plastering a ceiling

[ste1406]

i am quite good at skimming walls and now get a good finish with hardly any hollows or misses, however, when skimming a ceiling (i have only had a go at a couple and had a plasterer with me which helps for when things do go wrong) i can't seem to get the same finish. i seem to leave hollows which makes the trowelling up after the second coat really difficult. has anyone got any advice to help me, i think it is down to my technique. i start in the left corner being right handed but when i put it on i only seem to be able to load my trowell and pull it towards me over my head, if i try to change the angle of the trowel when the plaster has been put on the ceiling and push it away to fill the hollows i get suction and the trowel gets stuck in the plaster.
i am doing my parents kitchen in a few weeks as it is only a small ceiling (3m x 3m) but want to make a good job. anyone got any good advice.

 

[Richard C]

Ceilings are always going to 3x harder than walls for a beginner; even with moderate experience a large ceiling is going to test your skills. If you doing walls OK, it’s just a matter of technique & practice; if the trowel is “sticking”, your not controlling the angle & you just need to do a few more ceilings! Sometimes “going by the book” isn’t necessarily the best way to approach it; it can be difficult enough troweling both ways on a wall with limited experience let alone on a ceiling; everyone has their own technique & it’s what works for you that’s is important. Other factors you may like to experiment with are; height (of you) from the ceiling & the reach you work at; there are ergonomically recognised standards but, again it’s what works for you. Try altering one against the other to see if it helps; but reach too far & your shoulder will kill you at the end of the day!

You shouldn’t really have any probs. with a 3 x 3 ceiling but I’ve been at it for 5 years now & a little voice inside my head still says “ohhh no” when large ceilings are involved. I manage OK but I don’t like them, they are such bl**dy hard work; but at least I manage to stay pretty clean now!

 

[roy c]

The proper height for each individually sized person to plaster above their heads is usually the distance between your outstretched hand with your thumb on your head and your little finger touching the ceiling, If it is possible buy your self a set of stilts (they come at a reasonable price now, look at some old "Stilts" posts on here. They will help you to get a good spread across the ceiling and also help you to keep your trowel angle constant... Good luck... A 3m x 3m ceiling is still a good size to do on your own

 

[ste1406]

thanks for your answers. i guess its a case of practice makes perfect and finding a technique that suits me. i'll see how it goes.

 

[Yanni]

If you are a DIYer plastering ceilings, I suggest that you do your mix quite thin and brush your ceiling with water before first coat(do not soak it ). Both these will allow you more time to clean any holes etc after you put your second coat. The weak mix will dry slower and due to the board being wet it lets you even more time to polish the ceiling.

One thing I do, if you are using two coats, after you skim the second coat on, clean your bucket and place the remaining of the plaster onto a plastic bag. Now mix a new, very small amount, of multifinish and leave it on the side/bucket.

After the second coat has gone slightly firm, start troweling to remove unevenness and holes. Use the remaining of the first plaster to cover the holes. By the time you have cover some of the holes, the first batch of plaster on the bag has gone dry.

Now, carry on filling holes with the small amount you have mixed.

I know this is a bit laborious but it lets you buy as much time as you need so that you will end up with a perfect ceiling.

Just a quick thought, 3 X 3 is not a very small ceiling !

 

[joe-90]

If you are a DIYer plastering ceilings, I suggest that you do your mix quite thin and brush your ceiling with water before first coat(do not soak it ).

Are you serious? All that will happen is that it will slip off the trowel onto your head.

 

[Yanni]

Reduce the trowel angle to the plasterboard surface and it will not slip off. Weaker mix doesn't mean being like hot chocolate !

Otherwise by the time you are at the end of the ceiling, the beginning has gone dry and you are wasting your time. I also presume that ste1406 is mixing for himself so it makes the job even harder...and he has to work even faster !