Top notch work benchmark

[ChrispyUK]

I'm always trying hard to get better at whatever I'm doing, and lately, especially when it comes to plastering, well I suppose skimming in my case.

I've tried to give myself a bit of an apprenticeship over the last few years, and you all have helped me loads, in different ways and I'm very grateful for that.

I'm a lot more confident now when starting a job, less stressed, as I've put myself in at the deep end on certain jobs, and learnt how to get out of the s**t and overcome problems which has given me a bit more headroom in what I feel I can realistically achieve.

Rambling a bit now, but my question is...what is acceptable when it comes to a professional finish? Reason for asking, is that I'm doing a bit of work for a mate (not plastering) and he's got a couple of spreads in. More experienced obviously, quicker than me, but I don't think the finish is better than mine. Don't want to start slagging off other peoples work, but I'm sure that most of us can't help notice the fit and finish of whatever we do when going into other houses etc.

What's an acceptable average when it comes to skimming? Easier to show than describe probably, but am I being too picky, unrealistic or over analysing?

 

[zolco]

this is acceptable

 

[zolco]

I'm always trying hard to get better at whatever I'm doing, and lately, especially when it comes to plastering, well I suppose skimming in my case.

I've tried to give myself a bit of an apprenticeship over the last few years, and you all have helped me loads, in different ways and I'm very grateful for that.

I'm a lot more confident now when starting a job, less stressed, as I've put myself in at the deep end on certain jobs, and learnt how to get out of the s**t and overcome problems which has given me a bit more headroom in what I feel I can realistically achieve.

Rambling a bit now, but my question is...what is acceptable when it comes to a professional finish? Reason for asking, is that I'm doing a bit of work for a mate (not plastering) and he's got a couple of spreads in. More experienced obviously, quicker than me, but I don't think the finish is better than mine. Don't want to start slagging off other peoples work, but I'm sure that most of us can't help notice the fit and finish of whatever we do when going into other houses etc.

What's an acceptable average when it comes to skimming? Easier to show than describe probably, but am I being too picky, unrealistic or over analysing?

I'd say it's difficult to say what's what, most always takes a pic when wet, it looks great then it starts drying out and turns into a turd. I always been told leave enough for the deccies to do something lol but then again I'm just a chancer

 

[ChrispyUK]

I'd say it's difficult to say what's what, most always takes a pic when wet, it looks great then it starts drying out and turns into a turd. I always been told leave enough for the deccies to do something lol but then again I'm just a chancer

I doubt it mate I always worry till its painted but I suppose in whatever trade, we all spot things most other people won't...just seeking the truth

 

[Vincey]

Never look back when jobs done , always look to the future

 

[zombie]

Aim for perfection then at best it will be 90% right...

Aim for it will be ok/pass and it will be nearer 75% at best...

Personally I don't give a f**k anymore within reason...which is admittedly the wrong attitude just think eventually this job grinds you down...

Was thinking about this last week I reckon I was a better spread 10yrs ago than I am now...for no other reason that I cared more...i could leave a1 flawless work everyday now but through choice il cut corners and leave ok work that never needs snagging or a call back but nothing special...

 

[zolco]

I doubt it mate I always worry till its painted but I suppose in whatever trade, we all spot things most other people won't...just seeking the truth

You shouldn't worry, no point, if they don't like it you can put it right. Trouble is a good paint can hide lots of imperfections, I used to paint it with armstead for years because it's cheap, how wrong I was, last year changed to dulux supermatt completely different league. Painters got carried away with their dustless kit too nowadays, they cover everything in knauf sheetrock then sand the lot and moan about the skimming how shite. There's always 2 sides to a story

 

[WWBRenovation]

Never look back when jobs done , always look to the future

True words there. As it's usually me who is contracted for the painting, wall paper or whatever else may cover my plaster, I know the tolerances for my work on 90% of my jobs. That being said I've been called back to look at things that I felt were tops. I try to stay humble and roll with it. Work to your best standard and stay teachable. So far it's worked for me.

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[Irish John]

I doubt it mate I always worry till its painted but I suppose in whatever trade, we all spot things most other people won't...just seeking the truth

Just do the best you can do.
1 keep angels looking straight and clean.
2 try keep fat marks and water stains out of it .
3 make beads and reveals playing to the eye. Including margins.
4 leave the place tidy and clean after you.

Remember nothing worse than walking into a place that's dirty and a mess.
No matter how good your work is a place left untidy let's you down.

 

[Nicm]

Just do the best you can do.
1 keep angels looking straight and clean.
2 try keep fat marks and water stains out of it .
3 make beads and reveals playing to the eye. Including margins.
4 leave the place tidy and clean after you.

Remember nothing worse than walking into a place that's dirty and a mess.
No matter how good your work is a place left untidy let's you down.

That’s it in a nutshell.If people see a mess they start looking for faults in the work.

 

[ChrispyUK]

Never look back when jobs done , always look to the future

Thanks Vincey. Yep, always moving forward and learning and being realistic. Probably need a mentor...in the real world

 

[WWBRenovation]

Just do the best you can do.
1 keep angels looking straight and clean.
2 try keep fat marks and water stains out of it .
3 make beads and reveals playing to the eye. Including margins.
4 leave the place tidy and clean after you.

Remember nothing worse than walking into a place that's dirty and a mess.
No matter how good your work is a place left untidy let's you down.

Number 4, all the way. If my clients feel that coming " home" is more like coming to a building site, no matter how good the work is, I feel I'm already behind. One trick I found a few years back is never use plastic sheeting for floor protection. Instead I buy outdated lots of vinyl wall paper, the unsellable styles in Grand format 106cm x 1000cm, about 5 bucks a roll. Easy to clean/sweep, tape down, roll up at end of day if apartment is lived in, reusable and water proof.

