So proud, plastered my first wall (well, skimmed). Is it perfect? Nope. Would I want it in the living room? Probably not. Good enough for the space bedroom? Absolutely. And really quite rewarding to do. And messy, oh so messy. I'd encourage anyone to give it a go.
I won't tell anyone how to plaster: what the hell do I know after a single wall? Just read up here and watch loads of youtube videos (I found the Tommy's trade secrets one on plastering quite useful). However, I will try and save people from some of the mistakes I made. Most of these are to do with the practicalities of plastering - preparation really is key.
No doubt the pro's will find all this elementary and/or pointless. But I made most of these mistakes.
1. After you've mixed the plaster, tip it out of the bucket and onto something flat in the area you're working in. Wash out the bucket immediately. I kept the plaster in the bucket and transferred it slowly to my hawk and then the wall: cleaning the bucket after the first mix was a pig, and after the second was nigh on impossible as I forgot and left it half an hour
2. You're going to get the stuff all over the floor. And I mean ALL OVER the floor. Cover up.
3. Keep your tools in a bucket of water at all times. Plaster still sets in water, so use a paint brush to keep them clean
4. Mixing plaster is messy: wear a face mask rated high enough to stop the plaster
5. Spare pair of shoes or a clean route out to the garage is a must - my carpets had foorprints showing everywhere I had been (SWMBO was not impressed).
6. Buy a plaster mixing attachment for your drill. Less than £10 from toolstation. Worth its weight in gold
7. I bought a trowel for £6. It's not broken in. It worked, though god knows if I'd have found it easier with a nicely broken in trowel. Probably, as I did dig in the edges a bit.
8. I used a full bag of plaster (multi-finish) and managed to cover an area about 3.5m^2 with two coats, as opposed to the 5m^2 I should have been able to manage according to the literature. No doubt due to me being crap.
The results:
Won't really know until it's been painted, but its smooth to the touch albeit with the odd blemish. I have no idea why the bit in the middle is a different colour. Drying from the middle faster?
I won't tell anyone how to plaster: what the hell do I know after a single wall? Just read up here and watch loads of youtube videos (I found the Tommy's trade secrets one on plastering quite useful). However, I will try and save people from some of the mistakes I made. Most of these are to do with the practicalities of plastering - preparation really is key.
No doubt the pro's will find all this elementary and/or pointless. But I made most of these mistakes.
1. After you've mixed the plaster, tip it out of the bucket and onto something flat in the area you're working in. Wash out the bucket immediately. I kept the plaster in the bucket and transferred it slowly to my hawk and then the wall: cleaning the bucket after the first mix was a pig, and after the second was nigh on impossible as I forgot and left it half an hour
2. You're going to get the stuff all over the floor. And I mean ALL OVER the floor. Cover up.
3. Keep your tools in a bucket of water at all times. Plaster still sets in water, so use a paint brush to keep them clean
4. Mixing plaster is messy: wear a face mask rated high enough to stop the plaster
5. Spare pair of shoes or a clean route out to the garage is a must - my carpets had foorprints showing everywhere I had been (SWMBO was not impressed).
6. Buy a plaster mixing attachment for your drill. Less than £10 from toolstation. Worth its weight in gold
7. I bought a trowel for £6. It's not broken in. It worked, though god knows if I'd have found it easier with a nicely broken in trowel. Probably, as I did dig in the edges a bit.
8. I used a full bag of plaster (multi-finish) and managed to cover an area about 3.5m^2 with two coats, as opposed to the 5m^2 I should have been able to manage according to the literature. No doubt due to me being crap.
The results:
Won't really know until it's been painted, but its smooth to the touch albeit with the odd blemish. I have no idea why the bit in the middle is a different colour. Drying from the middle faster?
