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Posts Tagged ‘plasterer quotes<’
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Nov 03
Stone cladding was popular in the 1980’s when homeowners had a yen for new houses built in the English Village mode. Thin slices of real or artificial stone were cemented to external walls, fortunately adding no structural value in the process. Hence, stone cladding can be chipped away – this will leave an ugly mess though, and you will need to find a plasterer to make good. I included this picture to remind you how the job was originally done, and that you have to take it down, piece by piece in the same way.
 You will also need the following tools to do the job:
Strong extension ladder.
Hard hat, safety goggles and builder’s gloves
Large flat screwdriver
Hammer, flat and pointed chisels, and crowbar
Large paint scraper with wooden handle and rubber mallet
o Clean your safety gear and put it on. Position the ladder so that you can reach the cladding at roof level near a convenient place to start. If you can, secure the top of the ladder to the roof beams. If the wall is double-storey height, have scaffolding installed or call for plasterer quotes on Mr-Skill.
o You may find that the cladding is secured on both sides with metal clips or finished off with wooden trim. Remove these using the screwdriver, starting at the top and working down.
o Starting on one side of the wall, bash away at each individual piece of cladding until it cracks or splinters, and then chisel it away completely.
o Use the scraper and mallet to tidy up before proceeding to tackle the adjacent piece. If you do not, then you will have to go up the ladder a second time.
o When I was having a small job like this done myself by plasterers from London, I noticed that they were stripping the wall diagonally. This way they had the choice of two sides to work from. Believe me, this trick does help a lot.
Does this sound like hard work to you? It surely does to me. Why not hire a rated tradesmen on Mr-Skill to do the work instead?
Tags: artificial stone, bash, break, builder's gloves, chisels, cladding, clips, crack, crowbar, find a plasterer, hammer, hard hat, ladder, mallett, paint scraper, plasterer quotes, plasterers London, remove, safety goggles, screwdriver, splinter, stone cladding, wooden trim
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Oct 27
Pebble Dash is essentially a plastering mix with small stones and even some shells added to create the effect of a pebbly beach. It covers up a host of defects too. This is why it became popular in the early 1920’s when soldiers and sailors returned home from the war to find a plasterer, but found so few young men left who knew how to build properly instead.
In those days, builders used Pebble Dash so frequently on shoddily built new houses that it became a statement complementing the chic effect of a new home. People even added Pebble Dash to existing houses that did not need repairs, to upgrade them to modern standards. As a result, it became almost impossible to get plasterer quotes for any other form of rendering for years.
 Because Pebble Dash looks so old-fashioned now, it has become a complete turn-off to modern buyers. I doubt whether it would be possible to find any plasterers in London who even have the skill. If you are upgrading it may be a good idea to strip the Pebble Dash away and find a plasterer to apply new rendering.
The costs involved in removing the Pebble Dash depend largely on whether it applies directly to the brickwork, or to a wire mesh that usually peels off quite easily. Before you accept any plasterer quotes, first make sure which application applies to your home. A rated plasterer on Mr-Skill should insist on doing a small test before firming up on price. If the price is too high for you, you could always plant wisteria on a trellis,
Tags: chicken wire, cover-up, drywall builders London, drywall builders quotes, find a drywall builder, find a plasterer, mesh, new rendering, pebble dash, pebble plastering, pebbledash, plaster mix, plasterer quotes, plasterers London, remove, render, strip
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Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Oct 27
In times gone by many builders got away with using unskilled labourers to do the basic work, and then tidied up the result by getting skilled plasters to apply pebbledash to outside walls, and Artex to the ceilings. Some builders still use Artex to  this day because it is cheaper than skimming ceilings – many people regard it as old-fashioned, and as a result Artex may reduce buyer interest in your home.
It is possible to find a plasterer to remove Artex completely, and skim the underlying ceiling. The job is hugely messy though, and best left to when the house is under complete renovation, or standing empty. This is because once plaster dust has penetrated fine cracks and clothing it is an almost impossible process to reverse.
