Basic Skills for How To Plaster

Learning how to plaster is not as difficult as it may appear. However, it is still imperative that you learn what plastering tools to use along with what the proper techniques are. You do not have to be experienced or knowledgeable about drywall or plaster. All it takes is a little determination and a will to learn.

Part of learning how to plaster is the preparation before you even begin the plastering project. You will want to ensure you have everything set out and ready to use before you think about starting any DIY plastering. Since plaster dries relatively quickly once mixed, you will want to have everything on hand to begin the project right away. Also, you will want to check for any nails or screws below the surface and remove them prior to plastering. If there are any gaps in the wall, fill them with a non-shrinking filler such as Polyfilla. Keep in mind that the filler will need a day or two dry adequately. If you are joining plaster boards together, be sure to use jointing or repair tape to join the edges together to give it a nice strong bond.

There is a certain finesse involved when you learn to plaster . One of the first things you will do after you have done a thorough preparation is to mix the plaster. Grab a clean bucket and fill it with cold water, and then slowly start adding the plaster mix while mixing with the plastering stick or paddle. Once the mix begins to thicken it will turn to a light, creamy texture, and you will want to stop adding plaster mix and continue to stir evenly. You do not want powdery lumps and you do not want the mixture to run off the stick like water when it is lifted from the bucket. However, try not to make it too thick either. It can clump which will drag across your plaster finish. So try to find a happy medium between runny and thick.

Learning how to plaster also involves using the correct hawk and trowel properly. This may be the toughest part to learn plastering but if you give it time and lots of practice, you will get the hang of it. With practice you will be sliding the plaster on the trowel and across the wall with confidence. At first you may end up spilling quite a bit of the plaster mix, but do not let that discourage you. Even skilled plasterers do the same. Just cover the floor area where you are working to avoid too much of a mess.

Once your plaster is ready to apply, scoop it from your bucket onto the hawk. Fill the hawk with about three-quarters full with the plaster mix so you will have plenty on hand to work with. You should hold the trowel with the hand you write with and the hawk with the other.

The next thing you will need to learn how to do when plastering is the actual application of the plaster to the wall. Once you have gotten comfortable moving the plaster around on the hawk, you will be ready to begin applying the plaster with the trowel. Learning how to apply plaster is fairly easy. You get the plaster onto the wall with a swift movement of the trowel. You will want to hold the trowel and hawk at chest height. Once you have the plaster on the trowel, the next step is getting it onto the wall. You will do this by tilting the hawk down toward you while you are scraping the trowel in an upwards fashion to get the plaster onto it. As you are moving up the hawk with the trowel that is loaded with plaster, tilt your wrist so that the trowel meets the wall at a 45-degree angle and then sweep the plaster across from left to right.

You will want to continue applying the plaster up the wall to the ceiling, and then tuck the trowel blade into ceiling and drag downward to close the gaps. Continue applying the plaster from bottom to top in the same manner until you have covered the entire wall. A good Plastering DVD Course will show you how to do this correctly.

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