Guides
Hiring a plasterer, explained
What the trade actually does, what things should cost, what a quote ought to contain, and how to check somebody is who they say they are.
Artex and asbestos: what to check before anyone sands it
Textured coatings put up before 2000 may contain asbestos, and sanding one is the thing not to do. What to test, what it costs, and why overboarding wins.
How to choose a plasterer, and what to ask
Plastering is unregulated and there is no register to look anybody up on. That changes what is worth asking, and makes four questions do most of the work.
Skim or replaster: which one your wall needs
A skim is a finish coat over something sound. Replastering means floating a bare wall first, and it is roughly twice the work. Tapping the wall tells you which you have.
How long plaster takes to dry, and when you can paint it
Fresh plaster goes from pink to pale as it dries, and the timing depends on the coat and the room rather than on a rule. Painting too early traps moisture and the paint comes back off.
Lime or gypsum: why it matters on an old wall
A solid wall built before about 1919 has to breathe. Gypsum on one traps moisture in the masonry, and it is the most expensive common mistake in this trade.
Why plaster cracks, and which cracks matter
Hairline cracking in a new skim is shrinkage and is cosmetic. A crack that follows a line, widens at one end or reopens after filling is telling you about the structure behind it.
Which render, and do you need permission
Sand and cement, monocouche and silicone thin-coat behave differently, cost differently and last differently. And rendering a house is not always permitted development.
Damp and plaster: what has to happen in which order
Plastering over a damp wall hides it for a winter. The order is find the cause, fix the cause, let it dry, then replaster, and the last step is the shortest of the four.
Preparing a room for a plasterer
What to move, what to take off the walls, and what the plasterer expects to find. Half a day of preparation is the difference between a one day job and two.
Dry lining finishes, and what level 4 means
Taped and jointed board is specified by finish level, and the number decides how much filling and sanding is in the price. Most domestic work wants level 4 and gets quoted as though it were level 2.