So I've given plastering a go...

[ad26]

Hi Guys

We are the process of renovating our bungalow, we have completely gutted the place, all walls and ceilings need a skim so i ve decided to give plastering ago myself, as if i can do it would be a great saving.

We was knocking two walls down so i used them as practice walls they didn't turn out to bad.(this was a few months ago hadn't done any plastering since)

Last week i started on the second bedroom i ve taken some picture wasn't very happy with the walls but to be fair they are only 3rd and 4th wall i ve plastered.

Ok this was the my 1st attempt since the practice walls;



After trying i painted the wall to see how bad it would look



There was a few holes and marks on the wall hole's i used a bit of filler from wickes but once painted you can see the filler still (was green filler not sure if i didnt rub it down enough or maybe use a different filler?), also i should have gone lower down the wall (thinking about that do u start higher and spread lower as i was just starting at skirting board level and was coming up from it as you can see i left a line build up of plaster?

2nd wall was a bit more tricky as i had plug sockets when i filled the channels and around the box i didn't came out enough skool boy error i should have came right out to the old plaster i take it now i left a few mm making it a bit hard once i got to the sockets, also the wall has alot of streaks is that from to much water? there was a crack in the old plaster just below the ceiling i knocked out all the old lose plaster and fill it with bonding (correct?)

Pictures:





There are a few holes again on this wall i ve taken a few pictures why do i get these ? fast my second coat i did check for holes and fill in, am i not leaving it long enough to go off before i start the next stage or?



What is the best way for me to fill this marks in now and what would you recommend using?

Now we have central heating the plaster starts to go off much faster, didnt think of it at the time but would i be better off turn the rad off or down as we do have TRV on the rads?


I bought some barely used second hand marshalltown tools, i ve started out with a 13x5" trowel i was wondering if i would be better off buying a 11" trowel ?

Any advice or comments would be much appreciated

Also could you give me a rough guide on your timing on how long you wait before each stage i know its hard as every wall would be different due to size heat etc.

Thanks

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It may help if you use a smaller trowel to start with, put the larger trowels are good when doing your final polish.
Time of second application, could well depend on the environment and the mix.
Practise will help, I'd say 45mins-60mins.

Use a product called easyfil for filling, it's a powder that's mixed with water and can be applied and sanded down easy.

But overall not a bad attempt keep it up, practise, practise and more......

 

[JohnD]

for patching and blemishes, I prefer to use a wide metal knife, and to smooth it off by scraping with a wide metal scraper before it is fully hard. It is quicker, easier and cleaner than sanding, and with practice gives a better finish. I prefer to use finish plaster for blemishes, and avoid fillers which are usually slow to harden and harder to flatten.

I will admit to using a fine-surface filler on very small tricky bits though

It is helpful to apply a couple of coats of white matt emulsion when you think the surface is perfect, this help you see any remaining blemishes so you can correct them before decorating. Remember to thin the first coat with water so that it soaks in.

For socket and switch boxes you can get a plastic guide that screws to the backbox for plastering round but I have forgotten the trade name. Manufacturer is Davies-Cook Products (dot com).

I am not a plasterer so mostly do chases and patches.

 

[Gregory20]

Hi ad26.

Im assuming your right handed. Therefore start at the top left and work your way across the top, left to right. (if your not go the opposite way).

Then when you get to the end, kick your hop up out the way and go back to the left and work from the bottom upwards. Wokring your way to the right again.

This way you wont drop any plaster down the bits you've already done and you can do the largest section of the wall from the ground, rather then from your ladder or whatever.

PERSONALLY i wouldnt worry about getting a smaller trowel. I started off on a 14 inch Marshalltown and picked up simple skimming very quickly.

Just dont pick up too much on your trowel at once.

I think you may find those big holes you are getting are because when you put on your second coat, you are missing bits out and not 2nd coating them.

Though i sometimes found it hard to see everywhere i had 2nd coated when i first started plastering. Just check everywhere and make sure its all 2nd coated - this shouldnt be too hard unless you are doing a huge ceiling or something and are working like lightning.

Your central heating shudnt cause a problem just whatever you do dont turn it up too high, just keep it low or you will regrett it. And certainly dont try and make it dry out quicker by blasting heaters on it or anything.

Its hard to say really how long to wait before waiting for the second coat.

Just get your first coat on fast, dont worry about getting it neat, just get it on. And again unless your doing a massive area, there should be plenty of time for a quick sandwich or cup of tea.

Give it a quick flatten and when its gone firm but is still workable or cheesy, on goes your second coat - just a thin one. Wait, trowel up, tidy your corners, (not too much water!!).

Happy days. Speed will come with practice. Jobs a gud un.

Hope this helps. GREG.

