant disrepair across multiple rooms. In what appears to be a bathroom or utility room, the walls show bare brick behind heavily patterned, aged ceramic tiles that had been partially removed, exposing the substrate beneath. Electrical conduit and wiring were left exposed across the wall face, indicating a recent rewire. A second room — likely a kitchen — shows a ceiling that had been fully stripped back to the timber joists, with the old lath and plaster completely removed. A new timber framework of battens had been constructed across the ceiling void ready for plasterboard installation. The final image shows the kitchen post-boarding, with fresh plasterboard fixed to the new framework and walls freshly skimmed to a grey base coat.

The full scope of work across this property covered two distinct but interconnected phases. The first phase focused on the kitchen ceiling, which had failed structurally. The old lath and plaster ceiling was stripped entirely, exposing the original joists. A new secondary timber framework was constructed between the joists to provide a flat, level fixing surface, and 12.5mm tapered-edge plasterboard sheets were then fixed across this framework using drywall screws at appropriate centres. All board joints were taped with scrim tape before skimming. The second phase covered the walls throughout the property. In the bathroom or rear utility area, tiles had been removed and electrical first-fix work completed, leaving the wall surface as exposed brick and damaged plaster. These walls required a full bonding coat applied to the bare masonry substrate before any finish skim could proceed. Across the wider property, existing plaster surfaces that were sound were prepared with a PVA wash to seal porous areas, before receiving a full re-skim in multi-finish plaster. Electrical back boxes, chased channels, and switch drops were all made flush and allowed to cure before finish coats were applied. The result was a complete, consistent plaster surface across all rooms ready for decoration.

Before any plastering began, the walls and ceilings were assessed room by room. In the kitchen, the stripped ceiling void was checked for level and the new timber batten framework was secured firmly to the existing joists at 400mm centres to ensure a rigid fixing base for the plasterboard. All loose and delaminated plaster was hacked back from walls. Bare brick and block areas received a liberal coat of bonding agent mixed with water, applied and allowed to become tacky before the bonding coat was applied. Electrical conduit runs and chased channels were filled and allowed to dry. Dust sheets and heavy-duty polythene sheeting were used to protect kitchen units, worktops, and floors throughout.

The kitchen ceiling was the first task. 12.5mm tapered-edge plasterboard boards were lifted and fixed to the new timber batten framework using 42mm drywall screws at no more than 200mm spacing along each batten. Boards were staggered at the joints to avoid continuous seams. All joints between boards were filled with joint filler and reinforced with 50mm fibreglass scrim tape, feathered flat and left to set hard before skimming began. The entire plasterboard ceiling then received a scratch coat of Thistle Multi-Finish plaster, applied at approximately 2–3mm thickness and ruled off flat with a feather-edge rule. Once the scratch coat had firmed to the correct consistency, a second finishing coat was applied and trowelled tight, then polished with a wet brush and steel trowel to produce a flat, even surface. On the walls, areas of bare brick and block received a Thistle Bonding Coat base, built up in controlled lifts to bring the surface level. Once the bonding had set firm, the same two-coat multi-finish process was used — scratch coat followed by finishing coat. Throughout the property, existing sound plaster that was retained received a diluted PVA wash to reduce suction and bind the surface before the finish skim was applied over the top. All internal angles were ruled in with a feather edge and finished with a small tool to produce clean, straight arrises.

One of the most demanding aspects of this project was the combination of a structurally failed ceiling and exposed masonry walls in the same property at the same time. The kitchen ceiling had no viable surface to skim — the lath and plaster was gone entirely, leaving only the rough timber joists overhead. Building a new level ceiling framework within an existing room requires precise measurement and careful fixing to avoid any dip or bow across the finished boards. Simultaneously, the walls in the rear rooms presented a mixed substrate of bare brick, residual adhesive from removed tiles, and live electrical conduit — all of which needed to be addressed before a finish coat could be applied.

To resolve the ceiling, a secondary batten framework was constructed at a consistent level below the original joists, creating a new flat fixing plane for the plasterboard. This approach avoided the need for a full ceiling joist replacement while delivering a level, skim-ready surface. For the brick walls, a Thistle Bonding Coat was applied in controlled passes to build up the surface evenly around the conduit runs and cable drops. Each lift was allowed to partially set before the next was applied, preventing slumping on the vertical surface. On the more intact plaster walls, a PVA seal coat was used to balance suction before the multi-finish skim was applied, ensuring consistent drying across all surfaces.

The completed kitchen ceiling shows a clean, flat plasterboard surface fully skimmed and ready for paint, with all board joints invisible beneath the finish coat. The walls throughout the property were brought to a consistent grey base coat of multi-finish plaster, providing a smooth, uniform surface free from the cracking, hollowness, and tile adhesive residue that had characterised the rooms before work began. The ceiling in particular represents a significant transformation — from exposed joists and a dangerous open void to a level, solid plasterboard ceiling with recessed lighting prepared for final connection. The property is now fully ready for the decoration phase.

The homeowner was mid-way through a full renovation of their Richmond upon Thames property and needed the plastering phase completed cleanly and on schedule so that decorators could follow on without delay. With the ceiling replacement, wall bonding, and full re-skim all delivered within the agreed programme, the client was able to hand the property over to their decorator on time. The consistent plaster finish across all rooms meant no remedial work was required before painting, saving additional time and cost in the decoration phase.

A full house re-skim combined with a ceiling replacement involves multiple trades and substrates at the same time. An inexperienced plasterer who attempts to skim directly over bare brick, residual tile adhesive, or mismatched substrates will almost always see the finish coat delaminate or crack within months. Constructing a level ceiling framework requires accurate setting-out and secure fixing — a poorly built frame will telegraph through the finished boards as a rippled or bowed ceiling. London Plastering Service brings over a decade of experience working on period and renovated properties across Richmond upon Thames and South-West London, with the technical knowledge to match the right products and processes to each substrate encountered on site.