A QUESTION OF PLASTERING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 23 April 1908, Page 4

A QUESTION OF PLASTERING.

THE NUKSIB;-HOME TROUBLE, v Tlio following-lpttor, dated, was received ati • tlio 'meeting of •: tho■ '■ Hospital Trustees yesterday-morning from" Mr. Francis Ponty, of Messrs. Polity and Blake,. architects :-r- . 1 : < '■ - " I beg to report that oil Friday after- •' noon last, by. appointment, I went through tho Nuraes'- Homo with 'tlio' Chairman mid three Trustees to insjjcct tho defective plastering- 'in tho institu- • tion,' and; after a careful examination,- -I can only express my regret at what I • saw, 'for ,the work was -anything but a ' credit to myself or the contractors. In my opinion, tho causo of tho cracks in ; walls and the' plaster' falling from - the ceilings of .tlio older portion of tho building is mainly tho perpetual movement of the timbers. The blistering- of, the walls was undoubtedly brought about '' by reason of the'limo in probably either the second or :finishing coat -of plaster not being thoroughly slaked. With reference to defects in: the.-pulp plaster oil the walls of tlio newer portion of the Home, I can only surmise that they are caused by the pulp being too dry when tho second or finishing coat was applied. It was originally .intended to napar both tho walls and ceilings of tho older portion of tho Home, and this work was provided for ill tho' oontract for tho erection of tho building, but, on inspection'; by tlis Building Committee and myself on completion, it was decided to omit''this portion of tho work, seeing .that at that ' time papering was considered to bo quite, unnecessary. Had this work been carried out, 110110 of tlio blistering and but - few of tho cracks in the walls would have been noticeable." ' The Chairman (tho Hon.'C. M. Luke) said that this was an extremely frank statement ,of tlio position) It -had been intended to do tlio, papering, but when it was seen what a nico finish tho plaster had it was decided to defer tlio matter.' : Mr. Hales remarked that the timber must have l>een rotten when tho plaster w.is put on, and tho mortar thus had no adhesion whatever. Thoro were-luiildings in Welling-' ,ton-'which had been up for thirty yearn, and they had never shown a blemish'/simply bccauso good workmanship had been put' into thorn. I The letter was received.