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church

church

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A retired plastering and screeding friend of mine is building a 4 bed house , roof in on , 1st coat render is on , he was saying that 5 different plasterers have called in to ask if they can price the skimming , now "no" other trade has called in asking him for work , and the plasterers all didnt want to price for the screed or did they mention the render , why do you think that is also why only plasterers ??
 
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It's the easiest trade of all to just take up. There's absolutely nothing stopping anyone reading a bit of info on here or doing a few days labouring and then thinking "I can do that" and then away they go. They go and tell joe bloggs that they are earning X amount and I'm my own boss etc etc etc. Someone else then wants a slice of the pie and it continues.
 
people that do mainly skimming work are not plasterers, they are skimmers... and will generally undercut each other to get work, a plasterer, can do all aspects of the trade, and has no need to undercut his rivals... skimmers are semi skilled at best... not surprising they didnt ask about the render or screed work...
 
Do you think it's because he's an ex spread and the word got round he's not doing it himself and all his old mates are asking for the work or is this not the case?:RpS_thumbup:
 
I would rather be doing render and screed work anyway skimming bores the tits off me!! They sound like divs steer clear :RpS_thumbup:
 
Met many guys and outfits like this.

most are poor at d&d but get by, but can skim to a reasonable standard.

i was on a site in hull about 4/5 years ago and I was 23, there was about 6/7 gangs, a big school 4 big staircases and toilets were float and set, frames in ready to go, have a guess who did them, I was youngest guy on site too.

same with changing rooms, first time I ever used OCR, nobody wanted it or could do it, went in on my jack on a sat morning chucked about 40m @ £6 pm2 got it flat and scratched it up I was in van coming home @12.30

i started off screeding and used to barrow 2/3 ton into houses keeping 3 old schoolers going, if the barrow wasn't full to brim I'd get sent back out after a bollocking with "don't fetch noddy barrows in" ringing in my ear.

the guy who trained me was an very old school plasterer and very well respected in the village and the town, his words when I first started skimming after a year with him were -

" just because you can skim, your not a fooking plasterer, until you can do every aspect your not a plasterer, if I hear you telling anybody your a plasterer, I'll fooking out you for being a lying little c**t"

true story, he was 60+ and 5.5ft I was 18 and 6.1ft and I absolutely shat myself, really good guy thought, taught me well and wouldn't have changed a thing.
 
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mac_plastering said:
Met many guys and outfits like this.

most are poor at d&d but get by, but can skim to a reasonable standard.

i was on a site in hull about 4/5 years ago and I was 23, there was about 6/7 gangs, a big school 4 big staircases and toilets were float and set, frames in ready to go, have a guess who did them, I was youngest guy on site too.

same with changing rooms, first time I ever used OCR, nobody wanted it or could do it, went in on my jack on a sat morning chucked about 40m @ £6 pm2 got it flat and scratched it up I was in van coming home @12.30

i started off screeding and used to barrow 2/3 ton into houses keeping 3 old schoolers going, if the barrow wasn't full to brim I'd get sent back out after a bollocking with "don't fetch noddy barrows in" ringing in my ear.

the guy who trained me was an very old school plasterer and very well respected in the village and the town, his words when I first started skimming after a year with him were -

" just because you can skim, your not a fooking plasterer, until you can do every aspect your not a plasterer, if I hear you telling anybody your a plasterer, I'll fooking out you for being a lying little c**t"

true story, he was 60+ and 5.5ft I was 18 and 6.1ft and I absolutely shat myself, really good guy thought, taught me well and wouldn't have changed a thing.
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Bloodyhell Mac it's all me me me me me haha you keep blowing that trumpet mate :-)
 
No trumpet blowing buddy, just telling my experiences.

Not my problem and have no idea why people only want skimming, all am saying is that it's common.

not my fault i was taught properly.:RpS_scared:
 
What I put further adds to what church is saying, kids out there can skim only and go round calling them plasterer

i gave an example explaining that it's common, as it was.

i also gave a further example explaining with the OCR, showing how others only have the skills to skim

i thought I'd back it up with telling you how I was taught, what method was used to ensure I was competent in all aspects, obviously this is missing now with guys coming through, too eager to go alone, to eager to earn more I don't know. I don't care.

apologies if I upset anyone, :RpS_unsure:
 
I did 12 years just rendering, I wouldn't ask about it either. Lucky enough I've got a mate who does any externals for me and I do his internals.:RpS_crying:
 
there's a lot of snobbery in this trade, and I hadn't realised it existed tbh, if you can do a good job of what your doing and leave whoever is paying you glad to pay you, what else does it matter, it ain't a competition.
 
