Plastering a wall requires a specific technique to achieve a smooth, even finish. To begin, remove debris, dust, or paint from the area to be plastered. Mix plaster by adding water to a mixture until a thick paste is formed. Apply plaster by spreading a thin layer over the area to be plastered. For interior walls, use plaster, as plaster decomposes with moisture. For exterior walls, use stucco. If applying plaster in damp rooms like kitchens or baths, paint it well to keep moisture out.
To apply veneer plaster, dilute PVA in a 1:4 ratio – one part PVA and four parts water. Roll the PVA mixture onto a brush, apply it onto the wall, and check that the entire surface is covered. For an old wall or plasterboard, prepare and prime the walls for plastering. Smooth bumps and gaps with a trowel or roller, then coat the plaster with a 1/2″ layer of plaster. Allow the plaster to dry before painting or decorating.
To prepare the walls, start with a batch of thick, freshly-mixed plaster and spread it onto a clean wall with a trowel. Use a handheld float to smooth it from the wall. Next, apply PVA to the walls by mixing plaster, applying plaster, and stippling and smoothing. Start in the middle of the wall, applying the plaster with an upward sweeping motion, then come back down, bending your knees as you work upward.
This basic guide to plastering surfaces like a pro provides information on exterior and interior plastering, starting on the ceiling and moving on to the walls. Starting on the walls after the ceiling is complete, move on to the walls, starting from the midpoint and working upward.
📹 Interior lime plaster over drywall
Interior lime plaster over drywall. Plastering over sheetrock. For immediate bids, send pictures to Jay or myself at our sites below.
📹 How to plaster a wall, a beginners guide. Plastering made easy for the DIY enthusiast.
How to plaster a wall, a beginners guide/tutorial for the DIY enthusiast. Including how to mix and apply pva, mix plaster, apply …
My old man was a union plasterer for almost 40 years. He mostly done restoration of universities and government buildings. This was in Cincinnati. I remember him mixing up lime and water and letting it sit for months before he would use it. When he was ready he would add gauging to it and work his magic. Its a lost art. I leaned alot about it from him but my trade is HVAC so other than helping him i dont have much hands on experience. He took all that knowledge with him in 2020 when he passed away.
I appreciate all the knowledge you drop on your YouTube website. I do not expect to get anything as perfect as a professional like you but since I cannot afford to pay a professional I am stuck doing it on my own. Your website is one of the reasons I can get the job done on my own. Well, not really on my own because I am piggybacking off you and a few others. Thank you for your effort.
Kirk, What kind of sealer/primer do you recommend over Diamond? USG recommends using a high pH tolerant primer, but most of those that I’ve seen (loxon, seal grip, etc) are designed for stucco, masonry, and concrete and are fairly heavy-bodied. I’m looking for a solution to keep the nice smooth troweled plaster finish from developing heavy orange peel from the high-viscosity primer and still get an excellent bond. Thanks, McGuire
I have learned a lot from your articles. You guys are amazing at what you do. I need to find someone in the Fresno, CA area who can do this work. I am trying to get my 1960 build house plastered inside after damage caused by a flood. We have three rooms down to the studs that I want to restore. The walls inside are about 1/2″ plaster on gypsum lath. The finished coat is a skip trowel or knockdown type finish with porous texture that is color tinted.. Can you show how some of these different textures were created on interior plaster? What materials were used back then in central California? After many coats of paint, it is mostly smooth now, but we still have rooms without paint with the original plaster texture. I want to try to reproduce it if possible.
Here in the northeast only econo houses use drywall. I’ve used both on projects and without question veneer plaster is the way to go. Drywall is easily damaged, veneer plaster is much, much harder. It does take some skill to apply it but it can be done in a day and no sanding is involved. Ceilings are usually textured, walls generally smooth but I have done walls with a texture as well which just about anyone can do.
