DIY Plastering Courses?

whizzybee

Hi folks

So me and my partner are (fingers crossed) about to exchange on our home soon. The house dates to around 1905 and the homebuyers survey has flagged up that most of the walls are likely to be original lath and plaster (probably horsehair). Now we are on a fairly tight budget regarding redecoration so we are planning to do room by room as and when we have the time and money. One of the things we are looking at saving money on is plastering and we have found courses close to where we are moving to which do a buy one, get one half price (so the two of us could do a 4 day course for a total of £450).

I was wondering whether any of you MSErs had ever embarked on your own plastering? We could strip back and hope that the plaster is still in good condition, but unfortunately the last time my partner did that he brought an entire wall of plaster down on himself :rotfl: (no injuries sustained!). With or without a course, is it worth doing it yourself or would it be better to save the money up and pay a professional?

Many thanks!

TeamPlum

Have a go, there will be a horde of people here soon telling you it's impossible. Ive just bonded and skimmed my front room and im happy with it.

Give it a whirl.

SailorSam

I do most of my own Diy around the house, plumbing; electrics; bricklaying etc etc. I'll have a go at anything, but plastering is best left to the professional. The nearest i've come is when i built a small porch i artexed the walls.
Have you checked your local College evening classes ? Just been checking the website for the one nearest to me and they do .......
3wks; 3hrs per week, Introduction to Plastering £30.
For the Diyer something like that may give you the basics.

Risteard

SailorSam wrote: »

electrics ... plastering is best left to the professional.

Unlike DIY plastering, a poorly installed electrical installation will kill you.

Grenage

I've done some bonding and skim as a diyer; it turned out pretty well. I won't lie, it was one of the trickiest jobs I'd done, as time is a factor.

£450 is an awful lot of plasterboard and plaster with which to practice.

I would watch a few YouTube videos, buy some plaster and practice a bit.

Mr.Generous

The knack is in the mixing, get that right or else no chance. Then just bosh it on fairly quick but the thinner the better. When it starts to go off start to smooth it. For the final polish you need a worn in float or one of the new plastic jobs. To learn how to mix it and time it the course sounds a good idea, that or pay for some plastering and watch!

FreeBear

Grenage wrote: »

£450 is an awful lot of plasterboard and plaster with which to practice.

As this is a Victorian build, it will most likely be solid brick walls - Whacking plasterboard up and skimming with gypsum will eventually lead to problems. A course in lime plastering would be beneficial and then repairs/restoration can be done sympathetically to the building.

Tradesmen skilled in applying lime plaster charge a premium for their work, and it takes longer than a gypsum plastering job. Certainly well worth doing a course with someone like Mike Wye or Ty-Mawr and saving a packet.

Not done a course myself, but have used a lime plaster, and it really isn't that difficult - If you use a lime putty plaster, it has the advantage that as long as it is damp, it can be reworked. Only after it has dried does it start to "set". Down side is lime plaster costs a bit more than gypsum, and there are fewer suppliers around so you often have to pay extra for shipping.

keith969

whizzybee wrote: »

I was wondering whether any of you MSErs had ever embarked on your own plastering? We could strip back and hope that the plaster is still in good condition, but unfortunately the last time my partner did that he brought an entire wall of plaster down on himself :rotfl: (no injuries sustained!). With or without a course, is it worth doing it yourself or would it be better to save the money up and pay a professional?

Many thanks!

I have done it years ago but wouldn't bother again. It's something that a good plasterer with years of experience will be able to do quickly and get a good finish, while you'll struggle to without taking ages (no offence meant).

Also if the walls are lathe & plaster you might be wise to remove the lathes and replace with plasterboard...

Doozergirl

I know plasterers who don't plaster that well.

whizzybee

Thanks for the advice. We have been told it is solid wall construction and a back-tp-back so although we have two external walls on the ground floor only, one actually is the ginnel wall. We will have a serious think and get some quotes from professional plasterers as well. We are very hands on so always keen to have a go and my partner did a lot of DIY in his current home, excepting of course the electrics and gas...

Grenage

FreeBear wrote: »

As this is a Victorian build, it will most likely be solid brick walls - Whacking plasterboard up and skimming with gypsum will eventually lead to problems. A course in lime plastering would be beneficial and then repairs/restoration can be done sympathetically to the building.

The plasterboard was for practising the plastering, not to stay on the wall.