Sandstone and magnesian limestone were once quarried in Bulwell, and many houses, schools, churches and garden walls built of Bulwell sandstone still stand for miles around. Over the last century the town spread outwards with estates at Crabtree Farm, Snape Wood, Highbury Vale, Hempshill Vale and the Bulwell Hall estate, followed by Top Valley in the 1970s. A skim in a stone-built house and a skim on a 1970s estate are two different jobs.
Stone-built houses
Solid stone walls are rarely flat, so a skim on its own may not be enough. A finishing coat is only a few millimetres thick and follows whatever is underneath, so the hollows often need building out with a backing plaster before the final coat goes on. Older solid walls can also hold moisture, and any damp has to be dealt with first or the new plaster will stain and blow. If a stone house is listed, check with Nottingham City Council before replacing original plaster, because a modern gypsum finish isn't always suitable over old solid walls.
Top Valley and the later estates
Top Valley was built on three former farms, with work planned from 1971 to 1976, and the housing shortage of the 1960s and 1970s also brought building at Snape Wood and Sellers Wood. Homes from that period usually have plaster that is still firmly attached, so the skim is mostly about the surface: decades of paint, filled holes, and cracks above doors and windows where the lintels meet the wall. Those cracks are raked out and taped before skimming so they are less likely to reappear. In the 2010s some homes on Bakewell Drive were replaced with modern housing, and eco-homes went up at Ranskill Gardens from 2018, so newer homes are part of the mix too.
If a ceiling still has a textured coating, it can be skimmed over rather than scraped off. Have it tested before anyone sands it, as older textured finishes sometimes contain asbestos. Once sealed, the skim goes straight over the top and leaves a flat ceiling.
Drying and the first coat
Plaster on a solid stone wall can take longer to dry than on plasterboard, because the wall itself holds moisture. Keep the room aired, resist the urge to speed it up with heaters, and wait until the colour is even before painting. Seal it with a watered-down matt emulsion, then decorate as normal.
From the Market Place to Rise Park, ring 07877 353120 or send the enquiry form with photos of the rooms. We work every day of the week, 7am to 5pm.
