I want to do something about the kitchen wall. The plaster is crumbling in places, and the paint is flaking off. What would be thye best way to tackle it?

 

Welcome to the forums!

The best repair would involve removing all the loose and repairing/replacing. You could also laminate over the failing plaster with drywall. Do you know why the plaster has failed? often it's a moisture issue and if that isn't resolved the repair will fail sooner or later

 

Don't think it's damp because it's an internal wall, and there's no evidence of dampness. Maybe it was badly applied.

 

Is there any plumbing in that wall? possibility of a framing issue?

 

Framing? Please explain what this means. (There's no plumbing)

 

Sorry, framing is a common term in the USA for the structure of the home - 2x4, 2x6, etc. It covers the wall studs, floor joists and rafters.

 

Ok, well there's no structural issues that I know of.

 

I would open the wall some more and see if you see moisture or any sign that any moisture did get in there as in signs of mold. If so you might have a roof leak or did at one point as perhaps a previous homeowner repaired or replaced the roof. If you do see signs like that then look over the roof and if it looks like it needs to be replaced then hire a roofer. If no moisture at all then you can easily repair the hole with a piece of drywall and some wall patch. For smaller holes you can buy patches that stick to the wall and then just use wall patch.

 

There is another reason plaster can go bad. That is from heat. When plaster is made gypsum mineral is cooked and some of the water in the molecules is driven off. When plaster is mixed with water that missOne water in the molecules is replaced. The extra mixing water dries. I have seen plaster that was behind steam radiators deteriorate to the point that it t would crumble the n my hand. This calcining of the gypsum hapened over a period in f many years. No one noticed it until the radiator was removed. Was this wall ever had n proximity to a stove or range or other heat source?
The fix is is th same no matter what. Remove what is bad and replaster.

 

Could also be that the base coat of plaster was applied too thinly or an excessive amount of sand was added relative to the amount of gypsum used.

If the plaster is generally cracking and feels loose, I would remove the plaster and lath and install drywall or spend the money to have it plastered professionally.

 

calvert is right about thickness. I am guessing this is plaster over wood lath. Usually when plaster is too thin over wood lath one can see he pattern of the lath eithe in cracks or accumulated dirt over the keys.

Plaster in houses tended to be thinner the more stories above the main floor the work was. They got the plaster up there the hard way and used less on higher floors.

 

The kitchen was once a cloakroom of an old school. As you can see, the coat hangers are still there. I have pulled down some shelves and you can see the gouge that was made in the plaster after doing this. It doesn't seem to be good quality plaster.
I would like to keep the coat hangers (or at last replace them after I get the wall sorted out).
The wall is quite uneven also, having some bumps and hollows. I don't think any wood laths were used.
Any further advice would be appreciated.

 

Is it a masonry wall covered with plaster?

 

yes, that's right - plaster on masonry

 

Oh, that makes a difference.
This is likely a moisture problem even if there has not been a leak.
Water infiltrates the masonry and eventually dissolves the thin interface between the gypsum plaster and the masonry, All that holds the plaster up in this case is itself. It is not sticking to anything. The moisture could be wicking up from below or percolating down from above. Or it could still be an excessive heat related issue as I mentioned above. The plastert should come off easily. Scrape off all that comes off easily. When it gets to an area where it is hard to remove then leave it. If it has stuck this long it will for a long time longer.
Then clean the masonry thoroughly . I would use a wire brush then if water will not cause even more problems clean it with a muriatic acid/water solution and rinse it very well. Then plaster it.
But you should figure out what caused the problem and deal with that too.

 

Would it be better to dryline it (With 2x1s and plasterboard).?
There is evidence of moisture elsewhere - The other 3 walls of the kitchen have mould stains, and some bumps in the plaster where it has come away from the wall.

 

Here in the states we often install furring strips to masonry walls and then attach the drywall to them but you still need to address the moisture issue first!