Find a Plasterer you can trust in Aberdour.

Plastering will fix small cracks in walls. Very small cracks may be fixed by simply reskimming plaster. More serious cracks will usually mean that you need to use new plasterboard or backing plaster. Larger jobs or deep cracks may need an experienced plasterer to come in.

Plasterboard or drywall is simply gypsum plaster covered from both sides by thick paper layers. It’s known to be a highly versatile product used on both interior walls and ceiling as a result of its numerous advantages. This popular material in residential buildings can be designed to be fire resistant, humidity resistant and noise resistant. They have a low impact on the environment, while also being quite easy to repair and perfect to hide stuffs from plain sight. Most home and property owners in the UK have this material installed in their space as despite the multiple benefits, they’re also quite affordable. However, if you’re thinking about installing a plasterboard on your ceiling, one challenge you’re likely to face is determining the appropriate plasterboard thickness to incorporate as this make or mar your entire project. In this post, we’re going to take a look at the right plasterboard thickness for ceiling so as to help you make an informed decision moving forward. Let’s take a look!

Firstly, let’s consider the size of the plasterboard sheet. The standard plasterboard sheet size is 120 cm in width and within the range of 180 cm to 360 cm in height. These sizes are designed to provide the much-needed support to the standard stud spacing which is 160 cm. Depending on the manufacturer, plasterboard can be in four different widths. Now talking about the thickness, there are two standard thicknesses of plasterboard - 9.5 mm and 12.5 mm. The sizes of plasterboard for ceilings are 9.5 mm or 10 mm. Most individuals tend to assume that the thicker the plasterboard the better, but this is absolutely false. A thicker plasterboard will only stick harder to the ceiling which will make it hard to seal joints if required.

Artex is a water based decorative surface coating is typically incorporated on both walls and ceilings so as to apply a pattern. During the peak of its popularity in the 1970’s, it was considered the height of fashion when it comes to interior wall designs however its major drawback remains the fact that it usually contains asbestos especially if it was manufactured before the laws governing the use of asbestos was changed in the year 2000. And asbestos, as we know it, can be deadly when disturbed and its fibres are inhaled.

If you have artex installed in your purchased property and you do not know when the artex walls were done, or perhaps you just want to change the aesthetic design of your home into something more modern and to your personal taste, then you may want to remove the existing artex from your property for good. If this is your wish then you’ve come to the right place.

To remove artex from your walls you can choose to do so using the steaming method or through the use of an external product.

Using the steaming method, you should know that it’ll be more labour intensive and time consuming. You need a lot of patience moving your steamer slow and steady because if left on a spot for too long can damage the wall behind the coating. Once the artex has been dampened with the steamer, you can then scrape them off with a handheld scraper.

A faster solution would be to use an external product to remove your artex.  For example, you can use X-Tex which is a water-based coating remover. All you need to do is paint the substance over your artex wall and leave to dry for about 30 to 60 minutes before peeling away the artex.

What Is Plaster Made Of?

Plaster is one of the most commonly used materials when it comes to building construction. It’s a crucial component that’s incorporated in coating walls, ceilings as well as partitions and it hardens on drying. Plastering is one of the most ancient building materials which has taken over mud to plaster reed or sapling huts so as to serve as a protection against the elements. Here, we’re going to take a look at the multiple compositions of plaster. These components are very important due to the fact that they form a protective coating on whatever they are used on. They work to protect surfaces such as ceiling and underlying walls from scratches or any form of damage.

Plaster comprises a few materials which includes gypsum, lime or cement and all operates in a similar way. Gypsum is made of calcium sulfate dihydrate and it’s the main component of main forms of plaster, sidewalk chalk, blackboard, drywall and more. Meanwhile, lime plaster is made up of sand, water and lime ( mostly non hydraulic hydrated lime). And lastly, cement which is a mix of suitable plaster, portland cement, sand as well as water.

The plaster is usually produced as a dry powder which is mixed thoroughly with water to create a stiff but also a paste that’s workable immediately before it’s applied to the wall or ceiling.

It’s quite easy to confuse a drywall with a plaster but there are some differences. Not only is plaster a much older style of wall construction than dry wall, but it’s also a lot more expensive than installing a drywall. Plaster walls are also able to provide you with a more durable finish when compared to a drywall and it makes for a better quality finish.

How To Plaster A Wall

In order to plaster your wall successfully, you’ll firstly need to get the appropriate tools and materials for the job in place. The tools you’ll need to have includes a trowel and bucket trowel, plasterer’s float, corner trowel, hawk board, two buckets, mixing stick or a paddle, adequate plaster, PVA , dust sheets, clean water, sandpaper, stilts or step ladder as well as a dust mask.

