Replastering a house

[IwishLifeWasDull]

Hi, I am considering buying a house that needs modernisation including replastering.

Does the current plastering need to come off before you re-plaster? Sorry if that's a stupid question, but I just don't know. Also, I want to add sound insulation too.

Is removing the current plastering job included in the cost of a re-plastering?

thanks

Houses from the 80s and 90s aren't built the same though.

Gypsum isn't breathable either.

So, it’s not about age. It’s about construction. Houses in the 30s are usually cavity wall which is basically a ‘new build’ from a lime/damp/breathing perspective. The wet outside hits the outer leaf and there’s an air gap that means the damp doesn’t hit the inside. You CAN still get damp from condensation if there’s loads of water vapour inside and you don’t air the house out, and obviously from leaks, but that air gap between the inner and outer wall means stuff like lime and ‘breathability’ (which is a word I’m coming to loathe) are not really so much of a big deal.

Earlier houses were built without that air gap. So rain hits the house and soaks into your external walls to inside. Not in a noticeable ‘wet’ way but gently. In theory stuff like lime pointing and lime plaster allow that solid wall to dry out naturally as water moves through them. If you block the walls from drying by covering your external walls internally in gypsum and vinyl silk paint, you’re more likely to get mould, flaky paint and rotting stuff as the water is just sitting there in your walls. This is especially true if your pointing is cement rather than lime - it’ll come out through our outside bricks, which will eventually crack. If your house is made of wood or cob, the effect is worse. If you have cement render on the outside that also traps water that gets in via cracks, also not great. Just think of it like washing - it gets dry on the line. It does not get dry in a plastic bag.

OP, if your house has original lime plaster and no cavity wall, you would be better leaving it on the external walls - it can normally be patched up and it’s horrifically expensive to have redone.

none of this is cast in stone. Some houses get wetter than others and it’ll all depend on lots of things, but I would say it’s better not to insulate external walls of a sold wall building. Get it dry and it’ll be warmer anyway!

wallpaper wont have asbestos in it, but removing it could result in chunks of old plaster coming with it...!!

Get a decent plasterer in to advise before you start. If you have lath and plaster it's a nightmare, you need to be really careful when taking old wallpaper off because once the old plaster is damaged it falls off in chunks and makes the most monstrous mess. Ask me how I know😭