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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on May 09
Here at Mr-Skill, we aim to promote skilled tradespeople. We also like to provide useful tips for the DIY lobby. Drywall finishing is certainly not the easiest job to get right on your own. It takes a lot of practice to get that professional look, and it is not as easy as it may seem.
It’s all about eye-to-hand coordination, and just as some folk are better at kicking a football, others simply cannot get plastering right. Drywall plastering really is an accomplished skill, and quite frankly we suggest you find a plastering and drywall specialist right here on Mr-Skill.  Leave this one to the professionals, and enjoy their handiwork.
Drywall plastering is a messy job at the best of times. Dan – he’s a regular London plasterer and drywall expert – is going to offer a couple of really valuable tips for those brave enough to tackle this job themselves right here. Over to Dan then!
“Drywall plastering is literally a touchy / feely process,” says Dan, “and this skill takes time to acquire. Rather like driving, you need to practice under genuine road conditions. So too with drywall finishing – you have to develop a feel for certain tools, as well as know how to mix a perfect compound for joint covering.
“It all starts with the correct hanging job in the first place, says Dan. ”Your drywall has to be dead-flush against the wall and ceiling joints. Each screw hole should be countersunk to the precise depth, so as not to tear the drywall paper. You should also use sufficient fasteners there.
“As a guide, I insist on a screw every sixteen inches along the walls, and each twelve inches along ceilings.  I allow a quarter-inch gap on corner and other joints, although I try to aim for a flush seam where possible”.
Moving on to the compound, Dan says that “most folk mix in a bucket or basin and end up with plaster that’s too stiff for use. You need to add sufficient water to make the mix the same consistency as creamy sponge cake icing. And it has to be lump-free for obvious reasons too. Don’t be tempted to over-whip the mix, as you will introduce too much air. This will show as tiny air bubbles in the application. Try to mix it gently and thoroughly”.
That’s as far as Dan is prepared to go with his secret-sharing. He feels passionate about his work and would far rather see you getting a plastering and drywall quote and a professional job.
Tags: ceiling, compound, counter-sink, fasteners, find a plastering-and-drywall specialist, hanging, joints, london plasterer-and-drywall expert, mix, plaster, plastering-and-drywall quote, screws, seams, walls, washers
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Apr 12
Most of the internal brick surfaces in our homes these days are plaster-finished. This allows many options when it comes to choosing the final decorative touch, such as papering, tiling or even simply painting. As with any DIY task, achieving a smooth finish comes with practice. It may pay you to find a plasterer and see how they go about plastering your wall first – sort of paying for your education in a way!
The plaster mix is as important as having the right equipment. It is well worth investing in a good set of plasterer’s tools, especially if you plan to do several jobs. A good start point is always planning and preparation. Make sure the surface is clean and properly prepared to receive the plaster. Remove any loose material, and clean off dust with a damp cloth. If you are getting nervous about what lies ahead, consider getting a plaster quote from Mr-Skill instead. 
Now, you are ready to start the job. Begin by mixing the quantity of plaster-mix you will need in a plastic bucket or a basin, following the maker’s instructions carefully. Adding the plaster to the water helps prevent lumps and air pockets forming. Use a wooden spoon or paddle to mix to the right consistency. Apply clean water with a block brush to dampen the surface you are about to plaster – this assists greatly with the bonding process.
Load up your trowel and apply the mix to the wall surface, keeping the tool at an angle to spread it easily. Using a strong upward stroke, flatten the angle of the trowel to the wall as you work. After the surface has semi-dried out, apply a long ruler or straightedge to the surface to level it, beginning at the bottom and working from side to side and upwards. 
When the plaster coat has dried solid, scan for any hollows or imperfections from your first attempt, and fill them with fresh plaster before levelling off again. You may need to repeat this process several times until you get the hang of it. The final skin of plaster should be left to stiffen and almost dry before sanding smooth.
Here’s a useful tip from one of our London plasterers – always rinse your bucket thoroughly before mixing fresh batches. This will prevent lumps of old dry plaster getting into your new mix. Don’t forget to clean up nicely when finished!
Tags: basin, block brush, brush, bucket, cracks, DIY, find a plasterer, london plasterer, mix, paint, paper, plaster, plaster quote, plasterer, rule, skin, smooth, straightedge, tiles, walls, wet
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Feb 01
Damp is an on-going problem in many homes in Britain, and that’s not just in the older ones either. Water, especially when forced by wind can find its way inside an outside wall through the tiniest of cracks. After the leak is fixed, it’s time to Find a Plasterer to fix the evidence that alerted us to the damp in the first place.