✓ Prepare the wall. You’d have to make sure that you lay down a dust sheet so as to protect your floor and also gather any possible spillage or debris of plaster, before you start working on the walls. Get rid of all the dirt, dust and debris as this is very important for the success of your project if you’re going to be plastering on a worn out and old wall. Also, cover the holes and cracks in the walls with a screen tape

✓ Apply PVA to the wall. This will help ensure the layer you’re using will not dry out at the same time.

✓ Mix the paster. Mix the plaster according to the instructions given in the manufacturer’s manual.

✓ Apply the plaster onto the wall. Upon cleaning of the walls and successful mixture of the plaster, the next step is to apply the mixture to the wall using the hawk board, trowels and a floating tool.

✓ Skim and smooth. After the the first coat has dried after waiting for about 30 minutes, the next step will be to wipe out the bumps and lumps using a trowel to smooth over the surface. Once this is done you can then scrape the wall with a devilling float.

✓ Apply the second coat of plaster

✓ Apply the finishing touches. This includes polishing your work by adding some water to the surface with a spray gun and using the trowel to further smoothen out the surface.

✓ Painting and wallpapering.

Artex was originally made using white asbestos to make it stronger. However, this stopped in the mid-1980s, and the use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, due to its extreme health risks. So, any artex you buy today won’t contain asbestos.

If you have an artex ceiling or wall that was created before 1999, it may have asbestos in it. This won’t be a health hazard if you leave it undisturbed, so it’s not necessary to remove it. However, if you want to get rid of or alter your artex ceiling or wall, you must get it tested to check if it has asbestos in or not first. If it does, you’ll need to hire a qualified professional to work on it.

Artex is a water based surface coating which is used to decorate both ceilings and walls with a textured finish. Back in the 1970’s, artex happens to be very popular when the swirling or spiky effects it creates  were considered to be the best of fashion when it comes to interior designs. However, in today’s world, an artex ceiling is not only considered outdated but also a pain to clean and repair.

If you have an artex ceiling in your residential property and looking for a way to get it off, then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to show you how its done without much stress.

To get started you’d need to get the following tools and material which includes: safety goggles, dust mask and rubber gloves, plastic sheeting, canvas drop cloth ( carpet) or rosin paper (hard floor) and step ladder

Prepare the room. Start this by moving all furniture out of the room or stack the furniture at the centre of the room and cover using plastic sheets. Once done, cover all non-removable items with plastic sheets and lay down a canvas drop cloth for carpet floors and rosin paper for hard floors

• Put on your safety gear
• Use a utility knife or joint knife to slowly chip away at the texture and create a smooth surface.
• Mix joint compound in a bucket as per the instructions on the package
• Skim the surface with a thin layer of joint compound to smooth it out using a taping knife, then leave to dry overnight before you proceed
• Lightly sand the surface smooth with the help of a 220-grit sanding block
• Use a damp cloth to wipe the surface clean prior to painting.

Also referred to as drywall, plasterboard is a panel that features an inner layer of gypsum and spread between facer as well as backer paper. It is mostly incorporated in the construction of both interior walls and ceilings. Plasterboard can be made to be humidity resistant, fire resistant as well as noise resistant. Due to these reasons and also the fact that it’s very easy to install and very affordable, plasterboard is a very popular choice when it comes to interior walls and ceilings.

One of the major issues that most homeowners face when fitting plasterboard is the thickness required to make the project a long lasting one. But not to worry, we got you covered! If you’re about to install plasterboard for your ceiling and wondering the thickness that’ll be appropriate, then you’ve come to the right place. In general, the standard plasterboard sheet size is 120 cm in width and within the range of 180 cm to 360 cm in height. These sizes are designed to provide the much needed support to the standard stud spacing which is 160 cm. Depending on the manufacturer, plasterboard can be in four different widths.

Now talking about the thickness, there are two standard thicknesses of plasterboard - 9.5 mm and 12.5 mm. The sizes of plasterboard for ceilings are 9.5 mm or 10 mm. Most individuals tend to assume that the thicker the plasterboard the better, but this is absolutely false. A thicker plasterboard will only stick harder to the ceiling which will make it hard to seal joints if required.

Plasterboards are a great noise insulators which can also reduce disturbances from other activities. As a result, for walls, size of plasterboards that’s considered appropriate for walls is 12.5 mm or 13 mm.