Plastering really isn't that hard..

[cr0ft]

First day of the plastering course today. The apprentice and myself just did 2 perfect walls having never picked up a hawk and trowel in our life before. For a total cost of under £500 to get fully tooled up I've been doing the wrong trade for 5 years I think!!

The best ones round here are charging as much as plumbers do.

 

[townfanjon]

yep I agree it isn't that hard, but do a ceiling and a few walls and you will know about it LOL.

Its a @iece of @iss compared to this job though

 

[Millsy 82]

First day of the plastering course today. The apprentice and myself just did 2 perfect walls having never picked up a hawk and trowel in our life before. For a total cost of under £500 to get fully tooled up I've been doing the wrong trade for 5 years I think!!

The best ones round here are charging as much as plumbers do.

How much did it cost you I'm thinking about doing a plastering course in the near future. I can patch up holes but dont have the confidence to do a full wall

 

[T & H Plumbing]

After a few walls you will have arms like Fatima Whitbread plastering isntveasy pal its an art on its own doing a wall maybe str8 forward but when you have a wall staircase n a ceiling to do it gets tricky

 

[julesverne]

plastering's a doddle compared to plumbing. Although not much fun in the summer and doing ceilings are a killer unless you do em regularly. but its a handy skill to have.

 

[Leo21]

And you do t get "emergency" calls telling you of some catastrophic failure.

 

[Nostrum]

I can skim to a decent standard, self taught when I bought my first house. You could see it get better the further upstairs you went! (Or get worse if heading in the opposite direction!)

Most of the skill is knowing when to leave it and when to trowel off.

I'm 6'2" and find ceilings easier than walls as I have a better eye across the surface, walls I find a bright light at 90 degrees to the wall really helps pick out the imperfections.

The problem is when it goes wrong its game over and you've got a big clean operation at the end of every job.

couldnt do it as a day job , I get bored to easily. I think that's why mostly spam heads do plastering, they are probably to busy remembering how to breathe to get bored.

 

[Phil]

When dot & dabbing a wall, get all the boards cut to size first, then mix plenty enough adhesive and blob up the whole wall and offer the sheets up and then with your feather edge/wacking stick tap them all in TOGETHER for a good flat surface.

Do them individually and you end up all over the shop and have to fill in all the low areas.

 

[cr0ft]

To be honest if I can fill in chases after rewiring and skim the odd bathroom ceiling/patch a bathroom wall I will be very happy. The rest will come with time.

Course was £300 for the week at a place called Trade Ability.

Will let you know how the ceilings go tomorrow lol.

 

[julesverne]

To be honest if I can fill in chases after rewiring and skim the odd bathroom ceiling/patch a bathroom wall I will be very happy. The rest will come with time.

Course was £300 for the week at a place called Trade Ability.

Will let you know how the ceilings go tomorrow lol.

your shoulders will ache.

 

[Millsy 82]

your shoulders will ache.

It will save money on the gym then. Not that I go to one my gym involves only 1 bar and somebody else does the pumping

 

[hammers4spanner]

Crash course plasters ruining it all for everyone driving rates down blah blah blah

 

[Ermintrude]

your shoulders will ache.

And neck.


This one coat plaster and tape and jointing is like plastic push fit is to plumbers. Browning and skim. That's plastering. None of this boarding walls tosh thanks. I will have me lime bond any day.

 

[Best]

Watch a plasterer as much as you can & try to pick up all the tricks - the thoroughness of the mixing, the way they angle the float, the timing of leaving it to set before final floating, the "doping" of the mix sometimes with a very small amount of older plaster, etc.
Then only do small handy jobs, as plastering is a dirty, sometimes cold or hot, heavy & boring job & often working in unlit new build buildings.
It is a brainless job.

 

[kirkgas]

It will save money on the gym then. Not that I go to one my gym involves only 1 bar and somebody else does the pumping

I joined the gym, and turned up on day one and said to the girl at the desk "what machine would suit me best" she said "looking at your physique I suggest the vending machine" :-(

 

[armyash]

I've been watching plastering vids on youtube recently. Not ideal but i'm hoping we can get the landlord to agree to a new bathroom and i'll use that as practice. even if it means doin it 5 times! I wouldn't mind going on a short course to learn the basics but don't really have the time at the minute.

 

[kris]

At least all a plasterer has to buy is his trowel, float and snips, Oh a drill and mixer, cheap as chips compared to us, me i love watchin sh£t hot plasterers at work i think its very therapuetic ,,,,, done some taping but not skimming,,

 

[cr0ft]

Well did another wall today that had been smoothed off with browning first. Quite a lot harder, have to work a lot faster. Still got it looking good though!

Ceilings tomorrow apparently. The pace of the course is so slow I feel like banging my head against the wall at times!

 

[Atouchofgas]

Is it like watching plaster dry?
Ok I will get my coat

 

[Whyme]

This is an interesting thread. Unfortunately i disagree. I can skim a wall thats boarded and ceiling. Done plenty on houses but only that. proper wet plastering and making a finish you could paint silk emulsion on and not see a divot is an art form..

 

[cr0ft]

I will let you know how it goes in my cloakroom - will be doing it after the course and repainting it afterwards. I'm a perfectionist so I will tell you if it looks crap!

 

[Irish]

I will let you know how it goes in my cloakroom - will be doing it after the course and repainting it afterwards. I'm a perfectionist so I will tell you if it looks crap!

no we want pictures! always fancied doing a course similar to the one your're doing

 

[cr0ft]

Will take some pics!! Need an excuse to finally buy that camera for photographing my work etc.

 

[lame plumber]

I get bored to easily. I think that's why mostly spam heads do plastering, they are probably to busy remembering how to breathe to get bored.

so true pmsl

 

[cr0ft]

Well did my first ceiling in the classroom today. Got it 99% there, a couple of minor scratches (rubbish bits in the mix). The classroom environment is awful though, crappy old buckets, rubbish tools, big spotlights right by where you are trying to plaster (dries it out too fast) and then you are trying to reskim over the last person's crap work. I would feel confident doing ceilings and walls in my house now! The course was £275 and well worth the money in my opinion.

I won't be going out and doing large rooms and stairwells etc from the start but it's handy to have another skill logged in the brain!

I've quickly realised that being 6'4" tall is a huge advantage for plastering, especially for ceilings.