plastering

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ian1

Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 314
Location: essex

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 05 11:42 pm Post subject: plastering
any handy tips to get a good finish ! im ok on smallish area's but never completly happy with the finish. just about to do bathroom ceiling (smallish area) and would love to do it straight off without having to resort to going over it again with easyfill ,filler, untill im really happy with it. cheers ian

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 3:51 am Post subject:
pay someone Plastering is a skilled job, one of those best done by people who do it!

oldhibberd

Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 118

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 6:19 am Post subject:

I can't get a smooth finish either. But I have seen the other day a newish polycell product called a super smoother which they reckon could do away with plastering altogether in a lot of cases. You get this fancy applicator widget and can even go over artex. I'd be interested to know if anyone has tried one yet. Probably not as easy to do as they make out?

Anyway have a look at:

https://www.polycell.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/POLUK/New/Jsp/New.jsp

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-�a)

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 7:35 am Post subject:

When I was decorating the bedroom we were putting my youngest in a lot of the top layer of plaster had lifted and there were a few large holes where the rewiring had made a mess. Whereas a plasterer would have done the job in no time it took me ages but was very rewarding.

For the main filling I used a just-add-water mix and put it on in thinnish layers, letting it dry with a rough surface, and making sure I never let it protrude above the final level. For the top 3mm I used a bucket of ready-mixed.

The final result was a better finish than the original. However, I was fortunate in that I could use the original to give me the level and the ceiling was not too bad so I only had to fill cracks.

It is easy to get a good finish with the right fine plaster. Our Brico makes it very simple with only two sorts (and powder or ready-mixed) and good pictures on the tin of a chap either filling holes or doing the surface 3mm. Even I couldn't go wrong.

The downside was it took me weeks.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 8:01 am Post subject:
A really useeful thread! We're just about to have the house re-wired, after I found mouse-nibbling on cables. We'll be doing the plastering ourselves to cut costs, so the more tips the better

moggins

Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 8:09 am Post subject:
I watched my plasterer avidly when he did the hallway and although he did a pretty good job when troweling it on I do remember that most of the final work done to give that smooth finish was actually done with a pretty damp (almost wet) very large sponge!

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 9:20 am Post subject:
I think with plastering unlike most jobs, the amatuer cannot simply get the professional result by going slowly and taking their time. Plastering is best done quickly as it is drying all the time Ceilings are even worse, as it is going to kill your muscles as you will be using them in an odd position This job to me is a prime candidate for investigating LETS schemes, bartering etc.

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-�a)

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 9:34 am Post subject:

jema wrote:

I think with plastering unlike most jobs, the amatuer cannot simply get the professional result by going slowly and taking their time. Plastering is best done quickly as it is drying all the time

Ceilings are even worse, as it is going to kill your muscles as you will be using them in an odd position

This job to me is a prime candidate for investigating LETS schemes, bartering etc.

But you build it up slowly, letting it dry between coats. Once a section starts to dry you have to leave it and do another section until is has dried completely. I was chuffed with the results.

It's a shame my wallpapering wasn't as good.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 11:34 am Post subject:
I think it's worth learning if it's a skill you will use more than once. I've done some patchwork of a bedroom and it did take ages. I've progressed to an entire kitchen wall and it looks fine, but still took a while. After the house is done I should be quite good at it. I hate ceilings though and may get someone in to skim ours.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 11:37 am Post subject:
Skimming ceilings is difficult, and worth paying someone to do IMHO. If you're chasing after rewiring and you're in an older property with 'real' plaster rather than board and skim then use One Coat, it goes on up to 50mm deep in one application and stays workable for far longer than ordinary plaster.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 11:39 am Post subject:
When himself decided to take up a trade he was going to plastering, as we have a hell of a time getting them down here. All the advice he got was don't - anyone can plaster, but it takes years of craftsmanship get the finish on it. He's doing plumbing instead now. He wasn't impressed when I offered him my Jane Asher books!

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 2:42 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

Skimming ceilings is difficult, and worth paying someone to do IMHO.
If you're chasing after rewiring and you're in an older property with 'real' plaster rather than board and skim then use One Coat, it goes on up to 50mm deep in one application and stays workable for far longer than ordinary plaster.

Most of our plaster is horse-hair, and not of the smoothest, so I'm not too worried. I rather like a gently undulating effect! As you say, we're only filling in after wiring, so not huge areas (unless something goes wrong), although there is a patch in the office that could do with some work.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 05 6:06 pm Post subject:

jema wrote:

pay someone

Plastering is a skilled job, one of those best done by people who do it!

Totally agree with that, our bathroom wall we tried to plaster ourselves after saying, "how hard can this be?" isn't such a good job, we'll be paying someone to come and plaster the wall that needs doing downstairs

Fee

Gervase

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 8655

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 05 9:01 am Post subject:

If you've got haired plaster, consider using the same stuff to replace and patch it. Lime plaster is easier to use for the novice as it doesn't set as quickly and can be worked for longer. It's also more ecologically friendly, as it reabsorbs all the CO2 released in its manufacture as it slowly carbonates.
With any plastering, though, the use of the float is crucial to achieve a good finish.
Start by spraying the surface to be plastered with a mister spray (the sort of thing used for spraying plants). That will reduce the suction effect, where a dry substrate simple sucks the moisture out of the plaster before it can set (don't dampen expanded steel lath or reed matting, though, as they have a shiny surface and may just shrug off the plaster).
Then go for the three-coat technique - dub out with a scratch coat of rough stuff to a maximum depth of 10mm and, once it starts to go off and thicken, score the surface to provide a key for the next coat and reduce cracking.
You can score it with a stick or piece of lath, or three joined together like a fork, or make a 'devil float' out of a piece of wood with three nails driven through it. aim for criss-crossing lines two or three inches apart.
When the base coat is almost hard - where it can be scored with a fingernail - apply the next coat of rough stuff to a depth of around 5mm and smooth off with a float. Don't worry about getting a perfect finish - you're just making a good base for the skim coat.
For skimming, float angle is crucial. Apply about 2mm thick and wait for it to start to go off.
That time varies. With gypsum plasters it can be minutes, with lime it can be a couple of hours - you can tell by trial and error, as if the plaster is still too plastic you'll be able to cover your tracks later.
Keep the float clean and damp (use an old sponge, well rinsed), and aim for semicircular sweeps, with the 'rise' left by the passage of the float covered by the next sweep.
Don't press too hard, and don't over-polish. It's a knack that you'll either find comes naturally after some practice or that takes years!
For sources of lime plaster, try:
https://www.womersleys.co.uk/acatalog/renders_plasters.html
https://www.mikewye.co.uk/mikeprices.htm
https://www.thelimecentre.co.uk/
or https://www.lime.org.uk/ (a very helpful bunch)
Ceilings need not be daunting. Make sure the mix is slightly stickier than you think you need and press it home well. If you're using lime mortar or plastreing on laths or reeds, you may find it easier to apply the scratch coat with a round-nosed guaging trowel rather than a float.
To do the tops of walls and ceilings, don't be tempted to use ladders - invest in a couple of trestles and a plank or two, or use plastic milk or beer crates to stand on.
Remember, if you get someone in to do the job, you'll be paying a heck of a lot for not much - particularly if it's just filling in the chases from electrical work. Good luck!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 05 5:14 pm Post subject:
practice , plaster is cheap so do practise first . pay someone good if you dont have much to do .lots of fe colleges do diy courses if you have lots. over the years ive made loads of money fixing messed up plastering so learn first and do it once ,properly .

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