Plastering

bushmins

bushmins

bushmins

Soldato
Joined
30 Aug 2006
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I need to get someone to skim all the walls in the downstairs enterance way, up the stairs and the upstairs hallway. Its quite a big job.

I phoned a few companys and people who 'do it on the side' prices so far range from 600 - 900 quid. Which is a pretty hefty sum for me.

Whats the best way to go about looking for someone? Or anyone know people in the Southampton area who do this type of thing?
 
Thats far too much money, they will. do the whole house for just over £1000
A room is normally £150 around here in stoke.

Best bet is to speak to people and use someone thats recommended, ive seen some of the results of people using plasterers that havent got a clue.
You need someone thats been in the business a while, forget these cowboys that have done a 2 week crash college course.
 
ScoobyDoo said:
You need someone thats been in the business a while, forget these cowboys that have done a 2 week crash college course.
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I've always wondered about this. If the OP wanted to learn and do it himself, how long it would it take to become proficient and how much would it cost?
 
Skimming plaster on drylining is relatively easy as you have a perfect base to work on, plastering on bare brick or breezeblock takes a lot more skill. Good plasterers are few & far between & you have to work fast once you mix up a big tub of plaster before it goes off.
If the stairs involve using ladders then that makes a lot more work compared to working on the floor and a plasterer has to have his trowel in one hand and his handhawk in the other & needs to constantly replenish his hawk from the tub on the floor.
 
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We recently had a quote come in for our upstairs room.

5 Sheets of plasterboard, screws, hardwall on the chimney breast and PVA and sealant. £1800. Another guy came in and said, £450, and if we by the plasterboard he will fit it for another 35quid. Not bad.
 
Also wanting to learn how to plaster, have plenty of friends houses that will let me practic on and my own, just woundering how hard this is to teach yourself!
 
damian666 said:
Also wanting to learn how to plaster, have plenty of friends houses that will let me practic on and my own, just woundering how hard this is to teach yourself!
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I can plaster, but not to a very high standard, I watched the plasters do our living room a few years ok.

When the plasters that did the downstairs bedroom, they only did half the job and never came back, so I finished it off. Its not bad, but could be better.

If you want good quality, get highly recommended plasters (with good prices), but if you want the satisfaction of saying that "I did that" then do it yourself.

Google may also help with techniques.
 
Plastering's one of the things that you either have a talent for or you suck at it. I've been on a course to learn it as I need to do a fair pit of plastering every week but I'm still pretty useless, as were most of the guys on the course. Stick with the pro's who have been doing it a while and who come recommended.
 
Everythings preped, knocked out all the cracks and rendered them up, coving off etc... etc...

Ive done quite a lot of plastering but dont fancy doing the stairs as it gets quite high and im not one for balancing on a ladder.
Im also not a perfectionist so cheaper the better. I also have plenty of experience to know if its some guy who has no idea what hes doing, anyone like that gets the boot within 5 minutes :)

I dont generally get ripped off but i think these guys that came around were just stupid.

Ill keep getting the quotes coming and see what i get.
 
is there a building site near u...try that and see if any plasterers do any fiddle work...know a few that would do it where i live..cash in hand type of thing..
 
Had my room done recently, ~3.5x4.5 meters. They've done a bloody good job, the walls are really smooth to the touch. My landlord phoned around until eventually he found a couple of polish guys advertising in the local press, they did the whole room in a day and charged £400. They were even happy to work on a Saturday (I work from home so the room is in use all during the week)
 
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