I'm not sure about plastering?

That's fine. Just drop us a line and we will give you honest, friendly advice.

Is plastering messy? 

There is a little dust from the plaster but It's not that messy, we make every effort to ensure a clean job.

All surfaces, walls, windows and doors will be cleaned before completion.

Any fixtures and fittings that are removed for plastering, will be refitted.

What are the different types of plastering?

Plaster Skim / Reskim

Plaster skimming is an internal finishing coat of plaster to provide a decorative finish to internal walls and ceilings, it is smooth to the touch and may be painted, wallpapered or tiled. Finishing plaster can be used over many different types of backgrounds such as plasterboard , sand & cement , backing plasters or old existing plastered walls and ceilings (reskim).

Floating

This is a technique for applying a backing plaster or undercoat plaster to smooth out uneven walls and fill in the holes. A backing plaster will be needed if walls are in poor condition, if the existing plaster is loose and needs to be removed or if the walls are back to brick/blockwork. There is a variety backing plasters depending on the background suction*

* suction it the amount of moisture that is absorbed by the background wall.

Can you plaster onto any wall or ceiling?

The background is the most important part of plastering and the old wall or ceiling  will need to be prepared before plastering. 

Depending on the background most walls and ceilings will require sealing with P.V.A or a  sealing solution. Cracks repaired with fibre-glass scrim tape to reinforce  and 'reduce' the chances of reappearing.

Click here - common solutions to cracks

Skim plaster should only be applied to a thickness of around 2-3mm so any holes will need to be filled with a backing or undercoat plaster.

Walls that are back to brick, in very poor condition or heavy Artex may need plasterboarding or floating with backing plaster first.

Ceilings that have many cracks or are too badly damaged may need overboarding with plasterboard before a plaster skim finish.

     Can you cover my old Artex?

If the depth of the pattern is shallow it may be possible to plaster skim directly on top. If the pattern is deep or the wall / ceiling is damaged or cracked plaster boarding or floating with backing plaster first may be needed before the plaster skim finish.

After removing my bathroom tiles the plaster came off with them!

The walls will need 'floating' with a backing plaster and then a plaster skim.

I have lots of cracks will a plaster re-skim cure them?

A plaster re-skim is a very thin skin and should be thought of as decoration rather than structural. 

If the cracks are deep and caused by movement, just reskimming will not cure them, the cause of the movement must be addressed first.

If the cracks are surface or hairline then a glass fibre scrim tape is applied before reskimming. This reinforces the crack and 'reduces' the chance of the cracks reappearing.

Click here - common solutions to cracks

How long does it take for plaster to dry before decorating?

Drying times vary depending on the background and time of year. A small window should be left open so that moisture drawn from the walls can escape. What you are looking for is for the plaster to turn from dark brown to a light pink colour. 

Plastering on to plasterboard will dry much quicker (about 2-3 days) than onto backing plaster (about 4-6 days). As a rule plaster should be left for about a week before decorating.

Painting new plaster          (click here for printer friendly version)

The first coat of paint applied to new plaster is known as a mist coat and is usually a white or magnolia matt emulsion diluted* with water.

*3 parts emulsion – 1 part water

Apply with roller to an even coat, flattening any lines made by the roller edges. Do not worry too much that you can see though this coat and looks to be transparent, hence the name mist coat

The mist coat being diluted paint gets drawn into the wall and seals it. If you use an undiluted paint the moisture would get drawn out to quickly, and the paint would sit on top of the plaster rather than become part of the plaster.

When dry (usually about an hour) this is followed by two top coats(undiluted) of your chosen colour quality paint.

Do I need to remove furniture?

If possible please clear as much furniture from the intended areas of work.

Will I need to remove carpets?

Not necessarily, carpet and laminate floors in the areas of work will be protected with high quality plastic floor protection.

How long does it take to plaster a room?

Most rooms can be completed in 1-2 days.

What sort of materials do you use?

We use only the best quality materials, not only the plaster but preparation materials too.

What time do you start?

Job start times are usually 8:00am