plastering

[gordy71]

I have been considering doing a plastering course, so that when i quote for work i can mention that i can plaster if chases need skimming etc. Do any of you guys do your own plastering? Is this a good idea? I thought in these tough times it adds another dimension to the business if i can add a quote for plastering. I have mentioned it to a couple of mates, one thought it was a good idea the other thought it would look a bit weird offering services for a different trade and i should concentrate on being a good sparky!

 

[m4tty]

I think it's a good idea mate. Been thinking of doing the same for a while but never got round to it. I've worked with a plasterer before and it's not hard but think practice makes perfect. Why not do it .. More strings to your bow and all that

 

[Andy™]

i can plaster but im not that good at it. good enough to be papered, but not painted. and i rarely do any plastering - if anything, its used to hold the boxes in place if the brick crumbles

 

[S60TEM]

I can plaster too, wouldn't say good enough to call myself a plasterer but I could plaster in a chase so that it was neat and tidy.

 

[revjames]

Great idea for a spark to do his own plastering

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 21:51 ---------- Previous post was made at 21:50 ----------

dont stop there... decorate, do the joinery, fix the roof, do the plumbing and sweep the chimneys too!

 

[sellers]

[quote name='Andy

 

[nsbs]

I have been plastering since before the dawn of time and when the dinosaurs were roaming the earth.

There is no need to go on a plastering course, I swear to you its absolutely simple. I posted this on another forum a few months ago, and quite a few found it useful.

After chases have been completed and cables and capping set in place, PVA the chases and about 150mm each side. The bond wants to be about 2 or 3mm under the surface of the chase. The bond does not have to be perfect and does not really matter if its perfectly smooth. The wetter it is, the easier it is to apply but the longer it takes to dry.

After, its dry mix the plaster, (I use multi-finish) and apply the plaster, no need to get it perfect at this point as you will come back to it, and you will improve on it then. After the first chase has been plastered I generally, go off and plaster a few more, before going back to the first

 

[Maplasterelec]

I am a plasterer retraining as an electrician and agree with the above. Only thing is if you are not confident of doing a good job then get a plasterer in as a badly plastered chase stands out a mile, this could give someone a bad impression of your work as a whole and not just your plastering.

Matt

 

[fletchflash]

i also do alot of my own plastering, sometimes just a bonding coat sometimes a full skim. I would defo agree theres no need for a course if you just doing chases. One thing that does put me of is that it can be so messy. I generally do the same as above but use a spray bottle (old kitchen spray etc) for the water to smooth off after its gone off a bit. I find this a bit less messy than having a bucket of water.

I agree a bad plastering job looks horrible! big chunks of plaster on the skirting board etc etc

 

[ian932]

If I'm doing just a couple of chases not a whole rewire I've found that adding a bit of board adhesive in with the bondo stops it cracking as much but helps it go off a bit quicker. Also if fixing boxes use the same mix but use a bit of dirty plaster water to mix it with this will accelerate the cure time. (Dirty water = !/2

 

[gordy71]

Ok thanks for the input guys, i fill my own chases at the moment as i was bought up with the mentality that if you made the hole you fill it! But have never really skimmed an area larger than a foot. I was thinking about doing whole rooms on refurbs etc. But i guess, if it looks bad it will come back to bite me! A mate is doing up his house at the moment so i will try and get some practice in there. Its something that i know i will enjoy once i get good at it and its good to know other people are doing it. Im a bit disappointed though, that there's no need for me to become a five day wonder plasterer, the scurge of the plastering world:slap

 

[a1]

But have never really skimmed an area larger than a foot.

No mate - That is the wrong kind of plaster, you need a hospital for that as it is "Plaster of paris".

; \ :innocent :coat :C

 

[safedepth]

Just be sure that when you have finished you have filled in all of the holes, including the ones with cable in the back of them, and carefully cut the outer sleeve and inner insulation as close as possible to an obstruction. Without these finer details you will never be able to call yourself a true plasterer. :run

 

[Evans Electric]

If its a one off or just a couple I do them myself but a whole house full I get our Chippy/Plumber/bathroom /Kitchen fitter to do them.

And to follow up on Safedepths comments, if you do any holes in the ceiling , push all the cable fully up into the ceiling so that you can't find it when you come back. If cable sticking out of KO boxes is in your way as you trowel up, cut it off leaving about 2 inches in back of box, before , of course , carefully filling in the box nice and solidly so that you can come back and chisel it all out again , making sure you block the threads in the fixing lugs too, ready for re- tapping later. ; \

Don't bother with doing a course , it can't be that hard , why even plasterers can do it.

 

[Theorysparky]

why cant you just use the multifinish plaster instead of the bonding first ????

i have seen plasterers doing it this way...

 

[steptoe]

it cracks like made and goes boast,

bonding first, and rub it up hard, will make it easier to skim afterwards if you trowel it firm, will stop the skim wanting to bubble on the top coat, and makes it easier to trowel off the finish too.

 

[Voltimax]

I've been plastering my own chases for 11 years now, just the same as the example.

Customers do like it if you can, because not many plasterers are interested in such small jobs, well not round here anyway.