plastering tips

[tom keane]

hi I have been on a plastering course and would like to know what other methods pleople use to do plastering.

do you set beads using plaster or screws?
do you use a darby and if so why and how?
do you use board finnish on boards or multi?
does anyone use carlite any more?
does any one use wood battens as screeds or any other method to level walls?
were do you start to plaster bottom top left or right?
do you do one coat or two and at what thickness?
does anyone use fibres in there mix or lime or any other additives and why?
do you use nails or screws for plaster board?
how many sq meters is a resonable amount for a professional to do in a day?
how do you cut your beads snips or hack saw and are they mitred at the corners or staight?
does anyone use the external tape that has metal strips on it here?http://www.toolstation.com/search.html?searchstr=10867
what type of trowels do you use marshaltown or refina s/steel or carbonsteel?
how do you stop carbon steel rusting?
does anyone have any tips on plastering?
does anyone use other types of plaster (knauf/amourcoat/polished ect)?
what type of sand do you use for rendering and what rtaios?
what do you do about sockets wires coving skirting and acitrave when plactering?

 

[moderator]

hi I have been on a plastering course

why did you not ask at the course?

 

[jbonding]

float beads are usually set and skim beads nailed or stapled, dont use a darby anymore a straight edge is better . board finish sets slightly quicker than multi, carlite is ideal for skimming floating is goes a lot further than multi or board but ive not used it for years. if it needs to be level and your not confident using battons is ok. if your right handed you skim from the top left to right and float from top right to left and the opposite if your left handed. one coat is possible but id learn two coat first. fibres like horse hair are only used in listed buildings newer materials dont need it.screws are better then nails they dont pop as much. depends on the size of the walls 100m is possible.beads are cut with tin snips at a mitre but doesnt have to be a perfect mitre. ive only ever seen tape and jointers using the tape. i use a 20" refina trowel. to stop the trowel rusting you should oil it every time you finish with it but you will soon get sick of that so get stainless steel there a lot stronger, last longer and the dont nik as easy. my tip on plastering is rome wasnt built in a day and there are no short cuts. ive used knauf and i dont like it but some do. 4 sand 1 cement to scratch then 5 -1-1 adding one lime . i usually un-screw sockets and switches and its ideal if the skirting and architraves are off.

 

[pops]

to be honest a lot of plasterer`s have different ways, depends on how there taught, as far as i`m concerned you`ll never learn anything unless you try it, i went to college for 3 years and never really learnt anything until i went on site, i have worked with my mate for 7 years now he never went to college he has different ways of plastering to myself, we have a boy working with us for 9 months that as good as us at finishing but still has to pick up some speed, not bad for someone that worked in a office since school
as for trowel`s i wouldn`t have anything else but a stainless marshalltown,
that link you showed for the metal strip tape is normally used by dryliners not plasterers
i won`t answer all the Q`s its up to you, your choice