Dot and screed, am I the only one?

[Freerider]

Hi guys, new to the forum, been a spread for 6 years now, was always taught dot and screed method for floating, but I know of a few guys who lay it on and free hand rule off with 6' straight edge, whats the correct way? am I one of few who still dot and screeds?

just been bugging me recently, wondered if Im going about things wrong if I cant free hand rule off float work, just never done it! seems like much more hard work to me when ruling between screeds is perfectly straight/plumb and a matter of just filling the gaps!

cheers guys!

 

[spunky]

can you rule off without dots mate ?

 

[Freerider]

rule a screed off without dots you mean?

or rule off a whole wall with neither screeds or dots?

if ya mean without the dots then yes I can, was the way I was taught, plaster the screed, rule off level, then fill in between and rule off using screeds.

 

[essexandy]

rule a screed off without dots you mean?

or rule off a whole wall with neither screeds or dots?

if ya mean without the dots then yes I can, was the way I was taught, plaster the screed, rule off level, then fill in between and rule off using screeds.

Have you not looked at the "box screeds" marathon that's running on here ???

 

[Freerider]

just looked at that mate!

looks to be some people free hand and some people screed then, take it there is no correct way, providing the jobs a good job at the end!

 

[rjm]

I float Walls with either plumb and dot , plasterboard cut offs plumbed and levelef off then float to level, or box screed, run vertical screed down right side of wall , use level to achieve plumb, then lay vertical screeds at a certain distance that my featheredge will reach, level off screeds lay horizontal screeds top and bottom , level off, fill in wall , level off, it's the only way I float Walls, especially I usually am tiling over them, plumb and dot easiest to accurate but box screed quicker, but either done correctly will give plumb and level Walls, would never just lay on and level off, have done on odd occasion with bonding, but would rather sand and cement than browning /bonding

 

[Nisus]

Digging the old threads out ain't ya Rjm! :RpS_blink:

 

[andyR]

Youre not alone i use dot and plumb too, Its 'the rolls-royce method if you want straight and plumb walls. :rolleyes)

 

[theclemo]

is there any videos how 2 do it:RpS_confused:

 

[s.p.t plastering]

is there any videos how 2 do it:RpS_confused:

Yeah i would like to see one, as it's quite confusing everyone does it different ways

 

[Freerider]

Dunno why this thread was brought back up from two years ago, setting screeds is simple.. I ont do the box screeds like some of the guys off here, I just do vertical ones about 6 inches wide, floor to ceiling, level them off with me straight edge and level..

When they have firmed up enough, fill between and rule off using the screeds, perfectly flat and plumb wall every time, simples.

 

[spunky]

I use one down the angle and top and bottom and rule top and bottom the level stays in the van

 

[johnh]

i havent seen anyone using screeds let alone dots for 20 yrs

 

[lucius]

Thats either cos you aint real or have been dead for the last 20 years then.

 

[Freerider]

I cant imagine doing it any other way? I dont use dots, thats a waste of time, but the thought of trying to freehand a wall, and getting it spot on with **** all hollows, esspecially on some shitty old property with pissed brickwork is beyond me! Id love to see it done, cos I havnt got a clue how to free hand float a wall! obviously its just what you're taught, would quite like to see it.

 

[spunky]

Lay as much as you can get on flat as you can and keep it even thickness then rule once up to flatten it then after that 90 percent left to right or right to left or whatever and keep youre steps even and fluid get this flat then rule up it's all about not stuttering when you're ruling across you'll be surprised how little you have to rule up

 

[Freerider]

why only once up Spunk? surely when you start going left to right you effect what you ruled vertically? so would need to go up again?

Thats where it baffles me at how accurate it can really be? everytime you change what way you rule, you effect what you have already ruled etc/ etc/ am genuinly intrigued, obviously simpler than it sounds!

 

[spunky]

You just Darby it at the beginning or it'll all end up on the floor, you still rule up but i reckon you can get it flatter ruling across most of the time you're moving the edge a lot less than moving up cause you're whole body and elbows etc move when you rule up when you rule left to right just keep moving at the same speed

 

[Freerider]

Yeh makes sense! gonna have to watch someone one day, love watching how other people do things!

 

[spunky]

Me too x

 

[ruffdiamond]

Bang a load on rule off level as you go, fill out any hollows, rule off, piece o pi55, the bonus system put an end to dot an screed. Imagine using the dot an screed system with a one coat plastering machine, :RpS_scared:

 

[irish_spread]

Feck that putting screeds up for a game of soldiers. Throw it on, pull the edge over it one handed unless your a cithog, fill in the slack and that's it. It's a feckin wall for flecks sake. Get a grip lads :RpS_thumbsup:

 

[FreeD]

I used to use screeds, but now with experience do them freehand even walls that need to be tiled. I'll put a straight edge on the wall first, see what its doing then start laying on...the key to working freehand is getting the thickness right...take the same amount off the hawk each time, dub out areas that need it as you go. With this method you are basically going with the levels you have got and getting it flat. If you want to get it plumb then you will have to use screeds.

