Mastercrete vs portland?

[macadonald]

Wavetrain,

Thanks for the advice you gave me in your first post, but not sure why you bother with useless responses calling me a time waster. You're clearly wasting your own time responding to my post with name calling. You got nothing better to do?

The entire home renovation has been a DIY project for me and I have done this all myself to date. I was perfectly honest saying that I was getting a plasterer in to do this part, which was based on some of the more helpful responses in previous posts.

If you want to be so pedantic about the DIY aspect, then the ordering of the materials is DIY (i'm trying to get advice on best practice for this).

I've used this forum for every aspect of my renovation and people have been extremely helpful to date. If I'm a 'TW' in your eyes, then ignore my post, that's why they employ a moderator.

..but thanks for your first response.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

To be fair Macadonald I agree with you.

Nothing wrong with emplying a tradesman to do a job that you don't have the skills or time to do yourself.
But if you do this, you still want to be sure that your tradesman is following best practice regarding tools, materials, methods etc.

That's one of the areas where this forum can help.

You might not always get the same answer from everyone here, but if you get enough answers, there tends to be a consensus of what is best for a particular job. This consensus will allow you to make a more informed decision on whether to take up any concerns you have with the tradesmans you have employed.

I've done this myself and have found this forum a great help both in jobs I've done myself and ones where I've employed others.

 

[macadonald]

Ronny,

My thought exactly. I've read plenty of posts advising DIYers to employ a professional to tackle the plastering. I used the forum last year for advice on rendering an outside retaining wall, which I did take on myself. Although I'm very happy with the results, it was a massive job, which I wouldn't want to do myself again. Certainly not on the inside of my house.

At the same time, there are plenty of tradesman who may not be best at what they do and I'm sure in some cases may do things wrongly. DIYers are not always goign to know this and that's where this forum can also be useful. There are hundreds of posts where people are questioning what their builders are doing and no doubt the responses save them big headaches and potentialy costs.

 

[studips]

Being a bit harsh there aren't we?

I am multi skilled up to a point - plumbing - good, brickwork ok.... the list goes on, but when it gets to rendering/plastering i'm complete gash and i know it.

so i'd want to know the ins and outs if i were having some done, but wouldn't waste my time trying to do a pro job.

yr advice was interesting and educational by the way

 

[wavetrain]

Being a bit harsh there aren't we?

Not harsh enough.

Look at this old post //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=160901 , there we saw DIYers getting stuck in doing some DIY, but these days we find fewer and fewer posts from DIYers who are capable of, doing DIY! Instead more and more posts from people who are employing dodgy cowboys and then winging about it. A year ago it was predicted in the press that DIY would be dead in a few years time, with many men now unable to even wire a mains plug. They didn't mention women I assume because few have ever been able to wire a plug?

I fear we are seeing this trend on this forum. There are other forums on DIY, and I wonder if some DIYers have switched to the competition?

 

[plstering]

half the numtys on this bit cant spread too save there life youd been better of posting in the plastering bit on here
building sand is FINE to use as a scrach or even a top coat and you can skim over it too same day if you wanted too
just use a dast of waterproofer in the mix sorted
as i said posted in the rong bit
as for the cement yes its fine old school opc is what you got is fine
as for mastercrete is just opc in a wether tite bag
it was made more for long life on building sites
devil float the backing coat then skim with muilti finish

building sand and opc render job

 

[wavetrain]

plstering, here is the info on Mastercrete:

http://www.lafarge-cement-uk.co.uk/mastercrete.html

It is an enhanced OPC and became available in recent years in plastic bags.

It is not just an OPC - it is an OPC with additives. I have used it on and off for 30 years? Cannot remember now.

 

[studips]

Being a bit harsh there aren't we?

Not harsh enough.

Look at this old post //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=160901 , there we saw DIYers getting stuck in doing some DIY, but these days we find fewer and fewer posts from DIYers who are capable of, doing DIY! Instead more and more posts from people who are employing dodgy cowboys and then winging about it. A year ago it was predicted in the press that DIY would be dead in a few years time, with many men now unable to even wire a mains plug. They didn't mention women I assume because few have ever been able to wire a plug?

I fear we are seeing this trend on this forum. There are other forums on DIY, and I wonder if some DIYers have switched to the competition?

yeah i take your point - a lot of posts seem to be a client checking that the contractor is doing it right. as a contractor, this is something that does rather hack me off! trouble is that half the guys out there charging top dollar for their work aren't really up to scratch, so i find it hard to blame the client for being paranoid.