Plastering is something that many people leave to the professionals. However, it is an important skill to have if you are a DIY enthusiast. Plastering a wall can be done from scratch or by making minor cosmetic repairs to the ceiling. This article will provide a step-by, beginner’s guide to plastering walls, along with some helpful tips.
The Tools You’ll Need for Your Wall Plastering Project:
STEP 1. PREPARE THE AREA TO WALL PLASTER
Make sure that furniture and other items are removed from the area. Protective sheeting or blankets can be used to protect larger items that cannot be moved.
STEP 2 – GET THE WALL READY
Make sure the wall is free of dust and debris
Use a staple gun to attach the angle beads to the plasterboard edges. Angle beads provide the best finishing touch to edges and are a great guide for the thickness of plaster that you will need to apply.
If you have cracks in a wall, apply scrim tape to them. The possibility of cracking in walls and buildings is inevitable due to expansion and contraction. However, this self-adhesive scrim tape reduces the risk. Stick the top edge of the board to cover the joint. Roll and stick the tape as you go. You can use your trowel’s toe (front edge), to cut the mesh using a ripping motion, or a Stanley blade.
STEP 3 – GLUE IT OUT
Use a ratio 4:1 to mix PVA glue. This is 4 parts water to 1 Part PVA glue. This is especially useful if you are plastering on old plasterboard or skimming old walls. This is still a useful tool for plastering, even on plasterboard. Allow the PVA glue mixture to dry, preferably overnight if possible. After it has dried, apply another coat of PVA glue. Once the plaster has dried, mix the plaster. This is the glue coat that bonds the plaster to the wall.
STEP 4 – MIXING YOUR PLASTER
To avoid lumpy bits in your bucket, add the powder to the water gradually.
To make a bag of plaster (Thistle Multi-finish), you will need approximately 12.5 to 13 Liters of water. You can experiment with different amounts to get the right mix. Your plaster should be firm enough to hold its shape when you take it out of the mixer. The second coat should be slightly more wet than the first. It will still be firm, but it will start to sag a bit.
Mix the plaster in three stages. Start with clean water. Never use any dirty water. To protect yourself against dust and plaster, you should wear a mask.
You will need to add enough plaster powder until it is incorporated into the water. Mix it together using your paddle mixer at a slow speed. To clean the powder, use your bucket trowel and return it to the bucket.
Continue to add your plaster until it is fully incorporated into the water. Mix the plaster with the paddle. Then use your bucket trowel to mix it all together. The plaster should now be close to the right consistency.
The final third will allow you to determine how much powder you need to make the perfect mix. Remember to keep your paddle moving up and down on the bucket’s side and to clean it with your bucket trowel.
Let’s get to the plastering!
Clean up all materials that you have just used
STEP 5 – TIME FOR THE FIRST COAT
If you’re right-handed, you can plaster from the top left corner of your wall.
The size and height of your wall will play a significant role. This wall isn’t very high so I was able to plaster the top before I went back to plastering the floor. If the wall was taller or longer, I would have divided it into smaller areas.
First, wet your trowel with clean Water. I keep a small bucket with me and use it to brush the plaster during the second and third coats. Next, apply a small amount of plaster to your Hawk. Then use your trowel to spread it around. This will prevent plaster from falling to the floor. Next, take a small amount of plaster and use your bucket trowel to spread it on your hawk. It is the hardest part: getting it onto your trowel. Let me explain:
Hawk in your lefthand, trowel in the right hand – opposite for left-handed people.
Turn your hawk inwards, and push your trowel into plaster at the halfway mark. Push through the plaster and out the back. To avoid pushing it on the floor, increase the tilt inwards. If you have any plaster, it’s worth trying.
The plaster should be applied with the trowel at approximately 15 to 20 degrees from the wall. Slowly glide your trowel along the plaster until it is almost flat. It doesn’t have to look perfect at this stage. This will be fine later. Make sure you fill all gaps between the ceiling and wall. Plaster should be laid at a minimum of 1-2mm.