Imo really depends what type of work you are doing, I do alot of refurb where few of the walls are plumb. If you were to make them plumb the angles would look out, like putting a curtain rail up level when the ceiling is running out.

If I was floating on new build i'd probably screed.

 

[s.p.t plastering]

I used to use screeds, but now with experience do them freehand even walls that need to be tiled. I'll put a straight edge on the wall first, see what its doing then start laying on...the key to working freehand is getting the thickness right...take the same amount off the hawk each time, dub out areas that need it as you go. With this method you are basically going with the levels you have got and getting it flat. If you want to get it plumb then you will have to use screeds.

Imo really depends what type of work you are doing, I do alot of refurb where few of the walls are plumb. If you were to make them plumb the angles would look out, like putting a curtain rail up level when the ceiling is running out.

If I was floating on new build i'd probably screed.

Bang on..

My brother is mint with the rule, worked in germany for 15 years, and i've never seen him use screeds ever on site, and he gets it bang on flat every time on any wall, as long as you check the block work first so you know where your going, use to work well as i use to go along laying on and he'd come behid ruling and floating, then i'd drop back and start setting in the afternoon, while he would carry on floating, so in the morning i could start setting again, we use to cover loads doing it like this....

I would like to see how the screeds work though, cause the way andy does it sounds mint!.....

 

[essexandy]

Freerider if you want to see it done free hand just have a look on Youtube under MP75, although it's a different product and sprayed on it's basically the same process to rule it off.

 

[JamieMac]

screeds are the correct way but on price work most just trowel it on rule it then into next room.as long as u leave nice clean angles.and its strait 4 skirtings.

 

[jack88]

you ask how you get it flat freehand...well you are assesing the signs visually as you are going along....if its not flat after laying on and passing over (say left to right) with a straight edge, the signs are that the top and or bottom of the straight edge will mark a line in the gear or leave the top or bottom untouched, which u can see from the marks in the plaster....if its the wrong thickness the level will pass and leave a hollow in these areas its too thin and take the areas which are too thick off on the straight edge....u basically go over it as many times as it needs in both planes (if necessary) and fill in the hollows and any areas which are missed or marked by the level (indicating its out).....the entire wall should be ruled flat working left to right (unless there are windows or corner beads to work to) and the straight edge put up against it all over in both planes to make sure there are no gaps behind it...u can then check with a level after or as your going to make any alterations you see fit....another way is to use the same principles, but work off 1 screed left to right along the wall...so that first screed is your datum point for level and thickness and your working off that....Most of the time a steady hand going from left to right will be all thats needed...i never really rule up, even with screeds...you may find on a hi suction background working a section at a time beneficial as opposed to laying it all on and ruling off in 1....screeds are the way to get a wall dead plumb and to work off corners and window beads for sure...its not about speed its quality of work EVERYTIME...so in my opinion mate if its working well for you doing screed n bay, keep doing that...the only time i'd reconsider is if your on a low meterage rate where you may need to get it up quicker to earn a decent days money...

 

[Gibbo]

i always float right to left am i doing it wrong then ?

 

[rjm]

i always float right to left am i doing it wrong then ?

I'm not sure if it matters, I was always told to float right to left, and skim left to right, but can't remember what the reason why though

 

[Gibbo]

this plastering larks a mystery sometimes didnt realise it would be so complicated

 

[essexandy]

i always float right to left am i doing it wrong then ?

I'm not sure if it matters, I was always told to float right to left, and skim left to right, but can't remember what the reason why though

Same as above

All this whacking whole walls on before ruling freehand is fine until you're working on high suction Celcons, then you've got to start wetting down or applying some other form of suction control, whereas using screeds you can just put small areas on before ruling of the nice wet muck.

 

[ruffdiamond]

i always float right to left am i doing it wrong then ?

Depends if your left or right handed, i'm keggy handed so skim right to left I should rough on left to right but don't, the latter being it does not matter if you leave lines with the heel of your trowel on backing plaster cos you rule em out, where on finish it does.

 

[twitcher]

Same as above

All this whacking whole walls on before ruling freehand is fine until you're working on high suction Celcons, then you've got to start wetting down or applying some other form of suction control, whereas using screeds you can just put small areas on before ruling of the nice wet muck.

Been using gyprime after reading about it on here. Makes a big difference

 

[Gibbo]

Same as above

All this whacking whole walls on before ruling freehand is fine until you're working on high suction Celcons, then you've got to start wetting down or applying some other form of suction control, whereas using screeds you can just put small areas on before ruling of the nice wet muck.

yeah but if you put a tight coat on first it slows it down

 

[essexandy]

yeah but if you put a tight coat on first it slows it down

Yeah that's how a few of the lads that have worked for me in the past have done it Gary, it just looked a lot of going back and forth over the wall compared with just dropping a couple of screeds down and then putting one coat at full thickness on. I'm not saying my method was any quicker than theirs but it certainly wasn't any slower.