Patching and Plastering - Plastering over Brick

I'm in the process of restoring an old warehouse and would like to plaster a couple of brick walls-is this ok to do? Some areas have old lead based paint (?) on them and I'll need to do some minor tuck pointing. I've thought about drywall but would prefer something quicker. I also like the idea of having a more distressed type of finish.

I hope I'm not being to vague. Any comments would be appreciated.

jaf

If the brick has been painted you should treat it in any of three ways before you plaster it.
1. You could sand blast off the old paint. This is a mess and then you have to contend with the mess and the lead
2. Metal lath it. Use diamond mesh metal lath, galvanized if it is outdoors. Nail it with masonry nails, into the horizontal mortar joints only, then plaster with three coats, scratch, brown and a finish of your choice.
3. Probably the easiest is to paint the existing paint with a bonding agent like PlasterWeld or WeldCrete both by Larsen's Products, though there are other suitable brands, then plaster. The down side to this is that the plaster is only bonded as well as is the existing paint.
If the brick are quite textured and the mortar joints struck deeply you will also get some mechanical bond using any of these methods.
Let us know what you do and how it goes