I sure hope thats not cheaper than standard drywall mud, the material is more expensive and your work should cost far more than typical drywall unless it is level 5, the work you are doing probally would be cheaper than level 5 smoothwall except your work is 10 times stronger and looks way better and smoother
Thank you. I’ve learned a lot. My house has plaster. It was built in 1950. I do see the board in there with the paper, but I noticed when working on the stairway that board plus plaster is almost 1″. It isn’t a lath like my grandparents used to have that I can tell. Growing up, I lived in a house my parents had that was wallboard. There is no comparison. I’m thinking about doing this over OSB though. I decided to do my garage in it and paint it, but I changed my mind and I sheeted the walls with the mill stamps all aligned and coated it with urethane hardwood floor, and did all diamond plate outlets and switch covers. I can mount anything anywhere without regard to where studs are, and the pattern is so random that if I move something, the pattern is so random that I can’t find the hold back to fill. Now I’m thinking in the basement, I don’t want to finish in wallboard at all. I’m going to try thin-coat over OSB except I’ll be going for smooth as possible like my oil-painted plaster walls upstairs.
Kirk, I am a livestock guy. Different profession but same approach. I recognize men who who love there trade and pour their souls into it. You clearly have put your 10,000 hours in that it takes to become an expert and i want to commend you for it. In this day and age of instant gratification, it is getting more difficult to find guys that pay their dues to become true experts. I believe your article’s have given me the knowledge and courage to take on a small bathroom project. If it isn’t perfect, I will tear it out and do it again, but I will get it right. I may lean on you for advice. Im in the central valley and construction has fallen off in quality. I suppose that’s due to the lowest bidder awards that have become the standard, so I believe That I care enough to get it right. Your articles explaining process and approach are a huge help. Kindness and gratitude in all things!
Is that finish coat you’re using the US equivalent of British gypsum multi finish? Whenever I watch you guys plastering over there, the plaster always looks so thick compared to the consistency we mix our finish to. Also I’ve searched everywhere but can’t find the straight ended pool trowel you use anywhere online, any suggestions? Cheers Kirk
Good/economic options for an outdoor, covered accent wall surrounded by earth and timber? the wall is OSB and halfway wrapped in Tyvek and metal lathe. I insisted on halting plans for structolite and paint and am now stuck deep down a rabbit hole (having only 30 yrs in drywall/paint), wondering what cob-like material to try to seal with linseed that will allow for a no-breath backing or face
You can put Pozalite material in your thin wall to decelerate set time. You really should learn to use it, It will help you in the long run. that way you don’t have to waste time and material gluing the wall to try to slow down your set time. Been doing that for over 40 years Learned it from my father who has been a journeyman plaster a lot longer then both of us. It works the opposite of Luminite
Hi Kirk- My question is this: My understanding is that gypsum and lime don’t mix well. Lime plastering over drywall causes issues because of the brown paper preventing the wall from breathing and can cause mold issues. Okay his is also one reason the use the acrylic sealer over drywall to prep for a lime wash application. We don’t have ready access to the product you’re talking about, here- and going to the website I’m confused as whether this is gypsum based or lime plaster based. What I have been doing is buying a huge bag of type ‘S’ hydrated lime powder ($12 at Home Depot) and a 50lb bag of 20 fine white sand at our local pool supply ($11). It’s used to filter pools and is great. The sand adds the strength you need. If I am lime plastering over sheet rock- I have been mixing in clear Elmer’s glue to help mimick the same effect- but the functionality is lost because it’s not actually breathing. Typically you prime the wall with pva (which is what is in Elmer’s glue) to prime the wall and then apply the lime/sand mixture over that. I’m wondering if you know if we can directly apply lime/sand over green board for tadelakt I. The bathroom or if I have to treat it like Sheetrock?
Hey Kirk, perusal you from over the pond in the Queens England. You’re taking plastering to the world fella. I find I get a constant problem with my drywall screws popping out of the plaster a couple of months after finishing. I notice you go straight over your screws, is there any trick to the prep here in stopping those suckers popping out and damaging my finish. Thanks
Kirk, I’m wanting to stucco my home but with wonder board method just can’t seem to find suppliers here in the Midwest! I e watch lots of your articles and really would appreciate a supplier. I’m even willing to do the hood old 3 coat stucco but would like to finish it with an acrylic finish, any insight I’d appreciate!! Much respects!!!
