Plastering
How to select the best plasterer
There are many different types of plastering projects in your home that you may be looking to hire for. Plastering is a specialty that requires training and expertise and is not something that homeowners traditionally wish to tackle themselves. With this in mind, we are going to walk you through the steps to find a great plasterer to help you with any related in-home projects.
- Learn a little about plastering
- Ask each tradesman how they will approach your project
- Find out all the steps needed to complete the job
- Specific job experience is important
- Get references and reviews
- Inquire about professional affiliations
- Request a detailed quote in writing
Let’s take a look at each of these areas in more detail.
Research the basics of plastering
By learning some of the basics of plastering work, you will be better able to describe your job needs to potential plasterers. In addition, this knowledge will give you the ability to ask them the right questions when they come to discuss the work that needs completed, as well as understand what they are saying to you.
A great place to learn about plastering basics is online. There are many do it yourself forums with written instruction and video channels with demonstrations that you can watch.
Get the specifics on how your job will be performed
There can be multiple types of plaster within your home and even within the same job. They can look identical to the untrained eye, and yet require completely different approaches when it comes to repairing or redoing the plaster.
Any tradesman that you are considering for a plastering job should come into your home and thoroughly inspect the plaster they will be working with, be it walls or ceilings. The type of plaster in these spaces determines how the work will be completed. If your plasterer is not familiar with the dos and don’ts of certain types of plaster, such as old lime plaster, the work could look great initially, but quickly fail.
Obtain step-by-step plans
It is a good idea to speak with your plasterer to find out exactly how they intend on performing the plastering work that needs done. How many skim coats will they be using? What trowel techniques will be used? Will it be over plasterboard, etc.?
When you get this information in detail, it gives you a chance to really see how informed and trained your potential plasterer is, as well as how detail oriented they are. If it seems like they are trying to take the easiest and least time consuming approach, it may be worth moving on to someone else.
Inquire about experience
Many types of plastering require different training and skill sets. Make sure that the plasterer that you hire is someone who has plenty of experience doing the type of job you are seeking a worker for. Some plasterers work only in skimming and interior work. Meanwhile, others focus on external plastering, such as stucco work. Finally, there are many types of decorative plastering that require refined training and practice.
You will achieve the best outcome by choosing someone who focuses on the type of plastering you need.
Research references and reviews
Any tradesman you are considering should be happy to provide the names and contact information of references. Speaking with people who have directly worked with your potential plasterer will give you a great idea whether or not they are reputable. You can also search online review and trade specific websites for written reviews and ratings.
In some cases, the plasterer may be able to take you to the job sites they have worked on so that you can see similar work that they have recently completed.
Thoroughly vetting the person that you are considering for your plastering work is an important part of the process.
Get a detailed written estimate.
Always take the time to get at least three like for like estimates in writing. Make sure they itemize each part of the job process, such as labor, materials, waste disposal and clean-up, specialized equipment that may be needed and travel expenses. The quote should also outline how you are to pay for your job. Be extremely wary of any tradesman who requires the job be paid in full before it is started.
We hope that this guide assists you in making an informed decision on a plasterer for your home plastering project.