anyone notice its usually the skimmers that go on about how much they have done in a day etc... like their trying to convince themselves about something...lol..
 
the funny thing about it is the people have finding decent "skimmers" :RpS_lol: the site I was on recently, there was a gang and the labourer/improver was saying he could call himself a plasterer now as he was helping do a fair bit of the plastering (skimming) in between mixing
the bloke said to him your not a skimmer your a beader and scrimmer, couldn't even call himself a skimmer they said he was lower, a beader and scrimmer, ffs , wouldn't mind his work was as good as theirs.:RpS_biggrin:
 
@mac_plastering i was taught the old school way also. Boarding, screed, float and render. I don't like doing any of that though maybe some floating now a firm i work for is getting more of it.

Do you mind if i call myself a plasterer though?

Going on a new site mon and i'll feel a right **** calling myself a skimmer lol
 
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Nothing wrong with skimming, its our bread and butter... its just , if thats all the person can do, hes semi skilled...
 
I think there's gonna be a big shake up soon because plaster board is now classed as hazard waste. So I think they will be going back to float and skim and that will show who's a proper plasterer. I mixed 2 bags at a time all morning long for three plasterer in the bath with shovel. Then in the afternoon mixed loads of buckets of multi with a pole and a bike crank on it. Reading this you will think am an old ******* but am only 27
 
Did you get the job @church . I can do the rendering,not the screeding,pm me if you want to know about my knees ,
 
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thebearbeef said:
@mac_plastering i was taught the old school way also. Boarding, screed, float and render. I don't like doing any of that though maybe some floating now a firm i work for is getting more of it.

Do you mind if i call myself a plasterer though?

Going on a new site mon and i'll feel a right **** calling myself a skimmer lol
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call yourself what you want pal, I don't know you, your just a user name to me, with a picture of something that looks like you'd use to lure small children into to the back of a car

end of day, I back up what I say with experience and knowledge (and pictures occasionally) of things I've learnt and don't talk shite like most do on here, or ask how do I render this job Iv blagged

It is a plastering forum after all, if you don't like it, put me on ignore, better still go and look at an erect 3 inch cock and tell yourself it's mine if it makes you feel better.
 
ph1066plastering said:
I think there's gonna be a big shake up soon because plaster board is now classed as hazard waste. So I think they will be going back to float and skim and that will show who's a proper plasterer. I mixed 2 bags at a time all morning long for three plasterer in the bath with shovel. Then in the afternoon mixed loads of buckets of multi with a pole and a bike crank on it. Reading this you will think am an old ******* but am only 27
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I dont miss those days knocking browning up in a bath + mixing skimming with a stick + podger! Glad i was taught the proper way float + set, screeding etc, seems the young uns these day arent prepared for a bit of graft, rather jus board everythin or just stick to skimming cos floatings to hard!
 
johniosaif said:
Did you get the job @church . I can do the rendering,not the screeding,pm me if you want to know about my knees ,
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I was allways going to do it John , i help him out as much as i can , his a top bloke and a top floor layer , real genuine guy that has got out of contracting and now does what he likes . Thing that give me the hump is , he spent 30 odd years in the trade on the tools and is as fit as a fiddle .
 
church said:
I was allways going to do it John , i help him out as much as i can , his a top bloke and a top floor layer , real genuine guy that has got out of contracting and now does what he likes . Thing that give me the hump is , he spent 30 odd years in the trade on the tools and is as fit as a fiddle .
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Most builders have a spread to hand , not many walk ins will ever get hired, the unknowns are too scary as they can destroy a house quickly .
 
kgreigh said:
Do you think it's because he's an ex spread and the word got round he's not doing it himself and all his old mates are asking for the work or is this not the case?:RpS_thumbup:
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its out of his area , Dave has been out of contracting for 10 years just builds one offs now , i think its just down to the amount of plasterers around these days, all just trying there luck
 
mac_plastering said:
call yourself what you want pal, I don't know you, your just a user name to me, with a picture of something that looks like you'd use to lure small children into to the back of a car

end of day, I back up what I say with experience and knowledge (and pictures occasionally) of things I've learnt and don't talk shite like most do on here, or ask how do I render this job Iv blagged

It is a plastering forum after all, if you don't like it, put me on ignore, better still go and look at an erect 3 inch cock and tell yourself it's mine if it makes you feel better.
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Wow peado jokes from an avatar??

