Lets Get Plastered .. Plastering Course

Keep calm and keep saving.

When the quote for the house came in we were both floored. It was over double our budget, so we had to sit and work out how to do this and where to try to save money.

Looking Glam There Kelly

The obvious things to keep in were the electrics and plumbing and the externals such as the roof and windows. The big boy work we called it.

We looked at the plastering and for a house on the scale of ours it would have been approximately 30 grand.

We talked about this alot and decided to look for a plastering course that suited what we needed as in DIY. I had no understanding of what plastering entailed really so was quite keen to learn a new skill.

We looked for a course in Ireland but could only find NVQ/ City and guilds courses which were for those wishing to be career plasterers. For us this wasn`t a career move this was a necessity in order to progress with our house.

We found a 4 day course in Pontefract Wakefield. www.csplasteringschool.co.uk

We booked and we were looking forward to learning a new skill.

I was also looking forward to being in Wakefield as this is where I grew up so it was also a nostalgia trip

We arrived in Pontefract which is famous for Liquorice and Pontefract Cakes.

Pontefract Cakes

I know this isn`t about plastering but they are delicious and can highly recommend.

Our course started on the Monday morning @ 08.30 so an early start.

I knew then that this was not a holiday.

We set off a little early just to find where we were going.

The course is held in a unit in Featherstone Football Stadium underneath the stands there which is quite cool. We didn`t get to see a match though.

Football Stadium

When we arrived we were met by Stew, our tutor and teacher in all things plaster.

The course accommodates 3 students. Which is great as you get time to ask questions and can also learn from each other.

I was very nervous as I was a complete novice.

I felt at ease quickly.

Our first task was to measure and cut plasterboard and fit to the ceiling.

I was internally panicking as had never done this before. Stew demonstrated what to do.

I felt I was doing a good job, until We put it up on the ceiling and it was too small. I have no idea how or what happened but clearly first day nerves got me. We got the ceiling up it was usable, and then had to prepare a dry wall around a window, again I was nervous especially after messing my first attempt but I got this one right,(may be a bit wonky but it fitted ) I was made up. Gold star for me.

My Plastering bay and attempt at boarding a ceiling

In the picture you see my finished plasterboard, ready for its first coat of plaster.

It was then time to skim the ceiling.

We were shown how to mix plaster. Working in dentistry we use a plaster for casting up models. The plaster we are mixing today is on a much bigger scale and alot thicker.

Stew then demonstrated what tools to use and how to do this on my ceiling. He made it look very easy and I thought I was getting away with only doing half a ceiling, I was wrong, he only went and scraped the demo area off, I had to do my own. My first time of skimming was bit of a wake up call to the skill it takes and just how physically demanding it is. Skimming a ceiling is neck breaking. All three of us on the course were dreaming of a relaxing spa shoulder and neck massage after.

Hard At Work

In the afternoon we learnt how to prepare an already plastered wall and to skim this.

Again Stew went through everything answered our questions and made it look easy.

I found it tricky as I am ambidextrous, and for plastering my prominent arm was my left. So I tried to mirror everything, you have to put pressure on the walls where maybe your arm and body is not used to doing this so arms get so so tired, achy and weak. I swapped arms which felt very strange, but over the 4 days learned how to use my right arm aswel.

So 2 coats of plaster on the ceiling and

the wall and that was the end of our first day . We definately slept well that night

Very pleased with myself My first plastered wall

Over the next 3 days we learnt how to polish our skimmed walls and ceiling, we put a bonding/ scratch coat and why you use it, we added beading to the window and we learnt how to feather, join 2 sections together without it being seen.

We will absolutely need to use this as some of our walls and ceilings are too big to do in one stage. We also learnt how to do patch areas.

Still Hard at work

Plasterboard going up

There were alot of firsts for us this week.

The course was extremely useful and we have come away with a wealth of knowledge and experience of plastering and a new skill.

We plan to make a practice wall so we can improve on our skill and allow our bodies to get used to plastering so we don`t have so many aches an pains.

We can highly recommend CS plastering school.

Thank you to Stew for imparting with your knowledge and not laughing too much at my efforts.