Tips on scheduling plastering

[NickB_99]

Hi all,

One thing I am finding with all my plastering so far, is when I start a wall etc, it is non-stop race from start to finish!

for example - scrim up, apply PVA/water, apply mix, (mix a 2nd one as I'm too slow), trowel up to finish.

There don't seem many natural break points.
E.g. after PVA on, need to mix plaster immediately so that PVA is tacky at right time.
By the time I've got my second coat on, where I started plastering is then ready for trowelling up.
I'm finding it can be flat-out for easily 4 hrs straight, once you start.

Is there any advice the experienced plasterers could offer on how they manage time/jobs? (so I can improve my scheduling)
I suspect reducing to only 1 mix may help (but I think I'm a bit off that yet even for medium sized walls).

TIA

 

[Alastairreid]

Hi newbee!
experience/usage would be the simple answer to your question.
but the obvious statement would be preparation! pva the day before,i personally remove all light switches and sockets, use a spot board for your mix as opposed to working from a bucket, keep your tools and water spotless, invest in a decent paddle mixer, mix enough to cover the area you are working on.
example would be say a 6mx3m straight run, mix enough stuff and put it on s/board, i start from the middle and work from one end to the other, then i fill from skirting line to middle jump onto hop up and fill in along ceiling line.

this process from start to finish would take approx 15/20 mins.
clean tools bucket s/board.
then have a cuppa.
i have been in the trade 30yrs now and used to plaster on industrial scale ie nightclubs, cinemas, office blocks with sometimes as many as 8 spreads all vying to outdo each other

anyway thats my take on things......some of the other guys will probably give you some good tips as well.....but to summarise speed comes with experience, dont bite off more than you can chew, take your time and dont overload your hawk or trowel as more will end up on the floor than wall. load your hawk with enough for 2 or 3 trowel fulls and apply in long continuous sweeps starting low and aiming high.

Another thing i do is keep 1 pair of shoes for the room i'm plastering and another (clean pair) by the door for going back and forth, this keeps the dirt contained.
also in the down time i would spend going round the new plaster tidying up any blemishes/trowel lines etc and cleaning skirtings/architraves.
make sure your lines between walls and ceilings are nice and straight and clean, including external beads.
don't over polish its a waste of time and makes the painters job more difficult.
as time goes by the process will become 2nd nature and cease to become a stresfull chore.........dont forget we have all been there.

and enjoy your work.

 

[Richard C]

One thing I am finding with all my plastering so far, is when I start a wall etc, it is non-stop race from start to finish!

That’s plastering for ya!

Your problem seems to hinge around that you’re not yet confident enough to get two coats up from the same mix before its starts to go off on you. After 2 years, I would have expected you to have overcome that particular hurdle but unless you square up to it & take it on, you’re unlikely to advance beyond it. The thing I would say though is don’t get too hung up on the two coats thing; it’s intended to help with time so you get you a nice flat wall, the second coat bringing back the first & slowing down the overall set rate. I admit I don’t always do 2 coats; depending on the base & particularly on smaller walls. If you can work fast enough & are skilled enough to get it on there nice & flat in one hit, why complicate it with 2! However many you put up, I always aim to get it all up there within 40 minutes max, anything above 45 & I start to run out of time to finish off which makes it bloody hard work towards the end.

I work my day around 2 hour stints on the basis that’s what it comfortably takes me to prep, mix lay on, trowel up & wash down ready for the next lot. This allows me to do 4 sessions in a day with tea & biscuits in between & means I can comfortably finish all the walls in most rooms. If it’s a smaller room, I will get brave & do the two opposing walls in one hit & do the ceiling the same day if it’s included but, normally, I prefer to push that over to the next day (doing ceiling first obviously). It depends on circumstances & if I feel like pushing to finish in one day.

As I also commented in my other post, I only use an 11” trowel to lay on, I can work just as fast & the smaller trowel means that my arm doesn’t start to drop off & I slow down half way through the day. I never started out in this trade & am relatively new to it, I’ve no ambition & am far too old to be a super spread but I have a friend who heads up a 6 strong contract gang around Essex & London; 2 labourers, enormous trowels, stilts & all & the amount of work they get through in a day is frightening; but he’s only 25!

