DIY plastering

Dru . There are many knowledgable Real plasterers on here. But the question was. will you be able to skim your own house after a 4 day course. well I think the answer is ,yes. 'tho I think ones eye becomes more critical with experience. I look at the work i done years ago and I see walls full of mistakes.
But you should do the course . I doubt if you'll regret it.
 
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Cheers everyone (espeially iaith!). You did all make me feel like I'd be wasting my money (so much so that I arranged for a plasterer to come and do the box room that need doing) but I am still going to do the course and take on a smaller project as my first one rather than an entire room and ceiling! I have lots of bitty things that need doing so will start small and progress to a full wall maybe! I hope it'll be an interesting 4 days regardless and novel being a woman on a probably man heavy course!
 
..let us all know howyou get on Dru ! :)Hope it goes well.
I've opted to get the pros in on my job, if I had the time I would like the challenge of having a go myself!
 
Good on ya, Dru. There's definitely not enough women plasters in the world. go for it , and enjoy your course.
 
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You ask a difficult question and all the answers you have received are correct for their own reasons.
I did a 4 day course a couple of years ago and then came home and started plastering my own house and I am happy with the results. I have now plastered the whole thing. I now do work for other people and have not yet received a complaint from anybody.
But here is the rub.
A 4 day course can only give you information about technique etc. You need a project that is ready to go in order to perfect it. You will not perfect it in 4 days in the small bays that you are given to work in. When you are faced with a 12 foot run of a wall that is 7 or 8 feet high you are gonna realise that that is more plastering than you did in the whole 4 days of you course, and it's ONE WALL! You can't stop once you start.
So I would say this. If you are in any way practical you are in with a chance but you need the project.
You will know by the end of your four days if you have the nous to be able to do your own work. If you have managed to finish the course and the work you did was of a good standard you should be able to carry that onto a bigger job. They won't teach you how to apply browning correctly on a large scale so go with what you will learn on the course, board and skim.
The only other thing to remember is this. Start on your smallest walls like I did (downstairs loo/pantry etc) and this will help you perfect your skill and also, put about £100 aside for a decent mixer.
Oh, and do the ceilings first if you are confident enough cos otherwise you will make a mess of the walls when you do them. They ain't so tuff anyway, remember, people can't touch the ceiling and that is generally how people judge your plastering, by touching it!!!
Do the course and good luck.
 
Day 1 of the course and I've boarded a ceiling, dot & dabbed a wall and skimmed the ceiling. I already feel confident that I could skim walls in my own house to a decent standard and am really enjoying it! I guess the trickiest part is mixing the plaster to the correct consistency.

Luckily the walls in my box room are not much bigger than those in the bays I am learning in.
 
Day 1 of the course and I've boarded a ceiling, dot & dabbed a wall and skimmed the ceiling. I already feel confident that I could skim walls in my own house to a decent standard and am really enjoying it! I guess the trickiest part is mixing the plaster to the correct consistency.

Luckily the walls in my box room are not much bigger than those in the bays I am learning in.
Well done for taking the course. If all you ever do is your own house it will still pay for itself.
As you gain experience of skimming the consistency of the mix will become less critical. Obviously you will never be able to skim with water! but, you will be able to cope with a thinner mix. The way I was taught as a rough guide is this. Half a bucket of water will make 1 full bucket of mix, skim or browning. The real trick is to mix it quickly and evenly. The longer you mix, the quicker it sets! And once it starts to go off you need arms like the Hulk to get it on the wall.

Good Luck Dru
 

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