Ok guys ive been plastering forever (20yrs) and i cover all aspects. When im skimming i always 2 coat then 1 flatten, 2 trowels with water and then either a dry trowel or plaz. On a private overskim on artex a couple of weeks ago a gauge got out of control and was setting too fast so to pull it back i used my sponge float which ive never used before for skimming and the finish was PERFECT. So today i decided to use my sponge all day skimming in a new build. I had 3 gauges, 3 bags each gauge. I 1st coated then a really tight laydown and flatten at the same time, then sponge and trowel and a wipe with my plaz and its PERFECT. I think i might be converted it was a piece of p iss. Does anyone else do this????
Sponge Float
- Thread starter CKJ
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Whats GY
Thats what i always thought but believe me its half the work
gitznshiggles
New Member
It wasnt so long ago on this forum that i remember someone saying something like "if you turned up to work for me and used a sponge float when skimming Id kick you off the job"....
And it seems now that people are raving about em - i cant get my head round how this place works...
Anyway - I have a marshaltown sponge float which i only ever use in emergencies when the s**t's gone off before ive got to flatten it... and yes it does bring it back to life, its saved my ass a couple of times but Id never thought of using it everytime... nor do i have a plastic spat/float/trowel either
i just have 2 stainless trowels, a 14" MT for laying on and flattening in and a 13" Tyzak for trowelling up, maybe im missing a trick here
And it seems now that people are raving about em - i cant get my head round how this place works...
Anyway - I have a marshaltown sponge float which i only ever use in emergencies when the s**t's gone off before ive got to flatten it... and yes it does bring it back to life, its saved my ass a couple of times but Id never thought of using it everytime... nor do i have a plastic spat/float/trowel either
i just have 2 stainless trowels, a 14" MT for laying on and flattening in and a 13" Tyzak for trowelling up, maybe im missing a trick here
warriorupnorth
Private Member
SmoothOperator
New Member
sponges are great and since ive been using one i can make an extra 50% on my meterage, all my piers was digusted with me, 5 years on there all on the sponge.
iv been using the refina trowels, the ones with the sponge between the plastic, currently using all sizes. alot of plasterers now are getting on to them how good they are on the skimming with time saving and alot less effort to achieve a perfect finish, but not many plasterers know the full potential, they are also fantastic on the sand and cement render, flat finishes. iv rendered using sand and cement and used the plastic trowels from start to finish, i also use plastic hand board keeping plastic to plastic. using the plastic trowels u can flatten the sand and cement at a very early stage no need to put float over and rubbing up, its saving more then half the time it would take to achieve this using steel trowel and wooden float and sponge, the plastic flattens it that good iv have done jobs and havent had to put sponge on it, the plastic murdered it.
nickelarse
Private Member
ur a nob
low blow, cheers mate. You do know alot of spreads have used steel over the plastic from the beginning, and not tried them out, until recently they have used them and know have one and like them ? in fact its probably one of the biggest comments / threads / posts, on these forums. one of the reasons why people dont use them is cause they dont know how. Again, threads regarding how to use these plastic trowels, where and when, also reviews, my post was to add extra beneficial to your usage of them. its quite simple, on the PDF of the trowels it mentions rendering, experimenting with sand and cement iv got these results, to show you once iv got the videos finalized and sorted they'll be on youtube, so look out. so to sum up, try for your self
Lucius, no am not doing any courses to show how, but i personally know the manufacturer / designer of the trowels ( most of plasters will know him ) and iv seen him in action doing this and more. if you need to know more PM me if you need to know more
lucius
Well-Known Member
Well you have been kind enough to come on the forum with your info could you be kind enough to post the you tube links when they are out.low blow, cheers mate. You do know alot of spreads have used steel over the plastic from the beginning, and not tried them out, until recently they have used them and know have one and like them ? in fact its probably one of the biggest comments / threads / posts, on these forums. one of the reasons why people dont use them is cause they dont know how. Again, threads regarding how to use these plastic trowels, where and when, also reviews, my post was to add extra beneficial to your usage of them. its quite simple, on the PDF of the trowels it mentions rendering, experimenting with sand and cement iv got these results, to show you once iv got the videos finalized and sorted they'll be on youtube, so look out. so to sum up, try for your self
Lucius, no am not doing any courses to show how, but i personally know the manufacturer / designer of the trowels ( most of plasters will know him ) and iv seen him in action doing this and more. if you need to know more PM me if you need to know more
the answer to your question you can rub up sand and cement with the trowels as well as lay on with them, i only use the steel trowel occasionally to scratch out with depending on what am going over. as for rendering i rule off and then flatten with the plastic trowels even spray a little water as if you were skimming a wall depending on how its going in, in the past i have always used wooden floats and sponges to achieve the smooth finish but on the last couple of jobs iv been able to get the sand and cement so flat on the second coat, iv just gone over a couple of times as if i was troweling, skimming up i have not needed to sponge finish as the plastic trowel left it as if you had just screed-ed a floor lovely and smooth
nickelarse
Private Member
apoligies for calling u a nob. but, ur saying u lay on with a plastic and then trowel the wall up? u may be completely right, but you are sounding a bit mental
nps, it might sound a bit mental after 25 years of using the metal trowels but believe me i couldn't believe what these trowels were capable of and i haven't used steel trowel for top coating for the past 3 years, in fact i haven't used a steel trowel for skimming either for years. feed back of the plastic trowels of other plasterers say they are the business on sand and cement render making life a lot easier they have a different reaction to the sand and cement then what steel trowels do, if you go over sand and cement a couple of times with the steel 9 times out of 10 the water comes to the surface and when your playing with it, it falls off, u can go over the sand and cement with the plastic trowel as many times as you like therefore you can achieve the perfect results. i wouldn't waste my time and others on the forums posting these if they were pork pies, its hard to come across with words on the forums to inform rather then seeing in real life and trying yourself
DominoRemoved
New Member
:flapper:soo you are saying that you can get it looking as good as this with a plaz or whatever your on about well i use a sponge and poly float sorry :flapper:
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Getting back to the topic of sponge floats, Ive been plastering for close to 30 years and I started using a sponge float on skimming about 7 years ago.
To be honest ive never looked back, I was shown this method by an old school plasterer who has since retired and when I say old school I mean old school,
everything this guy done was by the book and his work was flawless from quions to bands and cornice work to dashing, his skimming was perfect and he
had been using a spongy on all his skimming for years and he swore by it, the painters on site loved painting his work :flapper:
To be honest ive never looked back, I was shown this method by an old school plasterer who has since retired and when I say old school I mean old school,
everything this guy done was by the book and his work was flawless from quions to bands and cornice work to dashing, his skimming was perfect and he
had been using a spongy on all his skimming for years and he swore by it, the painters on site loved painting his work :flapper:
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