i have been diy plastering my house and family/friends houses for about 2 years now. i can achieve a good/standard finish with very few blemeshes but i can't get a perfect finish i always have to sand down very small areas that have the odd blemish. how long does it take to get that perfect finish, 5/6/7/8/10 years ............................ i will keep trying but damn its hard. or maybe its just me??
HOW LONG?????????
- Thread starter sheldon1982
- Start date
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Don't be too hard on yourself - to be consistently good you need to be doing it almost every day. Muscle Memory in plastering is as important as 'knowing' what to do (unlike wiring a house, for example), and experiencing a range of conditions and problems is also required. Most important is an open mind and a bit of honest self evaluation.
I know plenty of people who have been doing it for years , making a (very good) living at it that would be happy if they had it down to just the 'odd' blemish. Likewise, some pick up skimming (flat work anyway) in a matter of months. ( Skimming flat walls is arguably the easiest bit of plastering to master)
Generally, the trade needs minimum 3 years -but it depends on a lot of things.
If your customers are happy, and you are happy don't worry - you will improve if you are trying to eliminate problems.
If at all possible, get on a job with a plasterer and see how it goes - if you knew someone housebashing, you could throw on a wall or two with him on a Sat morning and he could give you a few tips.
You are unlikely to get a perfect finish (whatever that may be) in the most productive way just by asking alone - you would need to be seen and shown.
Many plasterers will have their own idea of "the perfect finish". Some would even use the back of a shovel, and still call it perfect. 
I think the perfect finish nowadays is nearly impossible, especially with the modern finishing plasters that set hard in a short time. Going back again to the days of siraphite (with a little lime in), you could trowel that up the following day, and even get cream off of it,, beautiful stuff to work with. Looking at some of the finishes on old lath and plastered walls (lime),, most of which were never painted, just papered and stripped many times over the years, the finish on a lot of them is beautiful, even to this day. They could work with the plaster then,, it didn't just "set up" like plasterers of today,, ( excluding lime plasters). A lot of the plaster finishes today are hurried,, you're working against the clock, and if you don't keep up with the flattening/troweling,, the plaster will get too far ahead of the plasterer, and before you realise it,,, it's set,,solid. Then,, the more you try to get rid of any blemishes, the more you polish up the surface, showing them up even more, while making the painters job a nightmare. I think the perfect finish, is when you've cleaned up,, washed your trowel for the final time on the day,, cast your eye over the work you've done, and think,, i'm happy with that,, i could not have done that job any better.
I think the perfect finish nowadays is nearly impossible, especially with the modern finishing plasters that set hard in a short time. Going back again to the days of siraphite (with a little lime in), you could trowel that up the following day, and even get cream off of it,, beautiful stuff to work with. Looking at some of the finishes on old lath and plastered walls (lime),, most of which were never painted, just papered and stripped many times over the years, the finish on a lot of them is beautiful, even to this day. They could work with the plaster then,, it didn't just "set up" like plasterers of today,, ( excluding lime plasters). A lot of the plaster finishes today are hurried,, you're working against the clock, and if you don't keep up with the flattening/troweling,, the plaster will get too far ahead of the plasterer, and before you realise it,,, it's set,,solid. Then,, the more you try to get rid of any blemishes, the more you polish up the surface, showing them up even more, while making the painters job a nightmare. I think the perfect finish, is when you've cleaned up,, washed your trowel for the final time on the day,, cast your eye over the work you've done, and think,, i'm happy with that,, i could not have done that job any better.
D
dextrous
The present really does get in the way of reminiscing about the past, eh rc?
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When i started plastering Dexty,, Billy J. Kramer was in the charts with "Little Children",, and that was also two years before England won the world cup, and two years before Manfred Mann was singing"Pretty Flamingo". You'll remember it well too??? Wow!!!! how time flies.
D
dextrous
I think we covered the period in history lessonsWhen i started plastering Dexty,, Billy J. Kramer was in the charts with "Little Children",, and that was also two years before England won the world cup, and two years before Manfred Mann was singing"Pretty Flamingo". You'll remember it well too??? Wow!!!! how time flies.
When i started plastering Dexty,, Billy J. Kramer was in the charts with "Little Children",, and that was also two years before England won the world cup, and two years before Manfred Mann was singing"Pretty Flamingo". You'll remember it well too??? Wow!!!! how time flies.
did you go to school with moses rc?
When i started plastering Dexty,, Billy J. Kramer was in the charts with "Little Children",, and that was also two years before England won the world cup, and two years before Manfred Mann was singing"Pretty Flamingo". You'll remember it well too??? Wow!!!! how time flies.
did you go to school with moses rc?
No,, he went to school with me.
But it's true, i can still remember standing in front of a spot board with my new hawk and "floating trowel", being told taught how to take an amount off of the hawk,, overhand,, underhand,,, oooops,,
now pick it up,,, good old days. Three coats of finish on the wall then too,, trowel,float,trowel.My initial attempts 30 years ago ended in total disaster so I called someone in & I never bothered again but the economics of a much later life choice meant I had to have another go. I employed a spread on a new extension we built & a part of the deal was for me to look over his shoulder & pester the life out of him with questions. I learned so much in those 2 days & it was enough to put me right & set me off & I really haven’t looked back since.
I’m a perfectionist & only perfect is good enough for me if you’re charging good money for what you do but it really depends on what your aiming at! No intention of being unkind but the down side is, unfortunately, some will go at it for years & years & never be any good. If you can get some more detailed tuition aimed at correcting any basic errors you may be making it may be a “Eureka” moment for you but then only you will honestly be able to decide into which category you fit!
I’m a perfectionist & only perfect is good enough for me if you’re charging good money for what you do but it really depends on what your aiming at! No intention of being unkind but the down side is, unfortunately, some will go at it for years & years & never be any good. If you can get some more detailed tuition aimed at correcting any basic errors you may be making it may be a “Eureka” moment for you but then only you will honestly be able to decide into which category you fit!
My initial attempts 30 years ago ended in total disaster so I called someone in & I never bothered again but the economics of a much later life choice meant I had to have another go. I employed a spread on a new extension we built & a part of the deal was for me to look over his shoulder & pester the life out of him with questions. I learned so much in those 2 days & it was enough to put me right & set me off & I really haven’t looked back since.
I’m a perfectionist & only perfect is good enough for me if you’re charging good money for what you do but it really depends on what your aiming at! No intention of being unkind but the down side is, unfortunately, some will go at it for years & years & never be any good. If you can get some more detailed tuition aimed at correcting any basic errors you may be making it may be a “Eureka” moment for you but then only you will honestly be able to decide into which category you fit!
Very true,, as i said earlier, it's in the eye of the beholder. I'll leave the job when i'm happy with the finish, knowing that the customer will be too.
for the first few years when i started i was never happy with the finish i tried my hardest but always ended up the day after with blemishes etc and a few times i was tempted to throw the trowel in!!! meant towel!!! but seriously one day it just came to me and id mastered it took about 3 years to happen but the main thing is dont give up and every job you go on try your best and as long as you have give it 110 percent itll be as close as perfect as it gets
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D
dextrous
D'Oh!
six years and still learning different methods, tricks and tips every day
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