Jay, I want to comment that USG’s Imperial is not actually straight lime but contains gypsum without question. It will set up in a tub even if wet and even US gypsum does not warrant that it is lime. By contrast, Ivory by Graymont for instance is pure hydrated lime. The product names are confusing for many and most are ‘mystery blends’ with trade names. Only some are a pure product such as hydrated lime pure gypsum alone. Perhaps an episode could be done where this is shown with known components (assuming the manufacturers would ever divulge the ingredients!)
Wish I had watched you plaster before doing plaster repairs in 3 rooms of our 121 year old house. Each room I did looks a little better than the last but I did use the existing lathe once I removed the failed plaster and I couldn’t believe how thick some of that was. My plastering has held up to 19 years of time so far but now years later I have a few more sections to redo that are the original plaster horse hair and all in the base coat. Thanks for all the details explaining how and why you plaster.
Love the vids helping fix my bathroom walls currently 😉 have a question, I just got 1st base coat of imperial up and looks like some sections might need another hit of imperial. Since it’s dried and cured now do I need to Plasterweld it again or can I go right on top with new mud? Also I’m going to diamond finish it, do I need PW again on the base coat before applying diamond ? Thanks for any advice you can send my way – best
Kirk, you are an inspiration for those of us muddling through our old homes trying to patch them up and learning the fun of plastering! Here’s my question: I have an American Clay over drywall but I don’t find that it’s been all that durable and I want to refinish with Diamond. Should my plan be to use weld crete first and then basecoat, etc? Is there anything different about plastering over an American Clay type of plaster with Diamond? Thank you so much for sharing your expert knowledge and willingness to teach.
I am going to try and do two coat process to my dining room ceiling. I’m assuming I will be slow as I try and learn this process, if the base coat plaster sets up too much and I haven’t finished, can I just stop, let it setup and come back next day and finish basecoat. Just water it down and make sure the overlapping sections are flat? I love learning new things so thanks for putting these vids up. There isn’t much out there on the American version of plaster veneering walls/ceilings.
I cringe seeing you working with two trowels in your back pockets, that’s waiting for an accident to happen if you trip or fall. Never carry your trowels in your back pockets if you not using it put it down till you ready to use it it only takes a second to crab it. Safety first, l’m a plasterer for 47 years and seen a lot of accidents and couple of deaths on my jobs. Construction is a dangerous field of work out there, doesn’t matter what trade you’re in. It’s not if an accident might happen to you, it’s when.
This seems quite different from what we are doing in the UK, and the prices are outrageous. Over here you can get a bag of Thistle Multi-finish for £7.00, which is probably about $9.00. I guess the pricing is a supply and demand issue, but one wonders if you’d be better off importing Thistle plaster from the UK. You’re obviously very exerienced, and I wonder if you can explain the difference between what we use over here and the products you are using. One obvious thing is the colour. Our plaster is a brown, very similar to a Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty, and eventually dries a pale pink. It’s a gypsum based plaster, and one usually does two coats, the second being added when the first is still quite soft, and suction isn’t an issue with doing a second coat (though of course it can be an issue with the surface being plastered – we use PVA wood glue mixed with water to deal with suction). Then the whole thing is troweled over and over again until it becomes a glass-like finish, and with each subsequent troweling the plaster is more and more firm, all the imperfections and trowel strokes gradually disappearing. Your second coat seems more of a thin scraping coat, kind of like one would do with drywall compound. I find it fascinating to see what is being done in the US.
Kirk. Can I go over existing a Diamond Veneer finish with another coat if I use a bonding similar to Weld Crete? I repaired a church doorway but the trim is months from being attached and I know there will be some discrepancies in the finish and will want to put another tight coat over it with trim in place. Thank you ahead of time. Peace
I’ve learned more about caring for my house in a few articles than I have in years of ownership. Thank you for sharing your expertise, wow. I haven’t made my way through all your articles, so I’m sure this answer is somewhere, but hopefully you will have a chance to answer. I have plaster and “peg board” lathe walls that have been painted with probably every cheap horrible paint in existence since 1946. Would lime plaster still have benefits (moisture control, better air quality, etc) even over the top of the past paint choices?