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[ChrispyUK]

Aim for perfection then at best it will be 90% right...

Aim for it will be ok/pass and it will be nearer 75% at best...

Personally I don't give a f**k anymore within reason...which is admittedly the wrong attitude just think eventually this job grinds you down...

Was thinking about this last week I reckon I was a better spread 10yrs ago than I am now...for no other reason that I cared more...i could leave a1 flawless work everyday now but through choice il cut corners and leave ok work that never needs snagging or a call back but nothing special...

Thanks for the honesty mate... You need a holiday

Well relative to my plastering timeline, I thought I was getting worse at one point, prob around the time I started trying different trowels, step back to move forwards I suppose. Glad I tried

Cheers mate

 

[ChrispyUK]

True words there. As it's usually me who is contracted for the painting, wall paper or whatever else may cover my plaster, I know the tolerances for my work on 90% of my jobs. That being said I've been called back to look at things that I felt were tops. I try to stay humble and roll with it. Work to your best standard and stay teachable. So far it's worked for me.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

Thanks WWB. Probably in a similar situation regards painting...well used to be, but often have a DEC following me now. Good advice

 

[ChrispyUK]

Just do the best you can do.
1 keep angels looking straight and clean.
2 try keep fat marks and water stains out of it .
3 make beads and reveals playing to the eye. Including margins.
4 leave the place tidy and clean after you.

Remember nothing worse than walking into a place that's dirty and a mess.
No matter how good your work is a place left untidy let's you down.

Has a customer the other day who kept telling me to stop tidying up as she would do it. Has to tell her that it was fine and that I had to do it otherwise I'd get complacent and lazy

 

[Irish John]

True words there. As it's usually me who is contracted for the painting, wall paper or whatever else may cover my plaster, I know the tolerances for my work on 90% of my jobs. That being said I've been called back to look at things that I felt were tops. I try to stay humble and roll with it. Work to your best standard and stay teachable. So far it's worked for me.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

Has a customer the other day who kept telling me to stop tidying up as she would do it. Has to tell her that it was fine and that I had to do it otherwise I'd get complacent and lazy

Oh yeah we've all had that. If you don't your a messy bast ward if you do your only waisting time. Still though set your own standards and don't let anyone make you compromise them.
Remember bad news travels a he'll of a lot faster than word of a good job and we'll tbh it's mostly by word of mouth we all get our work

 

[WWBRenovation]

Thanks WWB. Probably in a similar situation regards painting...well used to be, but often have a DEC following me now. Good advice

I just can't stand those plastic sheets, wind blows em round, and they make it look like a building site. I was doing a kitchen renovation once, used some beautiful wall paper drops to cover all the cabinets. She liked it so much that after the walls and ceiling she had me finish the cabinets in the same color scheme as the wall paper. Keep putting boot to ass, hands up chin down. Flow with the go.

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[Olican]

Often it is the product itself that lets us down, im very meticulous in my work and have always used halogens with a long lead that I will use like a torch and throw it at different angles on a wall to check. No matter what you do you will get imperfections that I think are down to the material itself

 

[kebab king]

Painting your own Plastering is the best way to move your self forwards.

 

[tcd]

I would agree with 95% on this thread, we are all trying to leave the perfect finish on a job, as the old saying goes your only as good as your last job, trying different methods and tools will drag us all into the unknown until we get to grips with new technology or changes in plaster ie multi that we are not aware of until its too late lol, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter in domestic work if the plastering looks like venetian or a flat canvas as long as its flat it will paint over with matt fine, but if silk or the like is used then game over it will shadow everything, as most of the domestic work is over skims then its a gamble from the start in a lot of cases especially the dreaded artexed areas

 

[JessThePlasterer]

Yup yup to pretty much all the above. We are clean, tidy, particular. At the same time we have in the past had god awful customers where we've thrown it on to get out. The finish is still acceptable, the place still left tidy but we know in our hearts we could do better.... if those few and far between people hadn't made our lives hard

 

[WWBRenovation]

Yup yup to pretty much all the above. We are clean, tidy, particular. At the same time we have in the past had god awful customers where we've thrown it on to get out. The finish is still acceptable, the place still left tidy but we know in our hearts we could do better.... if those few and far between people hadn't made our lives hard

I agréé fully, nothing tout add, I don't know how to like posts. I'll figure it out eventually.

Envoyé de mon MotoG3 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[jamesthefirst]

One of My pet hate with other spreads is not cleaning window reveals!

 

[Irish John]

Or not cleaning around beads ffs

 

[roryston]

always look at your work and ask yourself this.....


if someone came in my house and done that would I be happy?

 

[Dropsalot]

Does the white book not say “flat, Matt finish ready for decorating”.
If I am right........that’s all you need to know.

 

[John j]

Never think your mint and get confident as its then it will come back and bite ye in ass . Plus seen some mint plastering turn shite once mr sun comes through window ,then seen what I thought was poor paint up ok .crazy
Though if you done a good job and not turned floor in to a quarry and customer says they will tidy up . Just let em specially if it’s on old floor boards lol

 

[Danny]

Never think your mint and get confident as its then it will come back and bite ye in ass . Plus seen some mint plastering turn shite once mr sun comes through window ,then seen what I thought was poor paint up ok .crazy
Though if you done a good job and not turned floor in to a quarry and customer says they will tidy up . Just let em specially if it’s on old floor boards lol

agree with al of that

 

[Wayners]

If it passes a bright light shone across its a good job... Always get the odd scratch or nick showing though when dry. I think if you are struggling for work or not getting called back to do more work, then you know you need to up your game. Think lack of money in the job causes the standard to drop. So price it right...