Help my first ceiling was a disaster! Ask your questions and find answers on many subjects relating to plastering and dry lining

[leahchinnock]

I have recently just started out as a sole trader as a small job plasterer, i decided to do my ceiling at home first as a practice, what a joke, i managed to get the plaster to a perfect cosisntancy, got it all on then when i flattened it out with my trowel it must have dried to quickly where i first started, i got water on it like your supposed to, flattened again, i even used that sponge thing that you use in a circular motion during your trowelling ups! As for the edges and corners well, what a mess! I really need some guidance to where i am going wrong, i used half one coat and half finish plaster as the artex was deep, i used a thick enough layer but i only did the one coat on the ceiling! is this where i have gone wrong! oh i pva'd it too, twice! HELP.

Cheers Leah :[/b]

[kbrownie]

Hi,
The reason most probally lies in mixing the two compounds together. Never a good thing in my opinion. It will have effected the setting time and the plaster will have gone too quickly.
KB

[NimbusII]

I would suggest bonding an an artex ceiling first with 1 coat bonding, then while still damp but not wet lay your first skim coat on.. I find bonding on artex is easier and gives a better base for good finish with multifinish skim.. also slows down the drying due to moisture in the bonding.. I am pretty new to plastering and this works well for me...
ps.. Lay your first skim coat on quick and thick and just make sure its covered and dont worry about any ridges/lumps and bumps 3-4mm. Keep an eye on what you have done and dont loose track of what is going off and what is not... this was the first major lessen I learnt.

[Ginga]

Sorry to be brutal but i would sugest before you try and go out as a sole trader, plastering, you learn a boit more about the trade . Have you any experience in plastering . You would be better off labouring for a plasterer and learning the trade , it really isnt as easy as lt looks

[djwalker]

i noticed that you said you pva,d twice which should never be done as this creates a surface similar to having 2 plastic sheets on top of each other, there are many short courses availabe or as ginga said do a bit of laoboring for expieriance its realy not as easy as it looks good luck anyway.

[toptips]

Did you buy a stetson with your tools? Go on site and get some experience or end up on rogue traders.

[leahchinnock]

Thankyou for all the conciderate replies, if you must know i work with a plasterer who has been in the business for 30 years, i have completed many jobs since i became a business and have had very good customer satisfaction.
I am doing very well and making a reasonable profit, thankyou to KBrownie as always for sound advice, we all make mistakes now and then and this was my time, it was my house not a customers.
I have a good technique which shows through my work, like it or not.
Everyone starts out as the little guy! remember that.