Mr Giordano, I’m a handyman in Northern California about 4 Hour Drive North of San Francisco.. Back in 2005 I was approached by a customer with a newly constructed home. They wanted this entire home finished with smooth walls. (I’d never say flat.. ) lol. I flew to Peoria Illinois and spent 2 weeks working with a professional Plastering company out there for a crash course like you wouldn’t believe. Long story short. Sorry for rambling, since I came home and slam dunked that job in 2005 jobs requiring that skill-set have been few and far between. Veneer coat plaster is not done in this neck of the woods. I’ve even seen Tradesmen working for the Historical Society charged with restoring hysterical structures in the city of Eureka with all purpose drywall mud over lath and plaster. Am I the only one insulted by that? It’s sad. My point.. I would like to use these skills in my personal home. But I can’t find the materials. People look at me like a deer in the headlights. No one has ever even heard of blue board and they try to sell me all purpose every time I’m looking for plaster. Would you seek out the blue board and a pre-made mix or would you go back to hanging lath and make your own plaster with the lime and gypsum?
Hey Kirk! Thanks so much for all your articles on veneer plastering. A buddy out in Rough And Ready CA suggested them, and I watched them before starting to plaster a small home up here in Seattle. I’m perusal them again now that I’ve got a few walls under my belt… I’m picking up on details I missed, now that I’ve suffered a little :-). I think you’re doing both basecoat and topcoat with Imperial Basecoat in this article. How often do you do that? Is it all aesthetics or are there any reasons to use a product intended as the topcoat, rather than doubling up on basecoat? I’ve decided that I like the sanded basecoat look and dislike the super smooth Diamond finish, which I tried out in one bathroom. My skill level is also better suited to a rougher look, ha. I grew up in SF, that light is special. Thanks again! -jba
Nice work! You can tell you’re a good mechanic because you have trowels in your back pocket…:)… But man, Up and down a step ladder gets brutal over time…For the last 15 years I like using two of those platform ladders “Gorilla”…I bring an 8′ 2X10 or longer if the walls are long…They really save time, once you set up…Or two mud buckets and a plank, but then it’s that big step…It does keep you in good shape getting up and down though…:)
Dear Kirk, greetings from India. need an advice from you. What would you suggest for wall plastering in a place with high annual rainfall and high relative humidity? I live in Southern tip of india. We have been using cement + water mix to plaster and later POP for finishing? Heard about gypsum plastering and wonder how it would react to moisture in a long period of time.. Please enlighten me..
Thats the funniest yet honest line I heard all week, “I hate sanding stuff,” lol So do I Kirk! I hate sanding the compound on drywall and thankfully don’t have to do it too often. You are one of the best and much easier and more entertaining to watch than some of the other people on YouTube, thanks for all your articles and you should have your own HGTV show, you’re better than Bob Villa!
Im prepping to redo my office reception. 8′ gyp walls painted x approx 600′ + of wall. I have USG Stucco Lite left over from a job I wanted to tint a tiffany blue with a more soft metallicor pearl color as the ‘seal’ coat to blend to a venitionesk gloss finish. 1. Would this work? 2. What type of pigment would you recommend 3. What type of seal 4. Would the blending ability matter if I had to allow time in between coats before finishing. I hope to hear from you soon! I’m impetuous 😉 Thank you!
Love your articles! I am looking to create the look of wattle and daub on the interior and exterior of a timber frame Tudor I am building. The walls will be modern 2×6’s with hand hewn beam veneers on the exterior and interior to resemble a true timber frame. What material would you recommend on the exterior to resemble a Tudor (e.g., stucco, etc.) and what would you recommend on the inside? I was thinking of putting up drywall and putting some sort of plaster veneer over it? I am going for an authentic Tudor look. Many thanks for your help!
