PLASTERING TIPS

Tips to Improve Your DIY Plastering

Plastering is considered by many to be an art form and rightly so, as even most professional builders and keen DIY enthusiasts will not tackle a plastering job, preferring instead to recruit a professional plasterer. However, undoubtedly, here at Mastering Plastering, we believe that plastering is a skill that can be learnt quite quickly and quite painlessly even for the novice DIY-er.

The following is a list of what we consider to be the best plastering tips for the complete novice. Have fun and don't forget to try check out our complete plastering how to guide.

Plastering Tip #1: Prepare your surface before beginning plastering.

Plastering Tips 1 - Surface PreparationMost people overlook this very crucial stage when contemplating plastering for the first time, after all, the reason you no doubt want to plaster is to cover over an ugly, uneven or unstable surface.

However, preparing your surface properly prior to plastering is essential to achieving a perfect plastering finish and one that won't start to fall away in chunks after you have finished decorating and sat down to a nice cup of tea.

Plaster will not adhere securely to any surface that is wallpapered, damp, dusty or unstable without some prior preparation.

The secret is to remove any loose areas of existing plaster, dust or paper as much as you can before even contemplating plastering. Next, the surface must be treated with a mixture of PVA glue and water (the exact mixture depends on your type and is covered in our plastering course in some detail). This has two main purposes:

Firstly, as a primer for your plastering surface. The aim here is to allow the PVA solution to dry thus reducing the suction (or thirst) of the wall. Left untreated, a surface with a high suction can literally draw the water out of the plaster before it has had a chance to set, thereby weakening the plaster skim coat and increasing the chances of the plaster falling away at a later stage (known as "blown" plaster).
Secondly, in all cases, a three parts to one mixture of PVA and water must be applied immediately prior to plastering and it is essential that the plaster is applied while this coating is still wet. This helps bond the plaster to the surface. A top tip is to test the surface with your hand - if the mixture still feels wet then you need to wait a little while, if the and when the surface feels just tacky is the ideal time to start your first skim coat of plaster.
Plastering Tip #2: Get your plaster mix just right.

Plastering tips number 2:  Gte your plaster mix just rightMixing plaster is not a fine art but there are some basic rules to follow:

Always add the plaster to the water and never the other way around. A top tip is to first add just enough plaster so that it heaps on top of the water and mix this in first until lump free. Then add smaller amounts of plaster by hand until the consistency is smooth and lump free.

You should be aiming for the consistency of melting ice cream and the plaster should sit on the bucket trowel without sliding off when held level when its ready.

By far the best tip for mixing plaster is to test the consistency by standing a stick in the mix. If the stick can stand of it's own accord then the plaster is mixed right. Plaster and water mix in volume on roughly a 50:50 basis so half a bucket of water will make a full bucket of plaster.

Always use clean fresh water to mix plaster as any contamination can cause the plaster to go off before you've applied it. Never use plaster that is going off - unless you want forearms like Popeye the Sailor.

Plastering Tip #3: Don't bite off more than you can chew.

Plastering Tips number 3 - don't bite off more than you can chew.This is perhaps one of the most common mistakes made by novice plasterers and is made all the worse by the fact that most untrained plasterers don't realise that a perfect finish in plastering comes not from applying it carefully but by working all six stages of plastering (from application of both coats to dry and wet trowlling right through to final polishing) quickly and at the right timing.

Obviously, all of this is too much to explain here which is why we put together an entire how to plaster video course which shows you how to get a perfect finish in detail.

However, for your first attempt we definitely recommend starting on a small wall or surface - something you can cover with a single coat in 30 minutes or less. Of course the later stages don't have to be done in this time and have timings of their own, but 30 minutes is a good rule of thumb for banging on the first covering.

Don't try and get the surface perfect during this first coat as it is gradually improved at later stages of the various drying stages of the plaster. Using this technique not only makes plastering quicker and less painless but conversely results in a perfect finish ever time compared to trying to get too good a finish on your first go.

Plastering Tip #4: Cleanliness is the key to a perfect finish.

Plastering tips 4: Cleanliness is essential, wash as you go.Don't get me wrong, this is not a moral point, you might be a candidate for the next episode of "How Clean is Your House" at home and that's fine with me, but cleaning as you go in plastering is probably the best plastering tip I was ever given when I first learnt to plaster and there is a simple reason for this:

ANY contamination in your plaster will result in either the plaster setting or going off too quickly and since plastering is a race against the clock for the novice and a steady but fragile rhythm for the pro, anything which reduces the time you have to complete your job is ultimately going to cause more work than less. It's therefore a poor economy of time to not wash out buckets and equipment as you go.

