Plastering has gone wrong...

[Morgan1972]

Hi guys,

I did my apprenticeship with the forces 20 years ago and got good results back in the 80's.

This weekend I plastered one of the Walls in my girlfriends house to see how it would go to see if I could pick up the tools again and save her some money. it's a hard stone wall with existing chip wood wall paper, stripped off and the last skim of plaster removed. PVA applied.

I used a multi finish plaster mixed by eye to a creamy mixture.

Applied to the walls took my time. Gave it about 1.5 hours to dry and then started to spray with water from a spray bottle and then started to wet it up to get the smooth finish.

It's come out really course in some areas, dips in other areas. Is this just down to my lack of doing it for the last 20 years or have I done something wrong.

 

[joe-90]

You left it too long for beginners. You should smooth it when it begins to firm up, but still responsive to your trowel. Then a quick polish to finish - but not too much.

BTW, did you apply two coats?

 

[Richard C]

You left it 1 1/2 hours Don’t know what they taught back in the 80’s, you sure it was plaster & not render you were using. I’ve only been at it since 2004 but I don’t think plaster was any different back then. The 1 ½ hours on the tin is the set time, once you’ve reached that point it’s virtually unworkable; you’ve only got 40-50 minutes to get it up there & that’s it. The next 30 minutes or so you’ll need for your second coat (it helps but not always necessary), trowel off & polish up; time will be your biggest enemy if inexperienced.

Don’t use too much water either, it won’t bring it back & all you’ll do is turn the surface to a white mush which will never set. I use an old one litre kitchen spray & I will have 1/3 - ½ the bottle left after skimming a 12 x 12 room.

Have a read of the archive posts, lots of useful info in there.

Edit;
What do you mean by a "hard stone wall"?

 

[bradleigh1977]

after one and a half hours im virtually finished1

Did you use tyrolean?? in the 80's? or whatever it was called? Did that take a while to set? i dont know...

I'd work like this mate.....( this is how it was explained to me, when i first started, its not me talking...)


Say a 4x4 sq m wall. stick the first coat on, it should take you 10-15 mins ish......flatten it out a bit if you want. then have a fag and a urination. Stick the second coat on and give it a trowel. Another fag...trowel again.

Wait around letting it go off and have a coffee, then trowel it. Another fag and a urination, quick polish, done.


I know this is different for everyone, but i got taught this 18 years ago, and its how i would explain it to someone.

Different backgrounds take different times obviously, but see how you go.

 

[stevethespreader]

Hi guys,

I did my apprenticeship with the forces 20 years ago

a plastering apprenticeship with the forces? what part of the forces? army -navy? this is the first i have heard of it, apprenticeships last for 5 years and are known to be the best qualifications there is or should i say was? so i don't know what to think about your attempt to pick up the tools after 20 years i would imagine you would have lost your trowel skills for a start and you would have been a bit rusty, but i don't think you forget when its time to trowel up thats something that would have surly stayed with you

 

[stevethespreader]

I'd work like this mate.....( this is how it was explained to me, when i first started, its not me talking...)


have a fag trowel. Another fag...trowel again.

Another fag and a urination, quick polish, done.


.

you should have been taught by someone who dident smoke i bet your lungs and arteries are well clogged up now if youve been a busy spread

 

[joe-90]

He learned to 'float' with the Navy and 'tank' with the army.

And he 'rendered' the enemy harmless with the Air force.

 

[Richard C]

He learned to 'float' with the Navy and 'tank' with the army.

And he 'rendered' the enemy harmless with the Air force.

 

[bradleigh1977]

I'd work like this mate.....( this is how it was explained to me, when i first started, its not me talking...)


have a fag trowel. Another fag...trowel again.

Another fag and a urination, quick polish, done.


.

you should have been taught by someone who dident smoke i bet your lungs and arteries are well clogged up now if youve been a busy spread

its ok i dont smoke...lungs are fine....its my back thats knackered!

 

[stevethespreader]

I'd work like this mate.....( this is how it was explained to me, when i first started, its not me talking...)


have a fag trowel. Another fag...trowel again.

Another fag and a urination, quick polish, done.


.

you should have been taught by someone who didn't smoke i bet your lungs and arteries are well clogged up now if youve been a busy spread

its ok i dont smoke...lungs are fine....its my back thats knackered!

mine 2

 

[Morgan1972]

Thanks for the ribbing guys...

Its quite hard to remember what i was tought 20 years ago, when I was 16 - 17.

Anyway I don't think I will be doing the rest of the living room. Ill just watch they Guy who comes to do it and I'll stick to being a H&S officer.

 

[bradleigh1977]

Thanks for the ribbing guys...

Its quite hard to remember what i was tought 20 years ago, when I was 16 - 17.

Anyway I don't think I will be doing the rest of the living room. Ill just watch they Guy who comes to do it and I'll stick to being a H&S officer.

LOL i bet your well popular!!


Have a go at the living room, if anything, dont stop, keep troweling.First coat, then second straight away, trowel it. cup of tea and no fag, trowel it wait, and polish.

You can always get the spread to go over what you have done if its bad?

 

[joe-90]

trowel it wait, and polish.

Stop plugging the flippin' Poles. They get all the work as it is.

 

[bradleigh1977]

trowel it wait, and polish.

Stop plugging the flippin' Poles. They get all the work as it is.

hehehe

 

[Micilin]

Perhaps when you did your time back then you did leave it that long -


Late 70s, early 80s sirapite could be left and then would come back as you trowelled it.

You could put on rooms of it at a time, onto sand and cement.

Never mind a quick fag, you could nip out for a pint if you only had a wall or two on, with a bit on your boot to tell you when it was ready to go back

So as an improver/apprentice, you would only have had a small wall on and I can see how it would be left for a long time.

(Board finish was also slower in early 80s , and could be put on much thicker, with multi finish being introduced mid 80s along with hardwall)


Ehhh, when I were a lad..........................