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Posts Tagged ‘find a plasterer<’
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Jul 25
Once you have installed two drywalls meeting at right angles to each other, you are going to need to finish the join where they meet at the ceiling, using flexible correctly mitred cornice lengths. Cornice (or coving) of course comes in many shapes and sizes and is even available in easy-to-use light-weight polystyrene these days. This attention to detail will not only finish off the job nicely, it covers up ugly gaps and imperfections too. 
What You’ll Need
- Sandpaper
- Jointing compound to bond the cornice
- Putty knife
- Cleaning cloth
- Suitable lengths of cornice with correct mitre angle
Although not a difficult job, we are of course assuming that your drywalls are in place and that it’s just a matter of adding the ceiling trim to hide the gaps and join-lines.
Been There, Done That!
Fred is one of our long-standing London plasterers, and he always cringes when he receives an enquiry to quote on a plastering job that’s a botch up. While Fred appreciates that there are a number of very able-bodied DIY-types around, he also knows that finishing the gaps where wall meets ceiling is a skill that takes time to master.
Finishing First
You’ll need to smooth any rough edges on the drywall sheets by sanding them finely. Then, wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove the dust and dirt. Allow the surfaces to dry thoroughly.
Time to Glue 
Read the instructions on the bonding agent carefully and then apply as required to the inward-face of the cornice. Remember to run the glue right across the corner – that’s where the two cornice lengths will interlock neatly.
Mounting the Cornice
After observing any recommended waiting time for the bonding agent to dry, mount the cornice in position and press down gently across the full length. Wipe off any surplus glue. Once the glue has dried, you can fine-sand the surface prior to painting.
Call in the Experts
Here at Mr-Skill we fully understand that not everybody is DIY-minded, and may very well need professional help with such jobs. No problem at all, because that is the name of our game. So, rather find a plasterer with minimum fuss, and the good news is that we have some eye-catching specials running right at this moment too. You could even get as much as 30% off, but hurry!
Tags: bonding compound, ceiling, clean, cornice, dirt, drywalls, dust, find a plasterer, gaps, glue, london plasterer, mitre, paint, plaster, plastering quote, rough edges, smooth, specials, wall
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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
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
Newly installed drywall panels provide a flat wall surface, which is suitable for hanging wallpaper or painting after plastering, depending on your preference. Here, we are describing plastering itself, which is an essential step. If you do not feel confident, to do this yourself, rather find a plasterer through Mr-Skill. If you go ahead though, it is essential that you apply the dry wall compound in precise steps, in order to obtain the smoothest finish.
What You’ll Need 
Drywall plaster mix
Drywall tape mesh
Drywall tape tools
Respirator (facemask)
Non-slip drop cloths
Tips and Cautions
Remember you could also get a plastering quote from one of our craftspeople on Mr-Skill.
Use non-slip cloths to cover floors before plastering, and tape up door and window frames to prevent fine dust from infiltrating the rest of your home.
Apply several thin coats of plaster mix rather than one thick layer to avoid lumping.
When sanding down after the final plaster application, be sure to wear a facemask.
STEPS
1. Cover each seam on the drywall panel with the self-adhesive mesh tape, and avoid tape overlap where the vertical and horizontal joints meet.
2. Use a trowel to pack the plaster through the mesh and into the seams. Don’t forget to cover screw holes carefully in the panels.
3. Gently scrape off excess plaster while it is still wet, using a trowel.
4. Leave the plaster coat to dry properly, and then sand off any high points with a drywall sander.
5. Apply a second coat and repeat the process per the above guidelines.
6. Sand the final plaster with fine-grit paper and wipe clean. Apply a coat of plaster primer paint. Once this is dry, you are ready to paint.
One of our London plasterers has built and plastered more walls than he cares to remember, but he can never resist the look of satisfaction on the clients face when he completes yet another successful job.
Tags: coats, drop cloths, dry, drywall, drywall tape, find a plasterer, fine sand, london plasterer, paint, plaster mix, plastering quote, sand, sander, seam'trowel, skim, smooth finish, tape mesh, wallpaper, wet
Posted in Plastering & Drywall, Project Advice | Comments Off
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
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
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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