Want to learn how to plaster - Where Do I Go?

[Deleted User]

I am living in a private rented property and well, its borderline decent lol. I am not working as I have a child with special needs to look after (he keeps needing help with schooling even now) plus a five year old.

I have made a couple of posts here about revamping the bathroom. Its your typical private rental bathroom.., done by amateurs and fairly badly lol. From what I can see, it was formerly a single skin lean to.., has been given an internal layer second skin, has a very large corner bath in it that fills up 2/3 of the space, toilet in the middle of one wall and a vanity basin.

I am replacing the huge corner bath as it creaks as u get into it, cracks on the side panel, neither the bath or the basin had plugs to go with the pop up waste and I get quite immobilising back ache (spasms), and need to bath with water as deep as it can go which is impossible to do with a corner bath (it has the usual moulded seat u need to cover with water as well to get any depth). Managed to revamp the fairly useless tiny vanity and oversized basin for £20 by reusing a vanity I found in the shed which was much better and getting a tap with waste (basin tap didn't give out hot water so tap was broken anyway). I have found a good quality straight bath with rigid sides, waste and taps for £140 including delivery and am simply going to reposition the toilet.

However because of this revamping, and not having enough replacement tiles I need to think about wall coverings at minimum cost (and reduce the risks of mould, which the house has suffered from). I'd like to cut the costs of this by removing some of the wall to wall tiling and just have tiles around the bath and basin, so I'd like to replaster some of the walls. Its not been done at all well. The landlord has given his permission for all this work BTW lol. I am quite good with DIY and making do, and acheive a good standard with the work I do. However, I've never plastered before, just filled holes as a part of prep work.

I am aware I could make the walls worse cosmetically. There are no plastering courses at the local college, there is a wholesale decorating course that I don't need and its quite some distance away (difficult with my older son's needs) so I am wondering if there's another way I can learn to plaster to a reasonable standard? I am a bit scared of making the situation worse than it already is lol although if u could see what's been done here u might wonder if that's possible lol.

The landlord won't do any of the work, as far as he's concerned its good enough to live in.

Any ideas anyone?

keystone

deannatrois wrote: »

.....so I am wondering if there's another way I can learn to plaster to a reasonable standard?

Go to work for a plasterer and learn on the job. It takes about 4 - 5 years constant practice to get it to a decent standard. No i'm serious. If you want it done get someone in.

Why on earth are you doing all this anyway? Its the landlords responsibility. Of course he's happy to let you do it - its costing him nothing but just you wait until the letting agents check out report at the end of the tenancy if its anything less than perfect.

If it doesn't suit your needs why did you take on the tenancy in the first place?

If you don't like it - don't faff about with it - move out to somewhere that does suit your needs.

Cheers

27col

The landlord must think that you are a right mug. Be careful that the rent doesn't go up because the place has been improved. Betterment, I think that's what it's called.
I'm just guessing here, but am I right in suspecting that you have got better things to spend your money on, than someone else's property.

bevanuk

Yeah you shouldn't be doing this - I think they could actually take money out of your deposit if you haven't done a great job as they could 'claim' that they need to get it redone.

4-5 years is a bit of a stretch to become a plasterer, you could learn any skill in that amount of time. But it does take a lot of hard work and practice. If you're not looking to work you could speak to local builders etc and offer to do free work experience?

Bexm

Hi

Aside from the fact that I think you're completely nuts doing all this work on a rental property...

As you are in the process my advice on plastering is either get someone who know's how to do it to do it with you, and you can learn then (or convince them to tidy it up when you make a mess), or get someone else to do it!
I have just attempted to do some plastering for the first time on our new house with the guidance of a pro (a relative) as we ran out of money but honestly, unless you are extremely lucky it will probably look a bit pants!

I can do small bits, but when it comes to whole walls I just can't get it level.. I swear plasters are magicians! Need lots and lots and lots of practise even when you know how, it doesn't necessarily mean you can!

Bex

Leif

You can learn more quickly than others suggest, and part of the art of a plasterer is doing a good job fast, but it is hard to learn, so I am told. But as others say, don't! You shouldn't have to do this anyway. I'm amazed you think it okay. Get your landlord to sort it out or move. If you can't find anywhere as cheap, well I guess new tiles is the way to go ... perhaps freecycle has some, or ebay? Dunno!

keystone

bevanuk wrote: »

4-5 years is a bit of a stretch to become a plasterer, you could learn any skill in that amount of time. But it does take a lot of hard work and practice.

Isn't that what I said. 4 - 5 years constant practice to perfect the skills and achieve a half reasonable standard? Thats what every spread I've ever worked with has said and I've no reason to disbelieve any of them.

Cheers

docmatt

Get yourself some plastic internal wall cladding bathroom panels. Glue them on your tiles with no nails. Looks like a brand new bathroom suite when done.

Leif

keystone wrote: »

Isn't that what I said. 4 - 5 years constant practice to perfect the skills and achieve a half reasonable standard? Thats what every spread I've ever worked with has said and I've no reason to disbelieve any of them.

Cheers

There is a huge difference between being able to do it well enough to plaster an average sized wall in your home, and doing it for a living. In the latter case you cannot take your time, and you need to be able to deal with large walls, and ceilings, as well as irregular walls etc. Recently I had some work done, and the plasterer said he'd come round saturday to do some overboarding. I arrived at the house before noon, and I was completely gobsmacked by how much he and his mate had done. They'd already overboarded the entire kitchen and lounge, and were starting a bedroom, using roughly 2m by 1m by 12.5mm plasterboard. And the speed with which he plastered the kitchen, and the three ceilings was very impressive, and to a high standard. But the OP should not consider learning ... I think plasterers earn their money!

[Deleted User]

I was extremely lucky to get this place at all.., tenant on benefits etc. No one would look at me. I was in emergency housing with the council making loud rumbling noises that my time was running out and once they'd decided I was not homeless I'd lose their offer of a loan to cover the month's rent in advance and deposit. This place isn't perfect but its a lot better than some. Its a heck of a lot better than being on the streets which was a real possibility unfortunately (no I didn't have rent arrears but i had fled from my council property elsewhere for reasons the council would not accept as legitimate).

I'm doing it because my back can get quite bad and I have children to look after, I can't afford to be disabled with back pain. Pills help but I don't like taking them for too long, its not going to just go away., so baths help. The corner bath just doesn't do the job, I can't fill it deep enough and its a combi boiler so takes an hour to fill lol.

I can't force the landlord to do it. He said the bath was useable. I guess it is. He is a typical low rental landlord.., do as little as possible and I know the people he hires to do work.., they're not highly skilled lol. I had to look extremely hard to find anyone at all that would rent to someone receiving LHA.., with no guarantaur.

But I understand totally why u've made the comments you have. I think I'll have to save for some tiles if I can't keep the ones already on the wall, on the wall. Gawd I hate being 'low rental' bracket lol.

saxonrosecliff

Hi I understand how you feel - trying to maintain a house on a low income isn't easy. However I definitely wouldn't recommend you try plastering with a bad back! I suffer from minor back pain and when I moved into my house the previous owner had stuck some horrible fake bricks over half of the chimney breast. I thought "how hard can plastering be" and removed the bricks which left an area of approximately 6 ft by 4ft that needed plastering which I did myself. It was incredibly hard work, was messy and needed sanding after to make it flat which made it even more messy and for several days after I literally couldn't move (arms and back pain!).

Ever since every time I've needed plastering doing I've saved up and got a professional in.