Roger Bisby finds yet another use for Toupret‘s TX140.
Replacing downlighters with new fire rated LEDs left some holes in the ceiling. Not enough of a job for a plasterer, and maybe too much for some decorators, so before my decorator arrived, and started trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, as he is inclined to do, I patched them up. I might have done this with some plasterboard, but I happened to have some off-cuts of Elements tile backing board left over from the bathroom job so I used those. The great thing about Elements board is that it holds together better than plasterboard, so I could cut it to size and simply push it into the old lath and plaster ceiling. It is also extremely lightweight, so it stayed put.
It will take cement, plaster or any other finish you decide to use. I could have used a bit of Multi Finish, but if I finished it flush with the edges it would shrink and crack away slightly leaving a hairline crack that would then need filling. Toupret’s TX 140 is a ready-mixed polymer product that can be applied thick, or wafer thin, and doesn’t shrink. It is such a useful all-purpose filler/plaster that I usually carry a tub on the van. It has such good adhesion that you can even apply it to ceramic tiles and, being water vapour permeable, it is ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. It also dries white, so you are half way there with the decorating.
In theory you can apply it in a single pass, but I find it is easier to apply it as a base coat and give it a second pass after a couple of hours. I wasn’t too careful with the second coat because it is easier to apply it slightly proud and then feather the edges with a very light sand. In many ways it is similar to an easy sand filler, or even ready mixed joint filler, but it has a lot more flexibility. I have seen it applied to a thin piece of plastic sheet which was then bent back and forth to demonstrate the flexibility.
In truth it may have been a bit too good a product for this application because none of that flexibility was required, but when you have a tub in the back of the van I find it gets used all over the place.
