Plastering

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Plasterwork is used to provide a smooth, flat surface to internal walls and ceilings. These smooth walls are suitable for decorating with paint or wall paper. Plaster also has the added advantage of offering sound and heat insulation, and it is fire-proof as well.

There are two main methods of providing a plastered wall, either wet-plastering, or by using plasterboard (dry-lining).

Wet Plastering

Wet plastering is the traditional method for plastering, and make no mistake, it is a difficult technique to master. A professional plasterer may well cost what you think is a lot of money, however an amateur attempting to plaster will probably run into a lot of difficulty, especially when trying to achieve a smooth flat surface with no bulges or deviations. Normally at Whatprice we are happy to suggest the ‘have a go' approach to DIY home improvements, but think before starting on plastering, it may well be a step too far! However you may want to think about going on a 1 or 2 say plastering course, costing around £75 and £150 respectively.

The key to good plastering is to divide the wall into manageable areas and tackle them one section at a time. The area should be well prepared, including make sure the area to be plastered is clean, and primed with the appropriate bonding agent if necessary.

To ensure that the plaster stays level use screeds. These are either wooded battens nailed to the wall or, for more advanced plasterers, bands of undercoat plaster applied to the required thickness. If you use wooden screeds then they should be removed after plastering

Dry Lining

Dry-lining is generally a lot easier than wet plastering and requires a lot less skill to get a good finish. Dry lining involves the application of large flat plasterboards which are fixed into place by a variety of methods including screwing, nailing or directly bonding to the wall.

You can obtain plasterboard from any number of DIY stores. They are made with standard gypsum plaster sandwiched between paper liners, and the resulting board is very fragile. The board itself can easily be cut with a saw or sharp knife and so can be easily modelled into any difficult shape. As of Nov 2007 a standard 1200x2400x9.5mm (or 12.5mm thick) square edged board costs roughly £4.40 or about £1.50 per m².

In a bathroom as a surface to place tiles on you may want to go with a waterproof plasterboard, these cost more per unit area but are resistant to mold and mildew. As of Nov 2007 it costs about £10 per m² for the materials. 

Plaster Skimming

Both dry lining and wet plastering will usually be finished with a plaster skim. This is a final coat of plastering with a very smooth durable finish to it. In general a plaster skim will only be 2-3mm thick. Plaster skimming is again a difficult art to master. It involves two main steps. Firstly lay the plaster on as smooth and flat as possible and then leave to dry for 20-40mins. The second step is called polishing, this is where the plaster is sprayed or brushed with a light film of water and then polished down with a trowel or sponge to produce a smooth finish. As of Nov 2007 the cost of materials for a single layer of plaster skim are between 40-60p per m².

Plastering Prices

Unfortunately plastering jobs vary a great deal in complexity and so it is hard to describe set prices for specific jobs. Some plasterers charge a day rate and others will quote a set price for the job. As with most home improvement jobs you are safer to go for the set price for the entire job, to prevent any unexpected bills at the end. A typically daily rate for a plasterer varies from £150 - £250 depending on the materials required and the location in the country. A plasterer's hourly rate (plus material costs) will be about £20 per hour (as of May 9, 2008) depending on where you are in the country.

Here are some of the prices we have received on plastering.