plastering speed

[NickB_99]

Hello all

Nearly finished re-plastering my kitchen walls, but feel it has taken me longer than it should.
Along the way I've had to patch bits up with bonding, fit skim beads to the window & door frames, scrim tape joins, PVA etc, so has not been a simple skim. (Results are satisfactory for me and no disasters along the way - all in line with the good advice from R/C, Richard C and the boys! )
My question is, when it comes to skimming, what sort of rate do the pros & experienced plasterers get??

I only use an 11" trowel and to be honest has been big enough in a kitchen - ducking round light switches, sockets etc.
I've found I'm not very quick - and especially with these sorts obstructions slowing me down!!!
For example, covering an end wall (approx 3.5m x 2m with door, sockets etc) I found it better to put the first coat on and do a new mix for the second coat. I'd get through about 1/3 bag of multi each coat and would take about 30 mins each. Prob reasonable amount of waste plaster at the end too.
Washing buckets in between, cleaning bucket trowel, hawk, etc and then polishing the plaster (x3 passes), all take a significant amount of time. Prob of the order getting on for 2-2.5 hours easy for a single small wall.

Any tips to speed things up appreciated!

 

[roughcaster]

With plaster, you're always working against the clock, from the minute you mix it up,,,,,,so i wouldn't worry too much how long it takes you do a wall. As long as you can get the plaster on and under control/finished before the plaster finally goes off, you're doing ok. There are no tips that i could pass on to help you plaster any faster. Experience and confidence will do that for you..... It's all hands on,,,,practice..... Any wall with obstacles in the way, switches, sockets, doors etc will always take longer to do, whether it's plastering, tiling or papering..... It is always easier to plaster a larger clear wall,, than it is to plaster an awkward fiddly little wall........ If you're comfortable with an 11" trowel, and you are happy with your finish, then just stick with it. Using a 13" trowel wont make you a faster plasterer, but no harm in getting used to one ...... What i will say though,, if you can manage to get 2 coats onto the wall from the "one" mix, that will cut the time down a fair old bit, and you wont waste so much plaster either. I suppose,,, despite what i said earlier in the post, that would help you to speed up a bit too......Try it on a "small" wall..... Skim it over once, let it steady up a bit, and then lay on the top coat,,, that way, it's all one mix, and one set...

Roughcaster.

 

[skinters]

with sockets,i unscrew em out enough to get a trowel behind.i never skim around sockets,makes it harder to take them off if you need.if you can take the sockets off,even better.

you will get faster, and the day will come when your the master and not the other way around.dont put to much on you cant resonalby handle.

i dont bother polishing the plaster,it annoys me when you see a spreader running his hands up and down his walls,while saying ahhh like glass.looking for an eggshell feel to the finish,will make painting a bit easier.

 

[brist]

As Roughcaster says once you can get 2 coats on with the same mix it will save you a lot of time.

 

[roughcaster]

Good to hear from you again Bristy.

Roughcaster.

 

[NickB_99]

if you can manage to get 2 coats onto the wall from the "one" mix, that will cut the time down a fair old bit, and you wont waste so much plaster either.
Roughcaster.

Finally finished the last wall today. Only part needed as cupboards going up, so only needed do 1.5m x 2m. No sockets!!
Was such a refreshing change and think could have got both coats done in the same mix. Will aspire to it!

if you can take the sockets off,even better

will bear that in mind & especially to remove completely.

Sent a before and after pic - as feel I've reached a milestone with a first plastered room!
I got a builder in to do the beam, box in and skim it. Rest of the room was me.

Untitled

• NickB_99
• 26 Feb 2009
• 1

kitchen before

Untitled

• NickB_99
• 26 Feb 2009
• 1

I plastered the rest!

Leave you to work out which is which....

Thanks for all the advice along the way!!!!

 

[Richard C]

if you can take the sockets off,even better

will bear that in mind & especially to remove completely.

I always remove the plates, temporarily terminate the cables in a connector block, tape the block into a small plastic sandwich bag & wedge it back in the box.

 

[skinters]

Sent a before and after pic - as feel I've reached a milestone with a first plastered room! icon_biggrin.gif
I got a builder in to do the beam, box in and skim it. Rest of the room was me.

looks tidy mate,christ that kitchen goes back in time eh ?

 

[skinters]

I always remove the plates, temporarily terminate the cables in a connector block, tape the block into a small plastic sandwich bag & wedge it back in the box.

rich, you always so professional .i usualy a bit more daring and irresponsible,as i sometimes take the plate off and just carefully press the wires back in lol.

i know its bad,

 

[CortinaV8]

I am no master plasterer by any stretch of the imagination, but you would find it easier to do both coats from one mix, as opposed to messing around with cleaning up buckets and tools and mixing up the next coat.

It comes with experience, knowing your own boundries and more importantly, stamina! nothing worse than being haway thru and feeling the burn.

 

[brist]

Good to be back roughcaster ,been busy plastering up north.

 

[neds]

The last bit of plastering I did was well fiddly and awkward. The first skim even though its a pretty sloppy mix would start to thicken in about 25 minutes which was not enough working time at all. Not sure what I was doing wrong but that plaster would not take too kindly for the second skim with that consistency, terrible to work with. I found having a real thin consistency is harder to work with but gave me better results. It was all too tempting to have the plaster more thicker consistency but the working time was reduced drastically. I found a good balance in the end.

 

[skinters]

I am no master plasterer by any stretch of the imagination, but you would find it easier to do both coats from one mix, as opposed to messing around with cleaning up buckets and tools and mixing up the next coat.

although i have on occasions used one mix to do both coats it does depend on the job at hand.

the 2 mix application is still the best and prefered way,imo,and would not want people coming in new to the game thinking it to be normal practice

 

[noseall]

for small ceilings or walls, we would mix one large bucket of gear.

Empty say 2/3rds onto the spot for the first coat. then add a little more water and powder (if needed) for the second coat.

This way, you ain't hanging around on the second coat, as the gear will go off quicker.

 

[NickB_99]

I always remove the plates, temporarily terminate the cables in a connector block, tape the block into a small plastic sandwich bag & wedge it back in the box.

I had the plates part way off - in a sandwich bag also by coincidence!
Although they always seemed to get in the way.
So I think your enhancement works better.

... christ that kitchen goes back in time eh ?

Completely! Must be the original one easily. Mind you, I took some of the units out - think things were made better then. Thick proper wood and soundly put together. Pig of a job to get out!