The Problem
The water has leached the cement away leaving weakened plaster that will eventually come off. The only solution is to hack it out and replace it. You have a choice, though. You could Ask Mr-Skill to Arrange a Plaster Quote, or you could have a go at it yourself.
 Repair Stage One
You have to get rid of the damaged plaster at least a foot above any visible damage or residual salts. If the damp was low down, then you must in any case remove the plaster to three feet above floor level. Brush away every grain of loose material. Complete the job with a vacuum cleaner – you may wish to do this when the wife is out shopping.
Repair Stage Two
This is a tip a London Plasterer taught me years ago. Put on a pair of disposable latex gloves. Make a slurry of cement powder and water with a cup of bonding liquid added – the final consistency should be like runny porridge. Brush this firmly over the space where the old plaster came out. This will allow the new plaster to adhere properly. Wash your hands and tools immediately. Allow the slurry to dry for a day.
Repair Stage Three
Make up a stiff plaster mix of 3-Parts sand to 1-Part cement. Apply this with a wide paint scraper or steel float across the entire surface roughly, and leave it alone for two hours to set. Apply a fresh mix of plaster that stands just proud of the surface. Work this off with a straight edge later the same day.  Leave the job to cure for a week.
Repair Stage Four
Apply a moist mix of Polyfilla over the entire surface. When it’s totally dry and the surface has gone a little powdery, finish the job off with an a sanding block or orbital sander, using medium-grit paper. After that, you are ready to decorate!
That’s all very well in theory, but do you really have the time to spend on this? If not, that’s where Mr-Skill comes in. We provide a matching service between customers and tradespeople. Unlike some others, we don’t add a penny to the cost of jobs.
Tags: adhere, bond, brush, cement, clean, consistency, crack, cure, damage, damp, dry, dust, exterior, find a plasterer, float, get rid of, glove, grit, hack, london plasterer, mix, orbital, outside, paint scraper, plaster, plaster quote, polyfilla, powder, remove, replace, salt, sand, scraper, set, slurry, stick, straight edge, tip, wall, water
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jan 26
From time to time we find jobs posted in the wrong category on Mr-Skill. When this happens, we duplicate the listings in more appropriate categories. Plasterers are a case in point because decorators  attend to damaged plasterwork. We decided to clear up the confusion, and make it simpler to Find a Plasterer here.
The main job of plasterers is to mix, and then apply various types of plaster on internal walls and ceilings. From time to time they also coat outside walls with sand / cement render, pebble-dash, and stone-effects. Notice that plasterers do their work in bulk, and that there’s little point in asking for a Plastering Quote where it’s just a small repair.
Within these broad brush strokes, plasterers generally work in one of the following three sub-disciplines:
- Solid Plastering – Applying wet finishes to interior walls and ceilings, and sometimes pebble-dashed effects on outside walls
 Fibrous Plastering – Creating ornamental cornices and ceiling roses using special plaster reinforced with fibre
- Dry Lining – Installing interior drywalls on frames, for others to decorate later.
Larger firms, especially Plasterers in London may take on all three kinds of work.
Plasterers earn their wings in two different ways. Some learn by watching others and develop skills suited for straightforward jobs. The better ones hold qualifications like the City & Guilds (6217) Certificate in Basic Construction Skills (Plastering). It’s important to understand the difference in qualifications when assessing the quality of Plastering Quotes. This information is provided by Mr-Skill.
Tags: apply, ceiling, City and Guilds, cornice, damage, decorator, dry, dry lining, dry wall, drywall, exterior, fibrous, find a plasterer, interior, internal, mix, outside, painter, pebble dash, plaster, plasterer, plasterers in london, plastering quote, plasterwork, rose, solid, wall, wet
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Dec 05
After a builder installs a window, or a window fitter replaces one, there’s usually a gap between the window and the wall on either side. Experienced London Plasterers know how to close this in with rendering. In this article though, we focus on a more modern  technique that uses strips of plasterboard instead
This job is nominally within the target range of anybody who is good with their hands. It does require a fair degree of patience though, and those with delicate chests might prefer to avoid doing it on account of dust. Should you decide to go ahead yourself, then these are the essential steps:
- Cut sufficient strips of plasterboard to complete the job. lf the gap is deep, consider using several layers of board as opposed to balancing a single one on large blobs of glue, and being able to finish off the job immediately. When discussing Plastering Quotes you receive on Mr-Skill with bidders, find out how they propose to the job too.
