Plastering - a guide for a professional finish

When you’re renovating your home, getting the plaster job right is an important consideration. Unfortunately, plaster work often does not receive the level of attention that painting does. A poor plaster job can make a wall harder to paint, while a good one is nearly invisible once painted over. To ensure a proper plaster job, there are several techniques and steps that must be utilized.

The first step in plastering a wall is to clear the area. Make sure that you have enough space along the wall to squat (for a job near the floor) or to place a stepladder (for a job near the ceiling). If you have a carpet, put a tarp over it to prevent wet plaster from soaking in. If you don’t have a tarp, an old bed sheet will work almost as well.

Before applying plaster, yank out any crumbling or loose parts of the wall. It’s better to replace these sections of the wall before they become a problem, not after. Also, make sure that the plaster is well-mixed - if there are any lumps or dry spots, attack them vigorously.

When applying the plaster, use a trowel that’s bigger than the area you’re covering, and make sure to drag all the way across the hole that’s being filled. This ensures a smooth application. After the plaster has dried, use coarse sandpaper to even it out. Because of this, it’s better to put down too much plaster than it is to put down too little.

For a more elegant finish, you will need to apply at least one additional coat. This coat should be thinner, and you should texture it while it’s still wet. Alternately, you can use a spray-on finish. These are available in a variety of textures, although they do require manual smoothing.

A small plaster job can be completed within an afternoon. Larger-scale plaster work can take longer, due to the need for multiple applications. Without the benefit of experience, finalizing a plaster job can take some trial and error. This is especially true of large projects, and of projects with unusual textures. Because plastering a wall is a long-term investment, one that you’re going to be looking at for years or even decades, professional help can be worthwhile.

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