Every one is different & it depends what you want from it; find your comfort niche & stick with that, as long as the end result is a high quality finish what does it matter. Some good tips from Alistair there.

 

[wozza56]

Do you use any water when pulling the lines out of the first coat ? as this can help but like people say its just speed .
I was always taught that the first coat is just a primer and then the second coat is to fill the imperfections etc i do know some people who take too long on the first coat
I was also taught to start at the top and work left to right if you are right handed or vice versa if left handed
The easiest way to go quicker would be to get someone else to do the mixing and cleaning whilst you concentrate on the wall

 

[NickB_99]

Thanks guys, some really good advice there from you - prob too much to quote & reply specifically on all, but here's some....

Will stick to 11" for ceiling for now; think I'll be ok with the 14" on flat walls only with minimal obstructions. Otherwise 11" there too.
Must have another go at 2 coats from 1 mix.
I've not used water between coats 1 & 2, just a quick flatten on any big anomalies (think I'll stick with this tho)
And have been doing the two pairs of shoes thing tho

A lot there has opened my eyes to where I'm struggling.

I know I am speeding up, but still being too fussy laying 1st coat certainly, and probably second also.
It means I'm getting back to trowel back at the start point a bit late, and this is making it difficult to try to smooth. In turn this means I'm being fussier with second coat and don't want to leave it with much imperfection as I go, in case I get there late and can't get it out.
If any of that makes sense.

I suppose I am still low on practice. I'm only finishing my second room - other stuff over the last year or so has only been small patching. All I've been allowed to do in some rooms prior to decoration!

I definitely enjoy it - no question.
And I don't mind sacrificing a bit extra of my time to get a finish I'm pleased with, but you've confirmed my suspicions that it's taking me too long.

Plenty to work on - many thanks.

 

[stevethespreader]

what would be best for you newbee is to see if you can get with a spread for a a couple of days even if its unpaid thats the best advice i can give you

 

[Richard C]

think I'll be ok with the 14" on flat walls only with minimal obstructions. Otherwise 11" there too.

By all means switch to the 14” once the stuffs up there; the larger blade will certainly help on a wall without to many obstructions, just don’t kill your arm trying to spread half a bucket load up at a time.

Must have another go at 2 coats from 1 mix.

That should be your key aim; it will also boost your confidence but just remember what I said, don't get too hung up on it

I've not used water between coats 1 & 2, just a quick flatten on any big anomalies (think I'll stick with this tho)

It’s wise to use as little water as possible; I only use start using water when troweling off & I don’t use a brush, just an old 0.75 litre kitchen spray bottle; I can do a whole room on one fill & still have to empty it when finished.

And have been doing the two pairs of shoes thing tho

I keep a pair of old slip on beach shoes by the door.

I know I am speeding up, but still being too fussy laying 1st coat certainly, and probably second also. It means I'm getting back to trowel back at the start point a bit late, and this is making it difficult to try to smooth. In turn this means I'm being fussier with second coat and don't want to leave it with much imperfection as I go, in case I get there late and can't get it out. If any of that makes sense.

Just get it up there to start with. I occasionally & briefly double back if it looks a bit rough & lumpy but don’t be too fussy 1st up; the 40 minute rule will serve you well in most circumstances.

I suppose I am still low on practice. I'm only finishing my second room - other stuff over the last year or so has only been small patching. All I've been allowed to do in some rooms prior to decoration!

Ohh I didn't realise that ; in that case I think your just being too ambitious. Practice & experience is everything & plastering is much like some other activities, you either use it or loose it especially in the fitness stakes

I definitely enjoy it - no question.

