DIY Plastering
Discussion
Done a fair amount of plastering - all the walls / ceilings in three rooms, selftought. But I did start off simple with window reveals, small sections of walls under windows, that sort of thing. I can get a pretty good finish (better than the "professional" plaster that did the front room, but it is hard work. You simply can't learn on a ceiling. You will be broken. Try and hold an arm up in the air for three hours and see how you get on. Then imagine the same pushing heavy plaster onto the ceiling...
You can teach yourself walls if you really read up and know what you're doing, but ceilings are a different kettle of fish.
You can teach yourself walls if you really read up and know what you're doing, but ceilings are a different kettle of fish.
Pugster said:
Wheelrepairit said:
Good friend of mine thought the same as you.
His ceiling now looks like the alps inverted, with the tips sanded off where he has spent approx £30 on sanding pads to dry and flatten it, makes so much dust he ends up doing this in his pants with a tesco bag on his head.
Hes Irish, say no more.
His ceiling now looks like the alps inverted, with the tips sanded off where he has spent approx £30 on sanding pads to dry and flatten it, makes so much dust he ends up doing this in his pants with a tesco bag on his head.
Hes Irish, say no more.
As an ex-plasterer i'm bound to try and build up the mystic and difficulty of doing the job but ceilings are tricky.
Obvious as it is, ceilings are upsidedown so unless you know what you're doing your arms ache from holding them in the air, even more than on walls, and plaster falls off , into your eyes!
A novice might attempt, and do a reasonable job, on a wall but ceilings- forget it
if you do have a go, post some pics please!
Obvious as it is, ceilings are upsidedown so unless you know what you're doing your arms ache from holding them in the air, even more than on walls, and plaster falls off , into your eyes!
A novice might attempt, and do a reasonable job, on a wall but ceilings- forget it
if you do have a go, post some pics please!
Edited by stuartmmcfc on Friday 23 March 14:57
We've just had a couple of ceilings done 'professionally' and I'm really disappointed at the finish.
No way they can just be pva'd and painted - looks like I've got days worth of filling and sanding to do before being at that stage - I do wonder if I could have done a better job myself, despite being a complete novice. At least we wouldn't have paid for it. Grr.
No way they can just be pva'd and painted - looks like I've got days worth of filling and sanding to do before being at that stage - I do wonder if I could have done a better job myself, despite being a complete novice. At least we wouldn't have paid for it. Grr.
Just had a 21' x 11' lounge, dining room, hall and downstairs cloakroom, 2 days £360. Did think about it myself but decided by the time I'd bought the bits, faffed it up a few times I'd probably end up paying someone to fix it anyway! Looks much better now but beware it does make rather a lot of mess.
Well, I've done my share of paying for plastering, and had a good go myself.
For walls, yes they take practise, but I've come close to matching the final (painted) finish of the pros in my opinion. It might take me 5 times as long, need a bit of Easifill here and there to get it right, but I've been happy with my results.
Getting confident after doing a few rooms in various houses over the years, I tried the box room ceiling, new plasterboard over old, looking good, on with the skim. It was a steep learning curve. Oh my f
king God its hard work to plaster a ceiling. It took a whole weekend and it looked so bad I ended up pulling the lot down and paying to have it re-done. Ceilings are for the pros only.
Saying that, I've had lots of ceilings done now, and I've always gone on recommendations, but I've never been entirely happy with a plastered ceiling, there's always a shadow here and there, the odd trowel mark etc. Still prefer it to Artex mind.
I've found with plasterers, you are paying for time. Plaster is so cheap, £4.50 a bag! To get good value from a plastering job they need a full day of work, not a day of waiting for plaster to go off.
To do my lounge (18ft x 18ft + ceiling) I was quoted £360 (2 days work). To do the downstairs hallway as well I was told another £40. Worth thinking about if you've got more for them to go at.
ETA: I got the impression even the pros don't really like doing ceilings, and will price accordingly...
For walls, yes they take practise, but I've come close to matching the final (painted) finish of the pros in my opinion. It might take me 5 times as long, need a bit of Easifill here and there to get it right, but I've been happy with my results.
Getting confident after doing a few rooms in various houses over the years, I tried the box room ceiling, new plasterboard over old, looking good, on with the skim. It was a steep learning curve. Oh my f
king God its hard work to plaster a ceiling. It took a whole weekend and it looked so bad I ended up pulling the lot down and paying to have it re-done. Ceilings are for the pros only.Saying that, I've had lots of ceilings done now, and I've always gone on recommendations, but I've never been entirely happy with a plastered ceiling, there's always a shadow here and there, the odd trowel mark etc. Still prefer it to Artex mind.
I've found with plasterers, you are paying for time. Plaster is so cheap, £4.50 a bag! To get good value from a plastering job they need a full day of work, not a day of waiting for plaster to go off.
To do my lounge (18ft x 18ft + ceiling) I was quoted £360 (2 days work). To do the downstairs hallway as well I was told another £40. Worth thinking about if you've got more for them to go at.
ETA: I got the impression even the pros don't really like doing ceilings, and will price accordingly...
Edited by BigTom85 on Monday 26th March 18:09
Muncher said:
What's the general consensus on dry lining the walls and ceilings yourself, then getting a plasterer to apply the skin coat. I have around 800sqm to do, both walls and ceilings...
I would have thought that anyone who'shard working and sensible could do that.It all boils down to have much time you've got vs how little cash you've got to spare to afford someone to do it for you tbh.
Muncher said:
What's the general consensus on dry lining the walls and ceilings yourself, then getting a plasterer to apply the skin coat. I have around 800sqm to do, both walls and ceilings...
If you have 800 square metres to skim ? I will come over from France and skim it all for you.Ceilings are something that i have allways found easy,the lads that have worked along side me were also excellent . I cant see any problem with ceilings. As allways preparation is the key to realising a perfect finish. 33 years expierience .
magooagain said:
If you have 800 square metres to skim ? I will come over from France and skim it all for you.
Ceilings are something that i have allways found easy,the lads that have worked along side me were also excellent . I cant see any problem with ceilings. As allways preparation is the key to realising a perfect finish. 33 years expierience .
Just double checked and it's 657sqm, less wall and window openings which I haven't accounted for.Ceilings are something that i have allways found easy,the lads that have worked along side me were also excellent . I cant see any problem with ceilings. As allways preparation is the key to realising a perfect finish. 33 years expierience .
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff