Hello everyone
My partner and I live in a functionalist house built in 1935. It is plastered according to the building methods of that time.
In the 1970s, the homeowner chose to cover the house with horizontal wood paneling. We are now considering removing this paneling to expose the old plaster. According to the previous owner, there was nothing wrong with the plaster, but it was perhaps not "modern" to live in plastered houses at that time.
I've followed the debate about plastered houses a bit, but we feel this is something we want to do. I'm well aware that this requires a lot of research before starting.
I'm sure there are many knowledgeable people in construction on this forum who have expertise in this area, and I would be very happy if you could share your knowledge.
Which system should we use? If I need to add insulation, what should I consider? Cost? etc.
Grateful for answers/Jotan
My partner and I live in a functionalist house built in 1935. It is plastered according to the building methods of that time.
In the 1970s, the homeowner chose to cover the house with horizontal wood paneling. We are now considering removing this paneling to expose the old plaster. According to the previous owner, there was nothing wrong with the plaster, but it was perhaps not "modern" to live in plastered houses at that time.
I've followed the debate about plastered houses a bit, but we feel this is something we want to do. I'm well aware that this requires a lot of research before starting.
I'm sure there are many knowledgeable people in construction on this forum who have expertise in this area, and I would be very happy if you could share your knowledge.
Which system should we use? If I need to add insulation, what should I consider? Cost? etc.
Grateful for answers/Jotan
If it is nailed wood paneling on top of the former plaster facade, you can forget about exposing the plaster. It will not remain intact after the removal of the wooden facade.
Depending on how the house is built (stone or wood frame), there are different techniques to re-plaster the house. If it's a stone house, it goes relatively easily. If it's a wood frame, it can be a bit more challenging.
A stone house has better anchorage and less movement in the substrate for plaster. It is therefore suitable for plastering. But if you are considering external additional insulation, which in turn requires a framework with timber, you are in the same difficult situation as when the frame is made of wood.
Wooden houses move more and therefore do not pair well with a non-elastic material like plaster. That's why the plaster layer is usually separated from the wood frame by a structure. The most common is a reed mat on steel wire. (I would assume you have one of these behind the paneling in your house if it's wood-framed.)
With the wood paneling and plaster, the structure follows when you demolish the facade. You then reach the starting point for a new facade.
Then you either have a plank frame or a log frame behind the plaster if it’s not a stone house. Maybe with a black tar paper-like insulation or a white fiberglass insulation with paper on the outside or inside. The planks are vertical and tongue-and-groove, about 1½" thick. You might also have just planks without insulation or a log frame behind. The log frame can be either vertical or horizontal. Inside, you probably have a porous wood fiberboard (feel with your thumb on the inside of the wall; if it’s soft, it's porous wood fiberboard (called Tretex), if it feels hard it’s likely a hard wood fiberboard (1/8"-1/4") with tar paper behind.
To replace the old structure with a new one, you can switch to a material called expanded metal lath. It's the absolute best and safest material for plastering. But it has to be set on spacers that are not too rigid. They should be able to yield to movements in the substrate so that the plaster layer becomes more or less freestanding and unaffected.
______________________
Byggaren
Depending on how the house is built (stone or wood frame), there are different techniques to re-plaster the house. If it's a stone house, it goes relatively easily. If it's a wood frame, it can be a bit more challenging.
A stone house has better anchorage and less movement in the substrate for plaster. It is therefore suitable for plastering. But if you are considering external additional insulation, which in turn requires a framework with timber, you are in the same difficult situation as when the frame is made of wood.
Wooden houses move more and therefore do not pair well with a non-elastic material like plaster. That's why the plaster layer is usually separated from the wood frame by a structure. The most common is a reed mat on steel wire. (I would assume you have one of these behind the paneling in your house if it's wood-framed.)
With the wood paneling and plaster, the structure follows when you demolish the facade. You then reach the starting point for a new facade.
Then you either have a plank frame or a log frame behind the plaster if it’s not a stone house. Maybe with a black tar paper-like insulation or a white fiberglass insulation with paper on the outside or inside. The planks are vertical and tongue-and-groove, about 1½" thick. You might also have just planks without insulation or a log frame behind. The log frame can be either vertical or horizontal. Inside, you probably have a porous wood fiberboard (feel with your thumb on the inside of the wall; if it’s soft, it's porous wood fiberboard (called Tretex), if it feels hard it’s likely a hard wood fiberboard (1/8"-1/4") with tar paper behind.
To replace the old structure with a new one, you can switch to a material called expanded metal lath. It's the absolute best and safest material for plastering. But it has to be set on spacers that are not too rigid. They should be able to yield to movements in the substrate so that the plaster layer becomes more or less freestanding and unaffected.
______________________
Byggaren
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