If the house concerned has Artex ceilings done in the 1970’s or early 1980’s, then it is likely that the plasterer used the original proprietary product that contained asbestos fibres for strengthening. You need to find a local firm to test for asbestos if you suspect that this might be the case – asbestos is harmless in a stable form but can damage your lungs permanently when inhaled as dust. The Environment Agency could also provide advice in this regard.
There are two ways to get rid of Artex:
 o If the pattern is deeply impressed meaning that the plaster is fairly think, a good plaster could skim over it – this is the first-choice solution although you will need to get plasterer quotes from a reputable source like Mr-Skill because it needs a special talent.
o The alternative is to chip the thinner Artex away using a chisel and a hammer and re-plaster completely. This is messy and dangerous and definitely not something that a homeowner should attempt. Plasterers from London in fact charge higher hourly rates for work like this because of the cost of the personal safety gear required by health inspectors in the City.
It is possible to replace Aertex ceilings with modern skimmed ones in your home if you can stand the mess. Add a fancy cornice too, and you will add thousands of pounds of new value to your home. Just move out for a while and let the plasterers make their mess.
Tags: artex, artex ceiling, artex plaster, artex plastered, asbestos, asbestos danger, asbestos fibres, asbestos risk, chip, drywall builders London, drywall builders quotes, find a drywall builder, find a plasterer, plaster over, plastered, plasterer quotes, plasterers London, remove, replace artex ceiling, replaster, reskim, skim, skimmed, skimmed ceiling
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | 1 Comment »
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Oct 11
A small hole in the ceiling may happen accidentally when someone drops a tool in the loft, or be an unwanted leftover from a light fitting that you removed. The principles to making it good again are the same, once you have arranged for an electrician to isolate any electric points. Do not attempt this job yourself if the diameter of the hole is greater than four inches – rather choose from competitive plasterer quotes and find a plasterer to do the job for you.
 o Wear safety glasses at all times, and a face mask when you are in the ceiling space. This is because all manner of things end up in ceilings, and you need to protect your lungs and eyes from harm.
o Clean up the existing hole with a sharp Stanley knife or similar so that no loose material remains. If the ceiling has been plastered, remove a little of this around the hole too.
o Obtain a suitable piece of board that will overlap the hole by approximately three inches on all sides, two full-sized bricks, a hand brush and a tube of silicon as well. Enter the ceiling space with a friend and carefully work your way across to the hole, preferably without dropping anything on the way.
o Brush the immediate ceiling around the hole to remove dust and any debris. Put a generous run of silicone around the hole. Lay the board over the hole, and put the bricks on top of it to press it down securely. You are finished in the roof and need not return.
o Make up a small amount of slurry using any cement-based product mixed with a bonding or key-coating product. Mix this very well until there are absolutely no lumps and it has the consistency of thick cream. Gently apply a thin layer of this to the surface of the exposed board, the hole’s edge, and where you may have removed plaster too.
o Wait for 48 hours before proceeding further. An apprentice working for plasterers in London tried to go ahead straight away, and had to go back into my roof space to repeat everything a second time.
o Obtain a small batch of skimming plaster, and trowel this over the hole using a broad paint scraper. Make sure that this does not protrude below the ceiling level, and leave to dry. The trick is to press it in firmly as you slide the scraper across, and then leave it strictly alone until it has bonded nicely.
o Wait until the plaster does not respond when you press it firmly with your finger, then tidy up the job, merging it into the ceiling as best you can.
A few days later, you can redecorate the patch. Unfortunately, the ceiling will always show a smudgy mark, unless you redecorate completely. Where would you be without Mr-Skill?
Tags: board, bonding liquid, brick, brush, ceiling, ceiling hole, cement, debris, drywall builders London, drywall builders quotes, dust, face mask, fill, find a drywall builder, find a plasterer, hole, hole in ceiling, key-coat, knife, merge, paint scraper, patch, plaster, plastered, plasterer quotes, plasterers London, redecorate, repair, safety glasses, scraper, silicon, slurry, stanley knife
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