- Apply proprietary dry-wall adhesive to the brickwork on one side of the window. Push a
 plasterboard strip into place using a square edge and spirit level to keep it true.
- Add further layers of strips using the same proprietary dry-wall adhesive, until you have built up to the desired level and flush with the window frame.
- Repeat the process on the other side. Now you can add the angle beading where your work interfaces with the wall, tidy up generally and redecorate.
Of course the third method would be to Find a Plasterer on Mr-Skill, and get on with something else that you’d prefer to do instead. We select contractors with extra-special care, to make sure that each and every trades person we introduce is the best.
To benefit from their expertise and brilliantly lower prices, all you need to do is to Post Your Job for free!
Tags: adhesive, angle, angle beading, bead, brickwork, builder, decorate, dust, find a plasterer, finish, flush, gap, glue, layer, level, london plasterers, new, patience, plaster board, plasterboard, plastering quote, process, push, repeat, replace, square, strip, tidy, wall, window, window fitter
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Sep 27
A visit to a Victorian building such as a Shopping Arcade or City Hall evokes admiration for the skill of plasterers of yesteryear. Embossed ceilings, covings and wall mouldings are all examples of a forgotten craft, and we doubt you’d Find a Plasterer to match them anywhere in the United Kingdom these days.
 Thanks to the modern magic of fibrous and even plastic imitations though, it is still possible to replicate their art, and here’s how you go about doing so.
• Start with something relatively simple like decoration around a door frame or a ceiling rose, and make sure that if you use a ladder, it will be secure and safe. If in any doubt at all, have someone hold the ladder for you.
• Purchase your moulding from your local hardware store. Before you do so, get all the answers that you need. Buy the adhesive the moulding manufacturer recommends, and do not skimp by choosing a cheap alternative instead.
• Have a friend hold the moulding in place back home, and move it around until you are satisfied about where it should go. Mark a pencil line all around the perimeter of the moulding so you know where to attach it later.
•  If the moulding is made of lightweight polystyrene or plastic then you may get away with simply gluing it in place (possibly temporarily secured with tiny nails or painters tape). If not, then you will need to create some type of elementary formwork to hold in position until the glue dries. If this sounds too complicated, perhaps you should Request a Plasterer Quote on Mr-Skill instead?
• Apply the adhesive to the moulding in a rippled manner to the density the instructions specify, and press it into place within the pencil line you drew. The secret is to get it right first time, and not to fiddle with it afterwards. Tidy up the adhesive when it is fully dry, and you are ready to decorate!
We have London Plasterers on Mr-Skill (and in all other areas too) who are on standby, and waiting to fit mouldings for you should you prefer. Our unique method of combining rated craftsmen with internal competition, is your assurance of best value for money anywhere.
Tags: adhesive, ceiling, coving, decorate, door, emboss, fibrous, find a plasterer, fit, fix, glue, line, london plasterer, moulding, nail, pencil, place, plasterer, plasterer quote, plastic, press, ripple, rose, skill, tape, victorian, wall
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Aug 09
After you remove outdated paneling from a room you may be horrified with what you find. This is especially likely to be the case if it was fitted over raw brickwork to save time and money. In this case you probably have  no choice but to Find a Plasterer at Mr-Skill. Here’s short description in layperson’s terms of what you are entitled to expect.
o Plaster has a way of getting into everything and is designed to stick to most things too. So do yourself a huge favour first. Present the plasterer with a few rolls of blue painter’s tape and a pair of sharp scissors you won’t mind spoiling. Then ask them to mask their work area off thoroughly before they start. Make sure their drop sheets are firmly taped into position too.
o Expect them to start plastering at the top of the wall and to work down. There are several reasons for this, including not messing on the work they have just done.  The first layer will have a rough finish to it but don’t worry – it’s just the base coat.
o An experienced London Drywall Builder may be able to apply the second plaster layer later the same day, while others may prefer to return the following morning. The job of this coat is to fill in all the hollows in the base coat. This may be sufficient, or a third final skim coat may be necessary.
After the plaster has dried out thoroughly you could finish off any imperfections with a light sanding. After that, it’s time to seal, undercoat and paint. It’s not as easy a job as it sounds though. May we recommend a few competitive Plastering Quotes on Mr-Skill instead? You may find that the extra cost was well worth your while, as you visualise what you had there before. Now how’s that for a fairly radical improvement.
