Tips for internal corners

[NickB_99]

Hi,

Having painted my new kitchen plastering (now it's dried enough), the bit I can definitely improve on is getting the internal corners better when skimming!

(Doesn't paint show the detail! )

I'll try to describe what I've been doing....

I find if you put the plaster on the trowel (off your hawk etc) and place the trowel edge into the corner and draw it away, it tends to leave a slight gap before the plaster starts. If you move the trowel slightly first (e.g. up and down on a vertical edge), it tends to work better, but sometimes plaster squeezes out from where the edge touches the wall. The result is this 'blob' can stick to the wall next to it
This tends to dry virtually instantly if that adjacent wall is fresh/dry plaster.
When it then comes to the second coat..... the chances are you catch these and drag them across your nice new second coat
But if you don't get close enough to the corner, then it doesn't give a well defined corner. Hmm.
Even when brushing the corners with water after, generally doesn't clear the big blobs, but does sort the smaller ones.

If you can follow it all and my description not too bad - any tips how to avoid it?

TIA

 

[DAZB]

Do you know you can buy one of these ? :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marshalltown-Internal-Corner-Stainless-Durasoft/dp/B000GARY62

 

[NickB_99]

Do you know you can buy one of these ? :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marshalltown-Internal-Corner-Stainless-Durasoft/dp/B000GARY62[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the prompt reply Dazb.
I was aware of them, but not used one. The previous advice I had was that they were a 'nice to have - but not essential'.
Had been thinking it was my poor technique - but extra help never hurts.
They don't look a lot money-wise.

On a scale of 1 to 10 - how would you rate the usefulness?
(1=a chocolate-fireguard; 10=mutt's-nuts)

 

[DAZB]

Not sure as I am not a plasterer but for under a tenner it is not too big a spend to give it a try. An experienced plasterer probably would not have much need for one because they know how to do internals and have had the practice needed but you may find it a great help in getting the job spot on as it will get right into the corner without leaving trowel marks but it may take a little practice to do it well.

 

[noseall]

You simply either cut the corner snots with the edge of the trowel or nudge them off with the top edge of the trowel. Going mad with the brush can wear a groove in the skim.

It certainly helps also if you wet the adjacent wall prior to skimming. Don't go mad and splash the plasterboard you are about to skim but carefully run a brush up the existing plaster first.

I have never seen a pro plasterer use a 'twitcher' or corner trowel.

 

[Richard C]

I have never seen a pro plasterer use a 'twitcher' or corner trowel.

Agree, it will slow you down & cause more problems than it solves; get your technique right & you won't need it.

 

[NickB_99]

You simply either cut the corner snots with the edge of the trowel or nudge them off with the top edge of the trowel.

Would you recommend this before 2nd coat or after?

Going mad with the brush can wear a groove in the skim.

Ok, will watch for that.

It certainly helps also if you wet the adjacent wall prior to skimming. Don't go mad and splash the plasterboard you are about to skim but carefully run a brush up the existing plaster first.

Thanks for the tip - will try it.

 

[noseall]

You simply either cut the corner snots with the edge of the trowel or nudge them off with the top edge of the trowel.

Would you recommend this before 2nd coat or after?

Usually only after the second, as the second coat usually deals with the first coat snots. It does no harm to practice on the first coat though.

 

[roughcaster]

A twitcher, used on a "wet to dry" internal 90 degree angle is not a good idea,,,, but i have been using one on "wet to wet" internal 90 degree angles since the 60's. Not the same one of course , but it's a great piece of kit, which i would not be without. The angles are "quicker and easier" to do, and are far sharper and neater than you would ever get, by using a trowel/small brush,,,, although i have done them that way too.


The wet angles in the pics below were twitched.

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• roughcaster
• 14 Mar 2009
• 1

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• roughcaster
• 15 Mar 2009
• 1

Roughcaster.

 

[Richard C]

A twitcher, used on a "wet to dry" internal 90 degree angle is not a good idea,,,, but i have been using one on "wet to wet" internal 90 degree angles since the 60's.

Well wet-on-wet will certainly sort out the men from the boys

What's with the watch then RC

 

[roughcaster]

Seems a bit childish this, but last year, Joe90 and myself had a difference of opinion over the life of multi finish,,, you might remember it. I said that you could mend a scar/damage with multi finish, "one hour plus" into it's life. He said you couldn't, it wouldn't stick to the trowel,,, it would be past it. So armed with a digi-cam and my watch,, i went to work and took some pics. I coat my walls in the morning, with bonding coat first, then let them set up, so after lunch, 1.30pm, i mixed up some multi ready to finish the walls.

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• roughcaster
• 15 Mar 2009
• 1

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• roughcaster
• 15 Mar 2009
• 1

One hour and forty minutes later, with that stuff on the wall, (above), i could have repaired a scar/light damage without any problem. "Approximate" setting time for multi finish,,, 1.5 hours. The plaster finally set overall, around 3.55pm, i photographed that too, (below). It was just to prove a point really, oh,, and the watch,,,, it cleaned up a treat......... Childish or what?? sorry

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• roughcaster
• 15 Mar 2009
• 1

Roughcaster.

 

[Richard C]

Seems a bit childish this, but last year, Joe90 and myself had a difference of opinion over the life of multi finish,,, you might remember it.

Must have missed that one which is unusual for me ; still if it was August or September I would have been on my annual stay in Spain.

 

[NickB_99]

Apologies for the delay...

My watch has a metal strap and is a bu*ger to get the plaster out of the links after!
Now I know where I've been going wrong!!!

Thanks for the advice - useful as always.

 

[jakeyseven]

hello my name is darren . iam a plasterer and the best advice i can give is when pulling in the plaster from the corner on your first coat try not to use a vast amount of plaster. practice makes perfect. then also when the plaster starts to pickup draw the edge of your trowel down the internal corner , brush a small amount of water down edge and trowel out from corner. the same should be done on next coat.the only time to use twitcher is when you are plastering two walls next to each other.
like i said small amount for corners . another tip is to draw plaster down the edge with the toe of the trowel but again small amounts practise son thats all i can say

 

[joe-90]

I don't remember it either. I get the blame for everything around here.

Nice corners btw.