Should I learn to skim, call someone in or line?

[toomuchworknotenoughtime]

My first post.

We recently bought a huge Edwardian semi and have the luxury of not living there while we carry out some work. We've had a complete re-wire and quite an extensive replumb and have stripped layers and layers of textured paper off walls and ceilings. Ceilings seem to be soundly affixed to lathes but some show have cracks up to 5mm which I intend to fill and sand.

Walls are a mess of filling, patching, holes and small (thankfully) areas of blown plaster which are a good enough size to make me think I can bring them up level with the surrounding plaster with an undercoat (though I don't know whether I should be using hardwall, or bonding on brick - any suggestions gratefully received).

My real question concerns finishing the walls prior to painting. Ideally I would like to have a complete reskim but it will cost a fortune to call someone in (4 beds, very large hall and staircase, 3 receps). I loathe the idea of lining which in any event I've never done so would need to call someone in to do that as well.

Is it possible to learn to skim on a 1-2 day course. Walls will have been filled and put into a fairly good condition. All walls are flat (no curves). There are interior and exterior corners with the odd 45 degree turn into bays. Over the years I've managed to teach myself most of the diy stuff I do but I don't have the confidence to have a go at skimming without a course. Is it possible to learn to skim properly, quickly, or am I deluded??! If anyone thinks I'm not mad, can you recommend any courses? Many thanks.

 

[mikegm]

I attended a 5 day intensive plastering course locally. Yes they can teach you the basics, I am now re-skimming walls and been lucky enough to pick up private jobs, so the jobs have nearly paid for the course! BUT I am in NO WAY a plasterer, I know there are guys on here who are Plasterers and it takes many years of learning, but I am (a young) 50 year old, so no plasterer is going to say to me...yeah come out with me, I'll teach you some more...it aint going to happen. But it is a sense of achievement to look at some wall you have just re-skimmed and think to yourself I done that...so go for it! You may come unstuck with large areas or stairways where you need extra equipment though!! Good luck.

 

[roughcaster]

I attended a 5 day intensive plastering course locally. Yes they can teach you the basics, I am now re-skimming walls and been lucky enough to pick up private jobs, so the jobs have nearly paid for the course! BUT I am in NO WAY a plasterer, I know there are guys on here who are Plasterers and it takes many years of learning, but I am (a young) 50 year old, so no plasterer is going to say to me...yeah come out with me, I'll teach you some more...it aint going to happen. But it is a sense of achievement to look at some wall you have just re-skimmed and think to yourself I done that...so go for it! You may come unstuck with large areas or stairways where you need extra equipment though!! Good luck.

A very honest reply Mike,,, practice makes perfect,, keep at it mate.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If you've never done it before, bite the bullet and get someone in.
You could go on a course and learn the basic skills, it could well cost £500-600 to do that.
But what they can't learn you is speed and experience, that comes in time.
I'm all for DIY, so no intention to put you off, it just may be to bigger undertaking to start with.

 

[mikegm]

Thanks Roughcaster for the encouragement...learning all the time..

 

[Richard C]

It’s a very difficult question to answer & really depends on weather or not you have a natural affinity for handling a trowel. After learning the basics & understanding how the various materials behave, a few will be able to skim to a reasonable standard after just a few hours practice but others will struggle at it for years & never be any good, it’s something you won’t really know until you try. But you should consider that renovation of base coat or stripping back & doing a full float & set (base & finish) is a different ball game to skimming nice flat sheets of plasterboard but if you can do that, your progress is as much about having confidence in yourself than anything else.

A couple on here started with an intensive course & are doing really well, it is a good way of cramming the basics but it wont make a spread of you, that’s down to practice, experience & a little black magic but you never stop learning & just when you think you know all the answers, something will rear up & bite you, especially on renovation work. We bought a renovation property some 6 years ago & I found myself in a similar predicament with spiralling renovation cost meaning I had no real choice but to get stuck into all sorts of things, one of which was plastering. I didn’t have the benefit of a course but had previously had some disastrous DIY attempts many years ago. What I did was hire in a spread for a couple of days on the understanding that a part of the deal was my standing over his shoulder, asking endless questions & giving some assistance. Once I realised the mistakes I had made all those years ago, to my (& my spreads) amazement, I had the good fortune to realise I was a natural. The rest is history & it started a whole new work adventure for me (not just plastering) which, although in a simliar field, has little to do with my previous working life.

Mikegm, I wouldn’t worry about your age.

 

[1john]

i am in the position that richard started out with i think, although have a fair bit of knowledge in the builing trade having renovated houses for friends (but never really had a go at plastering, just watching plasterers).

Having baught my first house and having a baby, i have had extremely tight budget to completly renovate the house (incidently, the budget and the actual cost are two very different numbers ) and i have had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

I would reccomend that if you have a slight idea or are handy to read all the relevant posts on te forum, choose a smallish wall and have a go, it will cost you about £20 in materials plus some tools to try and if you dont think you can do it, then admit defeat.

Or get a plaster in to do a room and watch like a hawk (no pun intended)

You need to be comitted and determined to do it, and in my opinion (which may or may not count for much) the money you would spend on a course would be better spent on the plasterer doing a room (for you to catch) and buying some tools.