Furthermore, even the tiniest fleck of dried plaster from a previous mix will cause pulls and drags in your plaster finish and frustrate the hell out of you - image having got a surface just perfect only to dredge a line right back to the plasterboard with your next stroke!

This is even more frustrating when you are in the latter stages of plastering so here is my golden rule of tips: If the water isn't clean enough to drink and your buckets and tools not clean enough to eat out of then don't use them for plastering until you have given them a thorough clean.

Plastering Tip #5: Don't over-polish your surface or you will regret it.

plastering tips 5 - a perfect eggshell plaster finishPlastering is basically all about the 6 stages you must go through from the first coat, to the skim coat and then the 2 respective phases of what we call wet trowelling and dry trowelling - these are relatively simple to do but almost impossible to describe which is why we produced a "Show-You- How" to plaster video - think of it a bit like learning a martial art, you can't learn it through reading alone, you really need somebody to actually show you how it's done. The good news is that unlike learning a martial art you can learn plastering very quickly and get perfectly flat and smooth results from your very first try.

However, that said, one tip I am always giving to novice plasterers is DON'T over-polish on the final stage. Yes, if you follow my course exactly you will be able to get a plaster surface so flat and so smooth that you can literally polish it until it is a smooth as glass and even shows a slight reflection but you don't want this.

The ideal plaster finish looks and feels to the touch like eggshell and there is one very important reason for this - paint and wallpaper will peel from a highly polished surface and when you get that situation you are in big trouble because you will find it peels easily in some areas and sticks rock hard in other - completely ruining your plaster finish. So my final plastering tip is to not get too carried away in polishing in the final dry trowel stage.

Article by Mastering Plastering, written August 2010.

For more Plastering Tips, see our article on Plastering Top Tips which covers some more advanced areas of plastering in more detail.

ny painter tips

Most apartment dwellers in New York spent too much time and money hunting for the perfect property, slogging through landlord or board approvals and paying for their space to turn cheapskate and cavalier on the interior paint job. So, before you even think about choosing between ochre with eggplant trim or Boomerang Beige--or the challenge of returning the red walls you envision for your rental to their original white--consider this advice from our expert panel.

Tip the super in advance About $50 to $100 should do the trick, for ensuring that the freight elevator is available when the painters arrive, helping with a quick cleanup if paint is accidentally spilled in a hallway, and maybe even looking the other way if the painters stay a little too late one day.

Think twice before hiring the super do your paint job “High-quality interior painting is not what your super  was trained to do,” says Yoel Borgenicht, a general contractor, noting that your expectations will play a big role in your satisfaction with the outcome. Another compelling reason not to hire the super: If you’re unhappy with the final product or the super becomes disgruntled for whatever reason, you’re stuck with each other for a long time.  

Get detailed estimates If you've been in your apartment for at least three years, your landlord is required by law to get your apartment painted. If not, you'll need to hire your own painters. Each estimate should be broken down by labor, materials, the number of coats of primer and paint, the brand and model of materials, and a detailed description of the amount of surface preparation that will be done. Be leery of any contractor who takes a quick walk around and says he'll give you a bargain price because this is the first apartment he's done in your building or because yours is a small studio without a lot of fancy architectural features. 

Renter white Most rental apartments in New York are painted "antique white." That's important to know since renters are expected to return apartment walls to their original color or the landlord can withhold the appropriate portion of a renter's security deposit. But with paint companies producing whole color wheels of whites of various tints, renters have design choices they may not have to cover up when they leave.

Home Depot may lack cachet, but... according to Consumer Reports, its Behr paint is practically formulated for New York apartment life. It does the best job of hiding a color underneath with one coat and it combines paint and primer into one, saving time and money.  It's also budget friendly and very low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds), chemicals that make paint smell like paint. Behr met the toughest regional California VOC standard of 50 grams per liter; good news for New Yorkers concerned with indoor air quality.

Your painter might need to be lead certified In buildings born before 1978, your painter must have passed a lead paint certification course. That's because even though lead paint has been off the market for decades, you may still encounter it when sanding years of paint from, say, windowsills before repainting begins. 

Consider buying the paint yourself Your contractor may try to substitute a cheaper  "contractor grade" paint that bears the brand name you asked for but doesn't perform or hold up as well.

No, your college brother can't paint your apartment during spring break In a co-op or condo, you must hire a licensed contractor who is insured (typically $1 million per incident, $2 million total) and, probably, has workers’ comp insurance in case someone is injured on the job. The co-op board or condo association, the managing agent and apartment owner must be added as additional insured on the contractor's policy – a procedure that sometimes takes a few days. In a rental, many leases impose similar requirements.  It's also a good idea to tell the landlord you're painting and ask whether he has someone on contract for the building to recommend. Landlords often do, but these guys may be more handymen than painters. You should check them out as you would the other contractors you're considering.  

