Grey Structure Checklist: 12 Things to Check Before Plastering

Plaster hides everything. Once the walls are plastered, mistakes in the grey structure are expensive to find and fix. Walk through this checklist — or ask your engineer to — before the plaster starts.

Structure

1. Columns are straight and plumb. Check with a plumb bob or level on two faces of every column.
2. No honeycombing. Look for gaps and exposed steel at the bottom of columns and under beams. Small pockets can be repaired with a proper mortar; large ones need an engineer's advice.
3. Slab and beam levels. Check the underside of the slab is level and beams are not sagging.
4. Curing was done. Slabs and columns should have been kept wet for at least 7 days (10–14 days is better).
5. Cover to steel. No steel bars should be visible on any surface.

Brickwork

1. Joints are full and about ⅜″ thick, with no hollow joints.
2. Walls are in line and plumb, and every course is level.
3. Lintels and sunshades are cast over every door and window, with enough bearing on the wall on both sides.
4. Opening sizes match the drawings — measure every door and window opening now, not when the frames arrive.

Services

1. Electrical conduits are fixed for every switch, socket, light and AC point, with boxes at the right height.
2. Plumbing pipes are pressure-tested before they are covered. A leak found after tiling is very costly.
3. Roof waterproofing and slope are done so water drains to the outlets and does not stand on the slab.

Before you start plastering

• Fill scaffolding holes and gaps around frames.
• Fix chicken mesh where brickwork meets concrete (columns and beams) to reduce cracks.
• Wet the walls the day before plastering.

Building with Kataria Engineering? Every stage is checked by our engineers, and you can follow the progress on your private project page.