Straight or smooth?

[Steve28]

When plastering walls in old houses, is it general practice for most plasterers to:
a) just plaster over the wall and get it smooth
or
b) plaster using a straight edge to get the walls smooth and straight?

I was just wondering, as I did a old house the other day and it already had skirting boards down and the walls were all over the place so I just got the walls smooth, however had the same walls not had skirting down then had I just smoothed them the skirting would've been half an inch from the walls in some parts.
Am I being clear or making no sense at all?

 

[spunkybum]

entirely at yours and the owners discretion mate ......theres no rule of how to, point things out like that to the customer

 

[GDS]

customers discretion, ihad a stairs and landing to do the other week, walls were wavey like a 5 pound note, explaned to the owner i could bond thenm out and skim to get them straight or just skim to get them flat and free from chips ect, he prefated the cheeper option because he didnt want to take off the skirting board as it was likley the wall may collapse, haha, so he just wanted a quick fit job he washappy in the end and got me in to do the rest of hbis house and shop ;D

 

[ant]

in a old house just usally folow the wall unless its a kitchen or bathroom then il point it out to the client but genrally living room bed room just follow the wall and make it look nice for painting..