FabSwingers.com forum: plastering tips

By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

Been helping a mate renovate a house, we have been having a go at plastering, not doing to bad for total novices but we have had to sand every well we have plastered so far

no matter how hard we try just cant get that perfect smooth finish, using an old cheap trowel, cant help thinking a good trowel might make a big difference, so to all you plasters how much of a difference would a top trowel like Marshtown make to the finish for a DIY'er or even to a professional plaster ??

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It would make a difference using good tools. If you can I would just board and tape the rooms then you only have to plaster the joins. They will need a quick sand down but even "professionals" have to sand it down.

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By *ezebelWoman
over a year ago

North of The Wall - youll need your vest

One thing I would love to be able to do

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By *icked weaselCouple
over a year ago

Near Edinburgh..

Drink loads of alcohol - then the walls will look really smooth..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If you do go down the boarding route you can normally get them from wickes for £1-2 where the corners are slightly damaged so isn't much more expensive than plastering a whole room.

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By *razy-CplCouple
over a year ago

and surrounding areas

Get a marshelstown trowel u will get one that is already broken in that will make a huge difference but its also about troweling it at the right time ie as in not to soft or not too hard

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By *uke olovingmanMan
over a year ago

Gravesend

start at the top of the wall and work down

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Try leaving it till its just ready to go off.

Then get a polishing trowel.

Made a huge difference and came out looking like it had been done properly.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Its all about the preparation and the lay down....you could do it all day and never walk away happy. You can either do it or you can't. Plastering is one of those things that you only get better at with experience and practice, I've been plastering for 8years and by no means am I as good as people I work with who have been plastering for 20+ nothing wrong with having to sand a few edges it happens you find your own techniques like I have, i was never taught just guided and picked up my own techniques along the way good luck! If you can get the hang of it...its definitely a good thing to have on your cv

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By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

"If you do go down the boarding route you can normally get them from wickes for £1-2 where the corners are slightly damaged so isn't much more expensive than plastering a whole room.

"
I know that method is quite big in America I guess it would be easier than plastering the whole celling,

this one is only small so I will give the plastering another go this time around.

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By *ucsparkMan
over a year ago

dudley

Best advice is pay and have it done

If not decent trowel, use gyp-bond first to grip and stop it pulling in to fast. Two coats first 3mm second 1 to 2 mm let it pull in on second then flatten down leave to pull in, use a spray bottle as you trowel top coat and do not over work.

Change direction of troweling and practice good luck

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By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

"Its all about the preparation and the lay down....you could do it all day and never walk away happy. You can either do it or you can't. Plastering is one of those things that you only get better at with experience and practice, I've been plastering for 8years and by no means am I as good as people I work with who have been plastering for 20+ nothing wrong with having to sand a few edges it happens you find your own techniques like I have, i was never taught just guided and picked up my own techniques along the way good luck! If you can get the hang of it...its definitely a good thing to have on your cv

"
it would be ok if it was just a few edges but it is normally the whole wall lol, always get holes and ridges but I do partially put this down to the crap trowel, for sure it is an art that needs lots of practise.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"If you do go down the boarding route you can normally get them from wickes for £1-2 where the corners are slightly damaged so isn't much more expensive than plastering a whole room.

I know that method is quite big in America I guess it would be easier than plastering the whole celling,

this one is only small so I will give the plastering another go this time around."

That is how new builds are done aswell.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Judging by my own previous attempts - run like hell away!

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

A relative wouldn't part with his trowel that he had for many years as it was bedded in...so I am not sure a new trowel might help.

There is an art to it and to get a nice smooth finish...have you thought of paying someone? it might be easier in the long run.

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By *inaTitzTV/TS
over a year ago

Titz Towers, North Notts

When I had the house rewired I plastered the bits where the cables had been titivated. Looked ok to me. I had a decorator come round to price up and he took one look at my plastering and said about the sparks being shite at plastering and that they'd left me in a right mess. All I could do was comment about how I paid them for their electrical skills and not their plastering and hope that he didn't drink in the same pub as them....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"When I had the house rewired I plastered the bits where the cables had been titivated. Looked ok to me. I had a decorator come round to price up and he took one look at my plastering and said about the sparks being shite at plastering and that they'd left me in a right mess. All I could do was comment about how I paid them for their electrical skills and not their plastering and hope that he didn't drink in the same pub as them....

LMAO - "SNAP!!"

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By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

"Judging by my own previous attempts - run like hell away!

"
that's how my mate feels about it, so he keeps handing me the trowel now lol,

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By *riskygaz OP Man
over a year ago

birmingham

"A relative wouldn't part with his trowel that he had for many years as it was bedded in...so I am not sure a new trowel might help.

There is an art to it and to get a nice smooth finish...have you thought of paying someone? it might be easier in the long run."
the amount of plastering we have done between us would have cost a bloody fortune to get a professional in to do it, and after buying the house my mate was working to a tight budget.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Judging by my own previous attempts - run like hell away!

that's how my mate feels about it, so he keeps handing me the trowel now lol, "

I once filled all the cracks of the ceiling of a power station control hall. It only kicked in to the grid at peak time so, I arrived back at work in the morning to find that after the predictable vibration of the previous nights running, every single crack had opened up again!!

The boss was pleased!!

& I had another couple other disasters, also!!

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By *icked weaselCouple
over a year ago

Near Edinburgh..

apparently its like sex..

the more you get Plastered - the Better you get..

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By *lubcouple2Couple
over a year ago

newport

4 us we cheated we had massive hole in wall were council had bodged bottom half n just left top half so we filled hole with ply wood n then plaster boarded the whole room n plastered joints my room now looks awsum and my walls are straigher than they have ever been

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