The"fifth wall"  In a small NYC apartment it's especially key to choose the ceiling color carefully because it will affect the perceived height of the ceiling. Flat paint hides imperfections best (handy if you're economizing by skipping a skim-coat of the ceiling) but semigloss may be a better choice for bathrooms and kitchens since it stands up to water and scrubbing. Jeff Streich, a Manhattan general contractor and a member of our expert panel, advises painting the ceiling the same color as the walls: "That way you won't see that in Manhattan apartments, at least, the lines where walls and ceiling meet are never straight.

Dark paint doesn't cover as much as you think You might assume that you can save money by using dark colors on your walls, since they are likely to cover light colors with a single coat. In fact, Consumer Reports found that some dark primary colors, such as fire-engine red or royal blue, may provide thinner coverage, since they often are missing the titanium dioxide or white pigment that contributes to hiding what's already on your walls. That means you might need a primer coat and several top coats for a smooth finish

Watch the painters."There are some painters who will not do the simple things like remove the outlet and switch plates prior to painting," says Streich. "There are some that try to get away with painting with one coat, when there should always be 2 coats. Some will try not to use primer,  which I believe should always be used." 

Before you remove that crown molding for a more modern feel...know that the plasterwork underneath must be perfect or the transition to the ceiling will look horrendous.

How to Patch and Repair

A popped nail isn't holding in the stud and backs out of the drywall, creating a popped nail head.

Drive a drywall screw 1 1/2 inches above the popped nail head into the stud to reattach the drywall to the stud. Sink the screw head just below the surface of the drywall so it can be covered with spackle.

Drive in the popped nail.

Cover the sunken screw head and nail head with spackle until level with the wall surface. Wait 24 hours or the time recommended in the manufacturer’s instructions. Sand smooth.

Use a drywall knife to cover the patch with lightweight joint compound in a crisscross pattern, feathering the edges so it blends with the wall. To feather the edge, increase pressure and angle on the drywall knife as you reach the outer edges of the patch area to minimize, or thin, the joint compound on the drywall. wall repair

How To Paint A Room Your Way To Excellence

The correct sequence of steps is the key to giving any space a quick and refreshing paint makeover. Tip: Begin with the ceiling 1st and then paint the walls.
Step one — Clean Ceiling and Walls
Take away dirt, dirt, and grease spots (that can ruin a swish finish) with water, a very little mild dishwashing detergent, and a cellulose sponge. Rinse ceiling and walls with clean water to get rid of the soap residue.
Step 2 — Cut in Around Edges
Beginning at the corner of the area, use a two-in. or two.five-in. trim brush to "cut in," applying a three-in. strip of coating along the perimeter where the wall and the ceiling meet.
Cut in a very section at a time, alternating between cutting in and painting the ceiling to take care of a wet edge and prevent a visual line between the cut-in area and the remainder of the ceiling.
Step 3 — Rolling the Ceiling
Before you start painting the ceiling, remove excess paint on the roller by slowly rolling it backwards and forwards over the ridges of the paint tray.
Begin painting near the corner of the area, blending the coating into the ceiling line painted previously. Paint across the width of the ceiling, instead of the length, and build sure to roll in an exceedingly motion across your body, rather than along your body, to avoid straining your neck and back.

Step 4 — Painting the Walls ny painter
Once your ceiling is dry, come to the spot where you began painting. Use a trim brush to rigorously cut in along the wall-ceiling line. Extend out two to a few inches from windows, doors, and moldings. Once you've got cut in around a whole wall area, use a roller to fill in the field.
For efficiency, begin in the corner of a wall and roll on a 3-by-3-foot W pattern, then fill it in without lifting the roller. Continue in sections until you are finished. Paint one wall at a time.
Step 5 — Painting the Trim
Once the walls are fully dry, place painter's blue tape where the trim meets the wall. Paint the moldings, baseboard and therefore the door and window frames with a two-in. angled brush. When painting your trim, paint the tops of the doors and windows 1st and work your means down therefore that you'll be able to remove any runs as you go. Paint your baseboards last.
Visit our Color Gallery to determine our thousands of paint colors, and use our Personal Color Viewer to see how they will look on your walls.
Order interior paints on-line and decide them up at your native Benjamin Moore retailer at intervals three hours. Shop for paint color samples, fan decks and additional at our Online Store.