Plaster Jobs

Typical Plastering Jobs

Plasterers are known as building professionals and their job involves mainly applying plaster to the walls as well as ceilings of homes, offices, palaces, government buildings, and any other type of building. Most plastering jobs require plasterers to use different types of techniques for plastering and the main aim is to provide a finish that will heighten the overall decor of home interiors as well as exteriors. Plasterers can work on a new construction project, renovation projects, and even manage any repair work on existing buildings. Apart from applying a basic finish on the walls as well as ceilings, plasterers also help in creating architectural details that will help in the enhancement of the overall finish and look of home interiors or exteriors.

A plasterer works with different types of plaster and plastering method depending on requirement.

Plasterwork

The plastering jobs are often known as plasterwork and this is considered to be one of the ancient forms of handicrafts employed for construction of building. Some of the earliest evidence available shows the use of plasterwork. The only difference is that at that time, the homes or dwellings were plastered using mud.

As civilization moved forward, durable forms of plastering came into play and slowly, more and more materials were being used for creating plaster. Mud was replaced by slime and the plasterers of the yesteryears perfected the method of creating different types of durable plastering materials that made the homes stronger. The homes remained undisturbed in different weathers as well. In fact, the famous pyramids of Egypt are one of the best examples of plasterers work. The pyramids have been made using extensive plastering jobs almost 4,000 years back and till date remain almost indestructible and durable.

According to some of the recent discoveries, the principal tools used by the plasterer centuries ago are almost identical in shape, design, and also purpose with the modern day plasterer's tools. The plasterers used a different type of plaster, which was made from calcined gypsum in the Pyramids of Egypt and the methods used by them for plastering resemble the modern day approach and use of plaster, lath, float and set work. In the later years, hair was also introduced for strengthening the plaster.

Greek history suggests that the plasterers of the early ages in Greek used fine white lime stucco for creating some of the masterpieces of Greek architecture.

Common Plasterer Jobs

The most common plastering jobs available are in the form of helpers and intermediates. Then there are the grade 9 plastering jobs where a plasterer will be involved in mixing the plaster, applying it, and finishing of plaster surfaces. The plasterers will have to work from oral instructions, work orders, blueprints, and rough sketches.

The Tools Used by Plasterers

The tools used by Plasterers since ancient history have not changed much in shape, design, and use.

Plasterers use different type of tools for their plastering jobs depending upon the type of plastering job they have. The most common tools include laths, lath nails, hair, sand, lime, and plaster of Paris apart from different varieties of cement.

The Lath is the most important tool for plastering jobs as they have been using it since a long time. One of the popular types of lath used by plasterers is the wood laths, which has a narrow strip of straight grained wood and vary in length from 2-4 feet. These laths are normally made from American Fir or Baltic fir.

Most laths used by plasterers can be defined under three different thickness categories and they are:

The thicker the laths are, the better it is for use on ceilings. The plasterers have to make the laths by hand and this is an integral part of their job. But today, heavy machinery is used for making laths also known as the sawn laths while those made by hand are called as riven laths.

The second most important tool used by plasterers is called lime, which is mostly used for plastering the interiors. Lime is calcined from chalk, pure limestone or even oyster shells. Another type of lime used by plasterers in the modern day is called the hydraulic lime but this is used mainly for exteriors.

The third most important tool used by plasterers is known as Hair and this is used a binding medium to impart tenacity to the plaster. The most common type of hair used for this purpose is the ox hair although some plasterers even opt for goat hair as well.

 

 

Please feel free to leave a comment about this page

Was this page useful? Do you have something to add? Do you disagree?

If your comments meet our guidelines then we will publish them (you do not need to register!)

Or why not tell a friend and email this page to someone