 

[wozza56]

Did you remove or at least pull the fronts off the sockets ? if you did then there should be no problem ,if not thats what you have to do .
Your better off tuning the heating off in the newly plastered rooms .
Also when skimming always trowel across and along the ceiling and skirting lines as well as across the middle of the wall where the overlap is
I think everything else has been covered in the other posts

 

[roughcaster]

Did you remove or at least pull the fronts off the sockets ? if you did then there should be no problem ,if not thats what you have to do .
Your better off tuning the heating off in the newly plastered rooms .
Also when skimming always trowel across and along the ceiling and skirting lines as well as across the middle of the wall where the overlap is
I think everything else has been covered in the other posts

And just adding to what Wozza said,, don't stop the plaster where it meets the skirting,, skim/coat "below" the skirting level, feathering the plaster away. That way, you wont end up with a "ridge/bump", that could cause the skirting to sit badly against the wall.

Roughcaster.

 

[stevethespreader]

your work is very good for someone with no plastering experience ive seen lots worse and it looks like you have saved a few bob, what i have noticed that no one else has picked up on is the door frame always plaster up to the door frame so the plaster is flush with it, i think you are a plasterer in the making

 

[tommyl18]

only put on what you can manage thats where a lot of plasterers go wrong they think they are the dogs *******s and try and put on hundred metres in one go normally one coated!!! and then wonder why its gone off on them and they cant trowel it down. Another tip is stay calm and dont panic if it starts to go off on you try and get the plaster on the wall as neat as you can because the neater it is the less troweling down you will have to do later. The rougher it is the more you have to play with it to get all the marks out then you create more trowel marks and just goes from bad to worse. just remember its not the end of the world if it does go wrong because you can always skim the wall again if you have to. Final tip Im very fussy i try and get even the smallest of blemishes out and id say to do the same because you tend to get into a routine of '**** it that will do syndrome' where you leave a few blemishes because you cant be bothered to trowel them out and then you end up leavin more and more blemishes untill your work becomes substandard!

 

[ad26]

Thanks for all the tips will put them in to practice on the next wall hopefully doing saturday, i did indeed take the plug sockets off wrapped up the wires and pushed them inside the boxes what i found more tricky was i left around 4mm gap between the bonding paster and the existing plaster so i will fill in the other socket chases out to the existing plaster.

I do spend to much time on the 1st coat to i know i shouldn't but its hard not to

Thanks again for the advice will report back on how the next wall goes

Adam

 

[iaith]

I find it's always worth buying a big tub of ready mix jointing compound. you can trowel it on ,then sand it off and it hides all sorts of imperfections. I've even put it onto painted walls, sanded it down, then repainted. the finish is pretty good.

 

[ashymoko]

shouldnt you be doing the ceiling first?????
either way you should be scrimming up all wall edges (which i can see your not) where they meet other walls and ceilings, and plenty of pva.(it'll make your skimming much easier)
its hard to see what the finish is like, but i can see its looking above novice........good for you m8!! An

 

[ad26]

shouldnt you be doing the ceiling first?????
either way you should be scrimming up all wall edges (which i can see your not) where they meet other walls and ceilings, and plenty of pva.(it'll make your skimming much easier)
its hard to see what the finish is like, but i can see its looking above novice........good for you m8!! An

I know it would of made more sence to skim the ceiling first but I've not plastered a ceiling before, was going to get a bit faster before attempting the ceiling ok it not a large ceiling 11x10 but was going to start on the hall first ?

Didn't know I needed to scrim the edges? Will it matter that I haven't? I thought i would only need to scum the edges and joints on plaster board?

Adam

 

[stevethespreader]

shouldnt you be doing the ceiling first?????
either way you should be scrimming up all wall edges (which i can see your not) where they meet other walls and ceilings, and plenty of pva.(it'll make your skimming much easier)
its hard to see what the finish is like, but i can see its looking above novice........good for you m8!! An

I know it would of made more sence to skim the ceiling first but I've not plastered a ceiling before, was going to get a bit faster before attempting the ceiling ok it not a large ceiling 11x10 but was going to start on the hall first ?

Didn't know I needed to scrim the edges? Will it matter that I haven't? I thought i would only need to scum the edges and joints on plaster board?

Adam

there is no need to scrim pre existing wall and ceilings

 

[ad26]

(lol scum I meant scrim)

Thanks Steve

 

[islandview]

I would say you have done a good job there.

I got into the plastering trade by doing what you have done. I never wanted to be a plasterer but just kind of fell into it.

I moved into a house with artex walls and ceilings and decided id give it a go at skimming the walls. There was no way I could make them any worse.

I think I was lucky as I picked it up straight away. A plasterer friend of mine commented on how impressed he was.

In the end I had enough people asking me to do work for them I quit my job and started working for myself.
Im still doing it 5 years later and I am keeping pretty busy.

Just by going on these forums you can pick up loads of theory on plastering.

One thing that I found when I first started was its best to always keep your tools clean and always use clean water for your mixes. When your just starting out and taking your time laying it on the wall a dirty mix will go off too quick.

Keep at it, your doing a good job.