Sanding is extremely minimal with taping mud if the drywall finisher is at the same skill level as you doing plaster Mr plaster master. You and your crew are top notch, i have picked up a ton of useful skills and applied some to dry finishing, theres ALOT more drywall mud used compared to plaster living in upper east coast. I hope the young guys working with you take your wisdom. A pro in this trade always has a job. Thanks for the articles.
kirk i have to say ive been plastering 25 years are you putting that wall on so slow to show do it yourselfers how to plaster which is something that you just cant do perusal a article. now imperial is a two coat system if your going over blueboard with imperial plaster alone no basecoat. you should base in the joints let them harden. then you mix your finish batch alot loser then most otherr brands cause it sucks in faster even more when its stiff like you mixed. so you apply a thin coat fast then you go back with the same mix and do you your second coat. that will allow you to trowel it very easy. as far as weld-o-bond over blueboard to give you more time i dont agree the board is designed to suck in and bond to the board. bondding will weaking that process.if you need more time instead of bond wetting the entire wall with a spray bottle mist of water works great especially in the summer humid months. if you still need more time a little splash of coke or any sugar beverage in the mix will give you plenty of time the more you add the longer but dont do more then a quater cup to ten bags or more being mixed. they started making the light weight imperial board and thats when imperial plaster started sucking in faster. im from Boston Mass its pretty humid in the summer we have masterd the art of imperial by trial and error love your articles even when i dont agree.So thank you and keep them going
I came across your website a few weeks ago. Trying to watch every article you have made. You are one of the few true professionals. Your articles are well made and full of good solid information. I learned something new on every one. As you have said “The MONEY is in the details” I say “The DEVIL is in the details” I don’t know if it has been suggested to you before, but I would like to see you use “critical light” to accentuate the DETAILS. You are correct when you say the camera does not pick up well on white surfaces. If you could “wash” the wall / ceiling with light it might better show the way you are spreading and smoothing the “mud”. I think it would show your technique for eliminating the trowel lines better. Keep up the awesome work. Thank You STEVE
good morning Kirk, amazing energies and resources here thanks in advance👍🏼 I’ve just finished with hardieboard in bathroom. wanting to do a 2 coat system that has old English look to complement some light walnut wood shelve niches and the Brazilian marble countertop. nothing glass smooth but not textured. also not looking to paint it. what are your recommendations for fast easy products off the shelf. box stores, common products to get this done nicely. I’d also like to add the color straight to mix✌🏼️
In the land of oz in my area, we have solid plastering and drywall. I notice in britain they skim coat all their drywall to eliminate those ugly joints in walls and in particular, ceilings. Solid plastering here is applied over a sand, cement, lime render in two coats. We mix gypsum plaster and lime to a ratio between 50/50 and 75/25 with th gypsum plaster being the dominant. I am involved in renovation/restoration of older buildings, and find that 50/50 is as strong as you need to go with the skim coats. Sometimes we will use more lime than gypsum plaster to reduce surface shrinkage. Guys who see you putting on skim coats need to realise it take years of work to achieve the “feel” for setting or skim work. You learn to know by feel how much you are applying. Skim or setting is a true craft that not everyone can do perfectly. It takes a long time to perfect. You learn buy doing, books are a guide, your vids tell the job from a proffessional perspecttive. But only practice makes you perfect. The darkening of the coats is so true, you put it on pure white, then in time marks and lines of dark colour begin to apear.
Kirk! I finally started my plastering/gypsum business! Now here comes the question of the day, how would go about the following. Customer has original plaster&lath, which is in good shape. He wants to keep with original lime plasters, problem is, that someone before him did patch work and crack filling with gypsum premix mud. Do I try to remove said mud, or prime over then use a veneer plaster, or just continue with the premix? Thank you in advance! [email protected]
Thanks for the awesome articles! I’m excited to try veneer plastering but am building a large house. If I hang Kal-Kore wallboard for veneer plaster, but, for whatever reason, later change my mind and decide to call in a drywall crew, can you finish Kal-Kore as regular drywall with drywall mud without issue? Does the different paper in Kal-Kore take primer and paint just like drywall board?
Thanks Kirk for all the effort to share expert knowledge gained over so many years. A true pleasure to watch and learn from your articles! I am stoked on the health benefits of lime plaster and plan on doing a fireplace and bathroom. Is alkali-resistant fiba tape necessary on cement board and if so should it or the plaster weld be applied first? Also do you have an opinion of Vasari lime plaster? How smooth of a finish is possible with coarser marble grains in a Carrera finish? Thanks again for so many awesome articles, they are a real treat! Big Fan, Will
Great articles, Kirk! I’m here in Maine attempting to put a Diamond veneer skim coat over Structo Lite. Trouble is the Structo Lite is too long cured. The Diamond seems to dry out in about 10 minutes. I tried misting the Structo Lite first. My room is about 65 degrees, though with a very low humidity. I mixed the Diamond pretty thin, I thought, yet it hardened in the bucket before I could get it all up. Any suggestions?