Tags: base, brickwork, coat, drop sheet, dry, find a plasterer, finish, imperfection, job, layer, london drywall builder, mask, mess, money, paint, panel, plaster, plastering quote, raw, rough, sand, scissors, seal, skim, start, stick, tape, time, top, undercoat, work
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jul 13
 Ceiling boards or sheets are attached to strips of wood called lathes, which are in turn nailed to the rafters above them. These sheets may be left in their raw state, painted, or even plastered over. While this method of attachment could last indefinitely, it does sometimes fail for one of two reasons. The inevitable result is a sagging ceiling threatening to come crashing down. London Plasterers are especially adept at solving this, on account of the age of many City buildings, and the vibration of traffic rumbling past outside.
o If the lathes have rotted, it could be worth a try replacing them with new wood, although I doubt you’d Find a Plasterer willing to attempt this with a fully comprehensive guarantee. This method nvolves strapping fresh lathes underneath the joists (between the old ones) and carefully screwing the ceiling panels to these while holding them in place
 i
o If the lathes have just worked loose, you could call for Plastering Quotes on Mr-Skill to strap them back into position again. I have found the nylon straps they use these days to close packing cases especially effective for doing this, and you should be able to borrow the tensioning device from your local removal firm for a few hours, or hire one instead.
Before you decide to rush into a job like this yourself, consider whether you really do want to spend a sweaty weekend in a dusty ceiling, with the ever-present possibility of sticking a foot through it inadvertently and perhaps bringing the whole thing crashing down. You could simplify your life considerably by Finding a Plasterer on Mr Skill instead. How’s that for a really good suggestion?
Tags: board, borrow, ceiling, crash down, fall, find a plasterer, guarantee, hire, joist, lathe, london plasterer, loose, new, nylon, paint, plaster, plastering quote(s), replace, rot, sag, screw, sheet, strap, tension, wood
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jun 18
When you receive your Plastering Quotes from Mr-Skill you may possibly be a tad confused by some of the terms they use.  They do so in an effort to describe exactly what they propose to do, and we thought it could be helpful to provide some definitions.
o Coving is the art of filling in the joints between walls and ceilings. This may be done with raw plaster, or prefabricated cornices also known as architraves. Some Plastering Jobs in London involve skilful repairs to decorative coving that may be centuries old already.
o Float and Set is a technique for applying a basic render to a raw wall that may be later finished off or even tiled.
o Plasterboarding is the same as Drywalling and refers to the installation of large gypsum sheets to walls and ceilings for skimming by others later.
o  Rendering is a cement-based plaster applied to the outside walls of buildings. When used in conjunctions with small stones it is called Pebble Dash.
o Skimming is a more refined technique used to finish off inside walls more smoothly. It can be painted or tiled later, or may alternatively already contain a pigment.
Armed with this information you could Find a Plasterer on Mr-Skill with greater confidence. They will appreciate it when you describe your requirements in words that they understand too.
Tags: architrave, board, ceiling, cement, colour, cornice, coving, dash, dry, drywall, find a plasterer, finish, float, paint, pebble, pebbledash, pigment, plaster, plasterboard, plastering london, plastering quote(s), render, set, skim, stone, term, tile, wall
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jun 10
 Plastering upside down is definitely an art and there are more than a few of us who have retreated beaten with ceiling plaster stuck to us like dough. The job becomes even more complicated when the ceiling has complicated detailing, and that is definitely a case where you need to Find a Plasterer if you want to remain sane.
If you still want to try your hand at this then the trick is to understand that plaster has to be exactly the right consistency, and that nothing sticks naturally the wrong way round. If you fiddle with it after you have managed to get it to stick, the chances are good that it will come loose again and frustrate you to the point of getting Plasterer Quotes. in other words, it its working, don’t try to fix it.
 The key is to establish a basic surface over as much of the area as possible, and then to leave things be, while the material semi-dries. After that you can fill in any gaps, and tidy up any difficult corners. When you have done that, and scratched the surface carefully, you are ready to attempt the second coat.
The second coat should go easier because the existing surface and the new plaster over it are more compatible. Aim to add an even layer that conceals everything beneath it. After it has dried to the right consistency you can gradually work off the surface with a straight edge until you have got it right.
Personally I do not think that this is a job for an amateur to attempt. If you do manage to get it right though, then your next step could be to become a Plasterer in London – that is assuming that you are a glutton for pain.
Tags: adhere, amateur, art, ceiling, consistency, corners, detailing, even, fiddle, fill, find a plasterer, gaps, level, loose, plaster, plasterer london, plastering, plastering quote(s), smooth, stick, surface
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