That's the key; it's hard bloody work & if your really not enjoying it, there is no point & your probably no good at it anyway

 

[trowelmonkey1]

and now for my tuppence worth

i switched from 1 mix to 2 mixes a few months back (was tuaght to do 1 mix) and it was a revelation to me and helped me up my game massively, i only two coat from 1 mix if it's a small area/set now.

i'll mix up a bag of finish and stick it on the spot board (this too was a revelation over working out of a bucket, stays alive much longer) clean out the mixing bucket ready for next mix and THEN lay on, quick smart, not worrying much about how it goes on, though recently i have slowed down a TINY bit to lay on that little bit flatter, means if i get back and can't flatten it as well as i'd like it doesn't matter much as top coat will sort it anyway.

using as big a sweep as you can manage is also a good thing to keep in mind, will help you lay on far quicker.

flatten it then mix up and top coat it, this will hang around longer than the first so you can take a little bit longer over laying it on BUT NOT TOO MUCH, thing is the quicker you get it on the more time you have to flatten it anyway, laying on too slowly and being too precious was the very first habit i had to break and was constantly being told to hurry up when i was learning until i did break it.

like rich c i use a spray bottle and only spray when troweling up the top coat, use as little water as possible.

think the trick is knowing how much you can get on from your mix and then trying to push for that little bit more each time until you get up to a decent speed.

to be honest newb i don't always have time in between mixes/coats for much of a break, depends on what i'm plastering onto etc, but i have a less frantic day these days compared to a year ago now i'm getting my act together, the memories of chasing it like you say you are are still quite fresh though

 

[Richard C]

TM you’re a 1st class act + a very nice person to boot (sometimes unlike me ) & I’m really not blowing smoke up your asre; you must be related to RC.

I totally agree with everything you say but I’m rather surprised you were taught one coat & then progressed to two ; two is usually the “school” way as far as I’m aware. I got into this “thing” totally by accident in spite of a very early, “cocky & totally disastrous” attempt many years ago in my previous life.

I then bought an old house in which the plastering was totally shot & was looking at a bill well into 4 zeros &, because I’m a tight asre, thought I best have another “proper” go at it. I employed a “known” quality spread for 3 days on personal work & “imparting the knowledge” was a part of the deal. Rightly or wrongly, I got everything from him so, for a while, I never knew anything about 2 coats, it was one coat & be b u ggered for me all the way ; for me, 2 coats was a particular advantage that came along some time after. Plastering along with some other stuff turned into another life for me but I firmly believe you can’t actually “teach” this particular skill; you can learn but you’ve got to have a natural affinity right from the start

 

[roughcaster]

I think most of it has already been said, but,,,
if i'm putting on the second coat using two mixes, i'll never make the second mix in the same bucket that i made the first one in, even though the bucket was washed out properly. Another thing,,, never add the last drop of the first mix into the new second mix. Most of it is common sense really, and learning from mistakes you make, as you go along.

Roughcaster.

 

[NickB_99]

Thanks for the replies guys.

My confidence has improved just reading them!

 

[Richard C]

never add the last drop of the first mix into the new second mix.

Agreed; it’s foolish to mix anything left over from the 1st mix to the second & washing off thoroughly is paramount.

if i'm putting on the second coat using two mixes, i'll never make the second mix in the same bucket that i made the first one in, even though the bucket was washed out properly.

Wow RC, that’s taking things very deep; I’ve never mixed in more than one bucket, do you honestly think that level of cleanliness makes a difference?

 

[trowelmonkey1]

thx Rich!

gets under your skin this job doesn't it!! i love it!!

don't think there was anything wrong with how you got your knowledge mate, wasn't stealing! and after all..we should all be sharing our knowledge with anyone who wants it, so long as they use it wisely

Hey RC, didn't spend anytime with any women in birmingham about 35 years ago did you? nah, you can't be old enough to my pa!

glad we've been of some help Newb! you get out what you put in out on this forum, and you do your fair share m8! keep it up!

 

[Richard C]

:
Hey RC, didn't spend anytime with any women in birmingham about 35 years ago did you? nah, you can't be old enough to my pa!

Jesze, your not Young RC are you

 

[roughcaster]

If it's a sizeable area, or even smaller, but awkward shaped area, i never mix the second coat of m/finish in the same bucket as the first coat. I just think that using a clean bucket for the second mix, gives me maximum life of the m/finish.
Most, if not all of the plastering i do, involves bonding coat. I put on the bonding coat in the morning, then afternoon, multi finish. In the morning,, i mix up an amount of bonding coat, and put it on the wall. I'll then (if needed) make up some more, in the same (but cleaned out) bucket. Most times,, the bonding that i made up first, is slower to set than the second lot. Using that principle, i always make up the second coat of multi in a clean bucket.

Roughcaster.