Is it impossibly hard to plaster a wall?

EveryPennyCounts_3

Hi

I'm after some opinions... I have to get a bedroom replastered and am toying with the idea of trying to do it myself. Is it really really hard? I haven't done any plastering before, am I'm no expert DIYer, but I'm not useless either. Is it worth the hassle? Or should I just get someone in from the start?

Any thoughts?

EPC

Ted_Hutchinson

A lot depends on the surface you are trying to plaster.
My house if very old (1650ish) and hasn't got a flat surface anywhere so my efforts at plastering are entirely appropriate to the original and it's almost impossible to find an affordable plasterer willing to use an original lime/hair mix.
If you are plastering onto a flat surface (plasterboard) you will need to produce a flat finish and that is a knack which takes some acquiring. Unfortunately it comes down to experience as there is so much judgement involved. Too much water in the mix and it won't stick on the wall. Too little and it's setting before you have time to work it.
If you've got a local college that does evening classes then that's a good place to learn and build up your confidence. Having a garage/outhouse wall to practice on would also be a good idea before you start on anything that matters.
But it would be far easier to get someone in to do it for you, but it is satisfying once you get the knack but getting the mix onto the wall is the first trick, getting it more or less flat is the next, having the patience not to maul it about and leaving it till it is ready is important.
So there's a lot to learn but not matters that can be done online. It requires practice and judgement which can only be gained by experience.
Edit: There is another thread in this forum where a real plasterer addresses the same issues.

snowboardjon

It's difficult to do it well, and you'll never make as good a job of it as a pro plasterer would, but it is possible to get good results.

In my experience it is much easier to get good results by plastering over plasterboard than old plaster/brick.

Also if you use plasterboard you can take your time getting it level (decent spirit level required) before you start the plastering. The plaster has to be applied fairly quickly as it starts to "go off" suprisingly quickly whilst you're still trying to get it level.

alanobrien

EveryPennyCounts wrote:

Hi

I'm after some opinions... I have to get a bedroom replastered and am toying with the idea of trying to do it myself. Is it really really hard? I haven't done any plastering before, am I'm no expert DIYer, but I'm not useless either. Is it worth the hassle? Or should I just get someone in from the start?

Any thoughts?

EPC

I am no plasterer but i have done a couple of walls in the past. It is a knack you can develop but it takes time
and the bottom line is you will never get the finish that a pro would achieve.

One tip for the best finish it to use readmix plaster.
It costs a bit more but it takes out the variables of mixing it yourself. Worked for me anyway

wait till you try plastering a ceiling thats even more fun

robowen

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

My house if very old (1650ish) and hasn't got a flat surface anywhere .

1650ish :eek: Is that a mud hut you're living in Ted ? :rotfl:

No wonder theres no flat walls anywhere ! :rotfl:

I think that by the time you've bought the tools to do the job, messed up, paid someone to put it right, you might have well got someone in from the start ! .

If you have wall space to practice on first, maybe you could achieve reasonable results. Lots of practice is needed, not just for putting it on the walls, but for mixing it to the right consistency.

rob

g33za

wickes do a one coat plaster that is more workable and u can use that instead of the professional gypsum stuff. Using a couple of battons as guides helps get it level.

I'd suggest using plasterboard and doing a skim over that using one coat plaster. Although im no expert.

Chabsy

If you really want to plaster it yourself then do a course, if you have not plastered before you'll end up in a right state with more plaster on you than on the walls, a decent plaster will charge between £150 - £200 a day + materials, a weekend course will be about £200 - £300 its like the buy a man a fish vs buy him a fishing rod type thing.

One coat is best avoided as its more for plastering deeper holes where you would normally use bonding for, and you won't get it smooth.

IJJoseph

I have done a little bit of plastering but only on a small area and with a good reference to get a level with. If you're talking about a whole room then it's really best to get a professional in to do it.

George_Bray

I have succeeded with some DIY plastering, using cheap standard plaster (like pros would use) but only at the cost of many hours of my time, not practising but going straight for it. I'm not getting any better or faster, either.

I first apply a layer of plaster and do my best before it sets. Then I see there are several ridges in the middle of the wall, and bits hardly covered around some of the edges. A pro might get it right first time but I can't! So I scrape and/or sand any high points, and fill any low points with more plaster. My overall, final finish comes from a gentle sanding of the whole wall, creating quite a lot of dust, rather than from wet 'polishing' like a pro would achieve. At least, I do the polishing, but it's only 70% effective. My final finish will be good because I don't stop before it is.

Regards
George

EveryPennyCounts_3

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking into doing an evening course at the college. I won't be eligible for discounted course fees or anything, so if the fees are cheaper than it would be for a plasterer to do it, I'll do the course! I'll be doing quite a lot of decorating over the next year or so, so I might as well learn how to do it properly! Maybe I can charge my friends and relatives then, too

Thanks again

EPC.