new to plastering (starting out) ADVISE NEEDED

[sheldon1982]

hello

i have started to plaster my house. i have always wanted to learn a trade and this seems perfect. i bought a dvd to show me the basics and had a go myself last weekend. i was well impressed with my first wall. but then disaster struck ..... i have plastered 3 walls since and none of them are anywhere near as good , i keep getting imperfections all over the wall and its driving me mad. how can i get a finish with NO marks at all. very difficult. it looks fine when its wet but after a day or so it doesn't look half as good. PRO ADVISE NEEDED[/b]

 

[SUPERSLASHER]

It is knowing when it is time to start troweling up. A lot depends on the back ground you have just plastered over some pull in quick and some are more slower. A good trowel helps as well you need one that is broke in or semi worn. The top front corners should be rounded off you can do this yourself with a file and a sandstone. Then it is plenty of practice. You will not learn over night i am 25 years at it and still learning. S/S

 

[skinters]

your just starting out,dont put the kind of pressure the wish for blemish free perfect walls give you.

take your time filling in the voids on the second coat,smooth out a section and move on,if the plaster is still wet in parts continous troweling can cause dips and waves in the plaster wich can be hassle to get right .

it is difficult to get a perfect blemish free wall,but just remember paint covers a multitude of sins .

 

[sheldon1982]

thanks for the advise . much appreciated
i practised again last night and got a much better result. i dry troweled after about 12 minutes and the lines came out a treat. will keep practising. i am doing the hall way next how do you plaster the walls and ceiling at the top of the stairs it looks dangerous. confused??????????????

 

[makitaman]

Very carefully, thats how you plaster the ceiling and walls at the top of the stairs. Take time to set yourself up a safe working platform, we usually manage with a ladder and some scaffold boards.

 

[skinters]

why not try your hand at a false ceiling if you doing the landing .

same here ladder one end scaff the other.