Keep going until you’ve covered the entire top third of your wall.
To finish the bottom section, load your trowel. Just short of the floor, place the trowel against the wall. Use the same techniques and angles as before to glide your trowel along the wall, using the angle guide. You will be able to keep your trowel flat if you apply equal pressure. If you hear scraping, you may be pressing too hard. You should not apply too much pressure if you get a lot of plaster on the wall.
As you gain confidence, you will be able apply more plaster to fill in the gaps from the bottom to the top. If you have to complete a middle section, then use the same technique, working from the bottom to finish. This is done to ensure that each section blends with the others.
This is how you should finish the entire wall. As you plaster the wall, make a broad arc as if you were making a rainbow. However, keep your arc short. This helps blend the plaster onto the wall.
The first coat is done! Use clean water to wash the tools.
STEP 6: GET IN LINE
It’s normal to have some uneven spots and lines at this stage. You don’t want your wall to settle in a cluttered state. After the wall has sat for about 15 minutes, it will begin to set. You can then start to remove any lines and lumps by troweling the entire area to flatten it.
Also, pay attention to the corners and top and bottom of walls. You can use the trowel’s edge to remove any plaster. A small brush can be very helpful for the angles.
STEP 7 – TIME FOR THE SECOND COAT
Once the first coat is tacky like putty, you should apply the second coat. It is possible to push against it, leaving a mark but not pulling the plaster off of the wall. It should not pull away from the wall or come off your finger. Give it time to set up.
As you did with the first coat, mix your second coat. You don’t need to use as much as you did the first coat. The second coat is the highlight. The second coat should be smoother and fill in any voids or imperfections. This would be slightly less thick than the previous one.
Applying the second layer of plaster to the wall
Next, apply the second coat in the exact same manner as the previous one. We are trying to achieve a 1mm plaster covering. To fill in any voids, start at the top and pull plaster down.
After the top has been completed, you can start at the bottom by doing the same thing as before. Smooth, long strokes are used to raise the wall and meet the plaster. At the end, you will see an arc.
Fill as many holes possible. However, don’t get too involved as the wall is about to set. Throughout the entire process, keep applying consistent pressure. This will help push the plaster into any gaps and keep it flat.
STEP8: FILL ANY HOLES
With your trowel, go over every part of the wall and check for any holes. You can fill any holes with firm pressure. The pressure alone will fill the holes, but you can also use any excess on your trowel if necessary.
STEP 9 – SMOOTH THINGS OVER
We are at this stage of the wall, but it is not yet complete.
When the plaster has cured enough to flatten the lines without creating more lines, you can go. If you create more lines, your plaster may still be too wet so you will need to wait for it to dry. When the wall is dry enough, you can start to tiling those lines.
This is my top tip: Grab a cup of tea, and then keep checking the wall.
STEP 10 – ADD A SPLASH of WATER
We need to smoothen our plaster flat with water. Apply the plaster with the brush to the wall. Then, use a steady pressure to trowel the plaster across. You can drain the water by tumbling it.
The “Fat”, which is the creamy plaster that you leave on your trowel, is what gives the wall its smooth finish. To fill in any small holes, keep the fat on the wall. You can work the corners and angles.
STEP 11 – WALL PLASTERING – THE FINAL TROWELLING
The wall should be trowelled again. Use a damp cloth to clean the trowel and then again trowel your wall. Use a dry trowel to give your wall a shine. However, don’t go overboard as the paint will not stick. At this point, there should be no paint coming off the wall.
One tip to help you get through the entire process is to touch your wall regularly. When your plaster is still soft, you can only move the plaster around on the wall. Once your plaster has started to set up, you can fill in the gaps and remove those lines. The plaster will then look plastered. Voila! This is our beginner’s guide for interior plastering in auckland.
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