Plastering

Makhaira

Makhaira

Makhaira

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Joined
23 Nov 2007
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Lancashire, UK
I'm in the process of moving house at the moment, so my planning tendencies have gone into overdrive for the bits I want to do to the new house.

In a couple of the rooms there are patches where I'd say something has been removed from the wall and (poorly) covered up. I'm intending to do the house up room by room, but I've not done any plastering before...

- If there are just a few patches that are the issue and on closer inspection the majority of the wall is fine, would I be best just sorting out the patches? If so, given the walls are painted, would I just use something like Thistle bonding coat to each it out (there wouldn't be the thickness to then put a multi finish top layer on it)?
- What are the criteria when looking at a painted wall to decide between patching and re-skimming?

Thanks.
 
It all depends on how confident you are. If it’s not a very big wall and there are a couple of patches on it, I’d just do the whole thing as you know it’ll be even.

If the patches aren’t deep, I’d personally use Knauf Fill and Finish. It’s a superb filler that’s so easy to sand it’s fool proof.

What ever you do, don’t use bonding coat as a top coat.. it’s gritty and will look awful.

Oh, and whatever you choose to do, PVA the wall first.
 
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robj20 said:
Not always, start off small and work your way up, i started just filling a few bits, im now fine doing full rooms, saving a fortune.
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Happy to fill small stuff and cable chases etc but for me plastering a room is a no by the time I got good at it the house would be done and the first wall would drive me mad as it wouldn't be as good as the last!
 
My first DIY plastering job was skimming over a horribly spiky ceiling. Not sure if I'd attempt a big ceiling again. I filled in a smaller area of ceiling (about 1.5 m * 0.75 m) with thistle multi finish, and it came out alright.

For small wall areas why not give it a go?
 
topgun06 said:
I tried some platering once. Never again. :( :( :(
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When I was having kitchen and bathroom work done the builder was not keen on doing the plastering himself and sub contracted it to another chap whose full time job was... plastering.

I guess even pros find it a hassle apart from the few who decide to specialise.
 
Hotwired said:
When I was having kitchen and bathroom work done the builder was not keen on doing the plastering himself and sub contracted it to another chap whose full time job was... plastering.

I guess even pros find it a hassle apart from the few who decide to specialise.
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It must take a certain type of person to enjoy plastering.

I turned my wall into sandpaper. And it took me forever. I was clearly doing it wrong, but what a faff.
 
With most diy it's not hard if you have the right tools and know the tricks of the trade.

Plastering is simpler when you have 2 things, the right trowel and the right consistency of mix. You must get a mixer end for a pwer drill and you need a large decent trowel (there about 45quid )

Based on your needs, do the patches, simply because you can use the rest of the wall as a edge to skim your trowel along to help smooth the surface and it takes a lot of practice. Don't use thistle, it's for undercoating and filling terrible walls. Just dig out the crap you want to cover, paint it in pva and allow it to dry.
Then make a mix of plaster the consistency of tooth paste and fill the patches, get it relatively smooth, doesn't need to be perfect. Here in lies the trick, you wait about 15/20 mins for the plaster to start hardening and then its easier to smooth. Finely and gently with a wet trowel (use a paint brush to keep wetting it) run it over the plaster to smooth it, then get it as best you can. Again wait another twenty mins or so, and flick water on the plaster and again smooth it.
Do this a few times untill it looks good and wait till it starts to go pretty solid and keep flicking water on it and flattening it. Getting a smooth wall isn't about getting it smooth straight away it's all about waiting for the precise time for the plaster to harden before smoothing.

I would say you could learn that technique from some Youtube vids and do a decent job on a patch.
Ps.. Expect to drop a lot on the floor the first time so taped sheets are a must.

This video is probably the best tutorial explaining what i said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPFnnQngZUU
 
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I plastered all my chases in house alone, never plastered before.

However I decided to sit slightly below the surface and then filled in with toupret tx110, simply because I didn't have the confidence to get it silky smooth.

It has turned out really well. No way would I do a large wall though. I would get a pro in first time and watch them, they won't mind at all, plus they're amazing to watch it's an art.
 
rexehuk said:
I plastered all my chases in house alone, never plastered before.

However I decided to sit slightly below the surface and then filled in with toupret tx110, simply because I didn't have the confidence to get it silky smooth.

It has turned out really well. No way would I do a large wall though. I would get a pro in first time and watch them, they won't mind at all, plus they're amazing to watch it's an art.
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Chases are easy I used the electicians trick for doing mine fill them with plasterboard adhesive which sets quickly and shrinks back slightly then skim over the top with a good quality surface filler quick rub with a sheet of sandpaper and your done with the advantage it is much quicker than bonding cost followed by finish as the drying time is massively reduced!
 
I'm a plasterer and you either have the knack or you don't. A good finish is only possible with good preparation and patience. I went to sort out a guys attempt at plastering over his artex ceiling, he had left all the stipples on which were 10mm long and he was trying to put the plaster on 10mm thick :D
Another person had knocked the stipples off but had not PVA'd the ceiling and it dried out on him, cracked and all fell off.
I find it therapeutic. Customers always watch with amazement as you trowel off a massive wall. Some customers ask to have a go and some of them can do it (a bit) and others can't get the plaster off the hawk onto the trowel.
Have a go, watch some youtube videos. If you mess it up you can always get someone to sort it :p
 
Mine went better than expected doing a skim on the entire box room. No it isn't perfect by any means but everyone who has seen it so far has been impressed considering I'd never even painted before let alone plastered :p I don't plan on doing any more than patching up throughout the rest of the house though, lots of effort on your own.

The fact the ceiling didn't fall down is a success in itself really :D
 
I've plastered various rooms and ceilings over the years and can do a decent job now, but the main thing is time. I can do one wall well in the time it takes a pro to do 3 or 4.

As Chronic said the trick is catching the plaster at the right consistency - when it's in the bucket and when it's on the wall. The biggest problem you'll find at first is speed - you probably won't have finished putting the first coat on a wall by the time the plaster where you started is the right consistency to start polishing, and the plaster in the bucket starts to dry before you can get it all on the wall!
 
I have done sizable patches of plaster, but never a whole wall. I have bricked up a fireplace and plastered over that and skimmed the area above a window when all the plaster came off when I took down a baton holding a curtain rail up. They both went well and were relatively easy as there was surrounding material to use as a reference/build up too. Make sure the surface is properly prepared and PVA'ed and give it a go, it's not like plaster is expensive!

My tip would be to not try to get it perfect when you first apply it, get it roughly level, then got back to it with a wet trowel after about 15 mins when it's not quite as soft.

Dave
 
My missus taught herself to plaster recently as we've just moved house. Its dead easy mate and even easier if you buy a tub of the pre-mixed stuff just for the patches you want. Just make sure you mix up some pva and water to put down as a base then plaster in layers if its quite a deep patch. You'll be able to sand it down afterwards too so don't worry if you don't get it perfect at first.
 
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