Very excellent explanation and technique. I was trained with an 18″ trowel. I never thought to use a pool or cement trowel. However I am going to give this a try. I can understand the reason for a partial radius toe and heal for the float. I think this will in the future, speed up my float coat by riding the high and low with out trying to change pressure toe to heal of my square trowel and refilling when the timing is proper. I like your technique and experience. I have been called one of the best in my city however I never claim this. I have been doing this 35 years and I am always learning new techniques I am willing to try. There is never the best tools or proper way. Only an idiot will say my way is the best way. I believe what makes a pro is simply this. They have made many mistakes and knows how not to repeat them. They dont cut corners (take shortcuts) or skip details. They take pride in their work and meet or exceed building codes. They are willing to teach because they love perfection. They are unbiased because they love to learn new ways and are willing to expand. Most of all they are impressed after the job is complete. They tend to look around a few times before they leave with no imperfections found. Big smile of satisfaction as they present their finish to the customer 😉 Well done brother. I have subscribed to your website with great enthusiasm.
Hello Kirk, Thank you so much for your articles I am learning a lot. A friend of mine told me to use the diamond products. She said at times she would use the base coat and other times both depending on the desired look. What she did however was tint the product with color instead of painting. Any thoughts, ideas or comments to help guide me on this?
Hi Kirk, perusal alot of your articles, great job. I am repairing a wall in my kitchen that was pretty tore up removing old phoe brick that my dad put up. I’m using Kal-Kote base coat veneer and X-Kalibur extended set veneer plaster. My base coat came out really good. but I was unable to finsh the whole wall last weekend now the base coat has fully set about a week. Do I now need to reapply plaster weld to the base coat before doing my finish coats withe the X-Kalibur since the base coat has fully dried ?. Thanks for your help keep up the great work.
Hi Kirk, maybe I missed it but how do you handle the thickness of the plaster around door openings? Most prehung doors have jambs 4 9/16″ wide. If you have 1/8″ base coat and 1/8″ finish coat on each side of door opening…well you get the idea. I usually make custom jambs anyway so not a problem. Thanks again.
Kirk,As always, another great teaching article. I have had this question lingering in my mind many times on what to use in these veneer plasters and why, and I am no plasterer. Yes I have done it and you definitely make it look about 100 times easier than it is. First hand attesting to that. My question is what size rounded edge (pool trowel) do you recommend for a beginner to beginner moderate user? Looks like a 14″ by 5″. My next purchase. also what are your thoughts on using autoclaved ivory lime with gauging as a veneer coat over painted drywall (other than time of mixing gauging) instead of the mixes you used in article above on my project over painted drywall. I did a test batch using 3 to 1 ratio on the gauging mixing some silica sand into it for strength. Please comment on ratio mix, as test batch held up well and very hard, no cracks doing skip trowel look. Probably will switch to slower setting gauging as I used Red Top mix and understand their is another one that sets slower without adding any retarder to it.
Kirk, thanks for all your articles and helpful tips. Have you ever spread veneer plaster over a basecoat of durabond, easy sand or any other lightweight setting compound/hot mud? USG spec sheets online suggest embedding fiber glass tape with durabond or easy sand, waiting till completely dry then skimming with finish plaster. I’ve tried it with decent results but would love to hear if you have any opinions or views on it. Thanks, Steve.
Up here in the northeast I’ve seen some ultra-smooth plaster jobs in old houses. When I see modern blueboard and veneer on newer jobs, it always seems to be a notch or two below the old school perfection. Can this system result in a glass-smooth finish? Is it even supposed to? Thanks for your articles, very helpful.