Plastering is hard work and your arm will start hurting exactly when you dont want it to, but you have no choice, you have to continue, although i find the aching goes after about 5 mins. I am pleased with my results, and have seen alot worse skimming done by 'professionals' although i can pick faults with what i have done too. Overall i find plastering very rewarding on a personal level although wouldn't fancy doing it for finacial reward.

sorry for my rambling, i am not even sure that it makes sense but basically, if you think you can do it and want / need to do it then have a try, if not it is alot easier to get someone in and it also gives a tradesman a job in these troubles times.

 

[roughcaster]

It’s a very difficult question to answer & really depends on weather or not you have a natural affinity for handling a trowel. After learning the basics & understanding how the various materials behave, a few will be able to skim to a reasonable standard after just a few hours practice but others will struggle at it for years & never be any good, it’s something you won’t really know until you try. But you should consider that renovation of base coat or stripping back & doing a full float & set (base & finish) is a different ball game to skimming nice flat sheets of plasterboard but if you can do that, your progress is as much about having confidence in yourself than anything else.

A couple on here started with an intensive course & are doing really well, it is a good way of cramming the basics but it wont make a spread of you, that’s down to practice, experience & a little black magic but you never stop learning & just when you think you know all the answers, something will rear up & bite you, especially on renovation work. We bought a renovation property some 6 years ago & I found myself in a similar predicament with spiralling renovation cost meaning I had no real choice but to get stuck into all sorts of things, one of which was plastering. I didn’t have the benefit of a course but had previously had some disastrous DIY attempts many years ago. What I did was hire in a spread for a couple of days on the understanding that a part of the deal was my standing over his shoulder, asking endless questions & giving some assistance. Once I realised the mistakes I had made all those years ago, to my (& my spreads) amazement, I had the good fortune to realise I was a natural. The rest is history & it started a whole new work adventure for me (not just plastering) which, although in a simliar field, has little to do with my previous working life.

Mikegm, I wouldn’t worry about your age.

Nor would i,, you're only as old as you feel,, and i'm being serious.

 

[toomuchworknotenoughtime]

Wow, thank you everone for your speedy replies. I'll never know unless I try and am therefore going to find a short course. I'm not overly sure of the rules on advertising but plugging plastering course in London into Google comes up with what appears to be a pukka course close to Romford. Seems quite reasonable. I'll try that and if happy start with, say, the smallest bedroom and see.

Again, thanks all for your help.

PS, mikegm. I'm not 50 yet, but I'm certainly the wrong side of 45!

PPS Is anyone able to advise a reasonable cost per square metre for skimming a wall or is it not really priced like that?

 

[1john]

when i was working in maidenhead i think the fella there was charging £20 a meter squared for skimming over tape and join.

 

[Micilin]

Price per metre doesn't really come into it so much in domestic jobs or small works.

Ususally a price per room/per ceiling etc is the way to go, with everybody knowing exactly where they stand.

Site prices, where m2 are more relevant, have gone down with a lot of the bigger firms but there is no comparison in having hundreds of metres of boards to skim and being able to run up and down the stairs in your dirty boots and throw your dirty water out the back door etc

For example, in a decent new build, a man on his own might skim 100m2 without going mad, but to prepare and skim two 10m2 ceilings may be a great day's work in a domestic job.

If that makes any sense?

 

[Micilin]

I attended a 5 day intensive plastering course locally. Yes they can teach you the basics, I am now re-skimming walls and been lucky enough to pick up private jobs, so the jobs have nearly paid for the course! BUT I am in NO WAY a plasterer, I know there are guys on here who are Plasterers and it takes many years of learning, but I am (a young) 50 year old, so no plasterer is going to say to me...yeah come out with me, I'll teach you some more...it aint going to happen. But it is a sense of achievement to look at some wall you have just re-skimmed and think to yourself I done that...so go for it! You may come unstuck with large areas or stairways where you need extra equipment though!! Good luck.

A very honest reply Mike,,, practice makes perfect,, keep at it mate.

As an aside RC (or smart arsed comment), if you have done any sports coaching -

"Practice makes permanent. Perfect Practice make perfect !!

But joking aside, agree totally - and I've seen plenty of guys who have been years at it that are not great to say the least, and some lads who take to it relatively quickly. I think being open minded is teh best aset
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[Richard C]

I'll try that and if happy start with, say, the smallest bedroom and see.

Start small & go for it & come back for more advice when ever you feel the need. The Plastering forum here is one of the friendlisest, least derrogatory & best for advice you will find & there are several here that will give you all the advice you need. Being under 50, you’ll have no problems on the stamina front (unless you’re a total wimp )

You never know, you might even end up with a totally new work life experience as I did & an 18” supa spread trowel.

 

[dextrous]

The Plastering forum here is one of the friendlisest, least derrogatory & best for advice you will find & there are several here that will give you all the advice you need.

Now then, what did Spike Milligan once call Prince Charles - ah yes, "grovelling little ....."

 

[Richard C]

The Plastering forum here is one of the friendlisest, least derrogatory & best for advice you will find & there are several here that will give you all the advice you need.

Now then, what did Spike Milligan once call Prince Charles - ah yes, "grovelling little ....."

Couple of years ago I stayed in a guest house practically opposite to where he lived until his dying day (Spike that is)

Not sure about "PC" but tis my sincere renderings ( groan ) & where it all began for me