Chin up though, u might have a 3 inch cock (dunno why i'd wanna see it though?) but at least your a top plasterer.

Not sure why that got such a bite off ya to be honest.
 
ph1066plastering said:
I think there's gonna be a big shake up soon because plaster board is now classed as hazard waste. So I think they will be going back to float and skim and that will show who's a proper plasterer. I mixed 2 bags at a time all morning long for three plasterer in the bath with shovel. Then in the afternoon mixed loads of buckets of multi with a pole and a bike crank on it. Reading this you will think am an old ******* but am only 27
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They won't get rid of boarding neither will they just go back to float and set builders make too much money off the quick turn around dabbing and tacking provide last job I worked on for kier mentioned about the boards but said to compensate for it they will have on site recycling that you will have to use so you can bet they all will eventually have something along those lines but you hear that much bullshit on site another big builder few years back said to us if your from over 30 miles away from their jobs you can't work on it as they have to use local trades people ...then you find out lads doing metal tracking are from Sheffield job was in Worcester haha
 
there is no school like the old skool, i remember when i used to ask for a pay rise of my old firm, the boss used to wait till friday which was screed day, and say well if you think you deserve plasterers money then crack on with the screed!!!!!

took a few years to sink in what the old fooker was on about, i count myself lucky to have been taught this way!
i remember when i got the handle stuck on the diesel mixer, he went ballistic, ******* lethal things, glad its all premix now
 
Look mate, apologies.

iv had a **** day, and can't be arsed with clever comments on here, just having an off day.

but I will say, I don't go around calling myself 'a top plasterer' please don't mis-quote me,

the point I was making is that some youngster whilst training learn the lot, other jump ship see the £££ knowing how to skim only and end up getting by with just that skill.

My intentional use of this forum is to add Input and contribute with stuff I know about, I can only speak of my own experiences and working life.
 
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The thing is, on the domestic side anyways, it is mainly skimming. A skimmer can earn a decent living only knowing how to skim. He might never get caught out not being able to do anything else. I know a few like this and they stay busy :-/ A lot of builders will have their joiners doing the boarding aswell and only want skimming from a skimmer. This is what breeds so many skimmers. Wrong but that's the way it's gone.
 
How things have changed. I came into the trade in 1972 and then there was plastering contractors. Most plasterers had a army haversack of tools and worked for a contractor on paye. very few self employed plasterers unlike today. Most spreads caughta bus but there a lot less cars then and lots of cheap fare buses.

wages was set by the unions so plasterers would be paid a basic then if possible a bonus and overtime. This stopped undercutting to an extent as no plaster would work for less than basic.

Plastering contractors did mainly float and set as dot and dab was hardly heard off and thought of as inferior and not cost effective.

A plastering contractor would be expected to do all aspects of plastering and that would include floor screeding and externals. Any plasterer would also be expected to do the above but there was always those that could be all good and others thats was good at plastering but not so good at screeding or dashing.

Nothing for a labourer to knock up 50kg of Browning in a tin bath with a shovel and keep 2 spreads going. 10 bags (20 today) mixed before noon was the norm then skim in the afternoon mixed at best with a metal rod with a cog on the end with a piece of 2x1 pse at worst. Hard graft bit no one knew any better. I could not see any labourerer today being capable of mixing pladter like back then. But who would? We have electric whisks today.

But times have changed and mainly for the better as far as graft is concerned but back then all plasterers had a labourer and the spread only plasterered todays has to mix their own and still turn many m2 of skimming so no improvement there not that will know.

What is not in our favour in my opinion? Loss of the labourerer for one. We do our own humping and still mix our own and clean our crap up. The fact that we are all self employed. Sounds good but there is no minimum trade rate. No starting point so survival of the fittest.

Dot and dab is cleaner and easier then slapping hardwall on thats for sure but skimming is no easier and you have to mix your own.

As for learning all aspects? Bit hard if your trainer only has boatd and skim on his books. Now it seems to be split up. Skimmers, screeders and those lucky plasters like me and mac-plas who had the opportunity to learn all aspect.

As for the skimmers? Fook them. Let them skim all day long until of course their joints ate knackered. The 'proper plasterers' will have an easier time and if they have sense they will have some mug doing all the lugging and mixing saving there own back to see themselves into their 60's.


ps, sorry for the spelling, fat fingers on the Ipad.
 
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I'm getting the impression that skimming is something to be ashamed of.:RpS_laugh:

once everyones skimming with machines it'll come fashionable cause you need real skill to use a plastering machine so you do.:RpS_unsure:
 
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