Hi Kirk, Great info and learning experience. I want to veneer with National Gypsum’s Kal-Kote smooth finish over their base coat. Gonna do this to a stairwell to a basement. I’m using bonding agent over existing painted drywall. Do I need to install new corner beads over existing drywall, bust out existing corner beads and install new, or just skim over existing and form corners with trowel and darby? The local go-to yard for all things plaster closed. Surprised to find H D carries lots of National Gypsum plaster types so that’s what I’m using. Thanks.
Great advice/info. I was wondering is I could use plaster weld and vaneer plaster over top some not so greatly installed sheetrock/mud. My wife bought the house cheap but I’d like to flatten out some walls and make some things look more presentable before a possible sale…any advice would be appreciated…am hoping not to have to use plaster base coat which gets kind of pricey, if you know what I mean.
Ooh, I would like to see an old world style (Italian) skip trowel plaster (not stucco) finish preferably with color in the plaster. I think I have heard it called Venetian finish. I have also heard of people using an oil soap to seal it and give it a faint gloss. Point me in the direction of that article! Also, in a big room without tapestries hanging etc., which has more echo, a veneer finished wall or a traditional tape and textured one?
Kirk. I have A confession to make to you: after perusal about a dozen of your articles, article below yours popped up and brought me to a plaster expert in Scotland and he was using a bucket that I thought was pretty cool – a soft sided plastic/rubber bucket that you would find in the dollar store or hardware store – and what I liked about it was that it was big on the bottom so that I could clean out my 10 inch – 12 inch taping knives which is always a problem cleaning in a smaller standard compound bucket. So, I bought a couple of them and my birdcage paddle attached to my drill is scraping the rubber and putting it into my plaster. So I was hoping you, the expert – I love your work – which simply show us a article and tell us what you are mixing this stuff in because obviously, you do not have this problem
Kirk: you have no idea how much we appreciate that you’re showing us and sharing your expertise with this dying trade – thank you for bearing with our comments – I have a question now: how long do I have to wait in between the basecoat and the finish coat? In other words, how long do I have to wait before I put the second coat on to the first? And, secondly, I see you do not use a spray bottle or life and it up with water – when she starts getting hard on you, can you use a little water from a spray bottle?
Kirk: 1. Help me understand something – why does a plaster contractor like yourself spend the time putting two coats of this plaster on the walls rather than just using the joint compound system which would take you less time because you would only be doing the joints and the screw holes – what I am really trying to find out is the rationale of your clientele who may very well say – Kirk – I don’t want to pay you to do this beautiful every square-inch– job just do the joints. 2. I know a man of your expertise would not send this stuff but I am wondering if this material can be sanded. 3. Would you please show us the bags of plaster that is, the first coat and the second coat – I know you didn’t article recently of you at your desk with the different bags of material but, I look for the stuff in New York and I did not find it so I realise that I have to go to a building supply.
Hey fellas got a question about masking I’m very good at masking and making things straight we were put on a hot wall the other day and around the garage doors there was about a two inch wood trim I had to mask, for the life of me there was not anything I could use to make it stick tried white tape with staples red vinel tape red duct tape nothing would stick to this wood, was wondering if you knew of any tape brands I could recommend to my supervisor so next time we run into this problem on a hot day and a hot wall we don’t have to keep messing with the masking and just get mud on the wall
My in-laws bought a house from the 20’s that has lime plaster. It has a lovely texture–even with paint. Only problem is, the plasterers used a very unusual finish. It has gentle undulations to it, and, they dragged their fingers through it at intervals to give it a texture. Probably sounds weird but it’s so soft and matte looking it gives you a very peaceful feeling. Now I know it’s lime plaster, but several years ago they had a pipe leak in the ceiling that required a long hole be cut out. It was impossible to match it with drywall mud and paint (now I know why). I made some lime plaster from quicklime that’s slaking (3 months at least) and I used a metal pan I use for crafty type things. I guess I thought it would dissolve like drywall,, but it is on there like glue. Very, very, VERY hard glue.
Great job again ! I sure wish rendering would be more popular up here in Quebec. Seems mutch stronger than just plain plasterboard. Each time you hit the wall with anything it leave a hole and after a while screws shows up. I guess it’s a lost art or maybe it has something to do with our cold climate ? It sure doesn’t look like it takes more time that joint componding all the joints in 3 coats, so why dont we have it here ?