Decorating costs...

[andyoxon]

Good idea – I’m leaning towards getting the ceiling done, but DIYing the rest.

The temptation to try and learn plastering ‘on the job’ is quite high...but I think Patrick/others have it right, bonj...

From www.diydoctor.org.uk

7. Plastering is very hard work indeed. Mostly because of the speed it has to be carried out at & also because it involves a lot of body movement. Please make sure you have divided the room onto manageable areas. You really do only want to do this once.

For an absolute novice we would suggest that a ceiling area of 2m x 2m is the maximum that should be attempted in one go and a wall area of 2.4m x 2.5m.

I reckon if you can get good at plastering, or have the knack, then it might be a good sideline....


Andy

 

[bonj2]

I think a lot of this is just mysticism put about by the plastering trade in order to discourage people from trying it themselves. The more people that try it themselves and manage it, the less money they make.

 

[andyoxon]

If the cracks are due to un-taped joints between plasterboards, then the plaster needs removing around the crack (2" or so for the tape), the joints taped, and the 2" strip to be replastered to match-in. If you just polyfilla or even paper over sich cracks, you'll soon be seeing them again!

I have just had quotes for doing a small cloakroom toilet, a small main bathroom and an ensuite, ie ripping out the old, installing new kit, tiling...without the baths/showers etc..... Am now looking at a part DIY solution.


23k!

Andy, cost of tradesmen here is unbelievable IF they have time to fit you in.
BTW, YHM

Hi FF, the ceiling has a low grade artex, which complicates things, apparently not least because you have to make sure it's not pre-1970s, and doesn't contain asbestos But whoever does it will have to preapre the crack/board joints.

"IF they have time to fit you in." exactly my experience on some repointing work...

Andy

 

[Cab]

I've tried doing plastering - it's hard. Sanding it down makes it look like a right dogs dinner. Ok if you're going to paper over it I suppose.

Hmmm... Hard would be the wrong way to describe it. I had some plastering to do in our living room when we took the wallpaper off. Turns out that the joker who first decorated the extension part put woodchip paper over the top of still wet plaster, unpainted. Then with several layers of paint on top of the plaster, it was a right sod to get off and the dividing line between 'not quite off' and 'plaster taken off too' was quite fine!

So, big patches to re-plaster... Really, it wasn't that hard. Make up the plaster, apply bit at a time, smooth over, work it smooth with care, then come back after a while and smooth again with a wet plasterers trowel. Not such a big deal. Then allow to dry, sand bits if they're really iffy, prime it, paint it... Was a little time consuming (I'm not a plasterer, I shouldn't expect to be able to master it or even do it quickly), but I could manage it.

 

[Cab]

I had a joiner in at the weekend to fit wooden kitchen worktops. He said to me "why do people think that they can do my job well - I wouldn't be able to do theirs". Wise words indeed.

Not really. I would guess that with a wee bit of guidance he could do a lot of other peoples jobs, just not as quickly. The key to doing DIY that you're not a specialist in is taking your time, following the advice you get carefully, taking your time, being careful about using the right tools and materials, and taking your time. Oh, and you have to not rush at it

Edit: Using this approach I recently rebuilt the kitchen, and that includes fitting wooden worktops like your joiner, yes, around difficult pipes where necessary too. Simply a matter of using the right tools and reading up on how to do it.

 

[col]

I had a similar problem with our bedroom cieling,so decided to try this stuff that was supposed to cover cracks,and expand if needed.It worked to a degree,but needed twice as much as was stated on the tub.It still wasnt perfect though.

 

[domtyler]

I wonder if you could master a frontal lobotomy on yourself - or maybe you already have

I'm pretty sure he fucked it up!

 

[User482]

Not really. I would guess that with a wee bit of guidance he could do a lot of other peoples jobs, just not as quickly. The key to doing DIY that you're not a specialist in is taking your time, following the advice you get carefully, taking your time, being careful about using the right tools and materials, and taking your time. Oh, and you have to not rush at it

Edit: Using this approach I recently rebuilt the kitchen, and that includes fitting wooden worktops like your joiner, yes, around difficult pipes where necessary too. Simply a matter of using the right tools and reading up on how to do it.

That was the point he was making - people think that they can just start a DIY job without any experience, patience or skills, and get a decent finish. Ain't going to happen.

I worked out that by the time I had hired or bought a router, mitre, jigsaw, sander etc, the cost saving was marginal. And when given the high cost of the wood, and the low probability of me making no mistakes, getting it fitted by a joiner was a no-brainer. I did do all of the cupboards & plinths myself though, as that's fairly easy.

I still say plastering is hard. You must just be good at DIY!

 

[Aperitif]

Andy. Firstly, slice the pointy bits off the existing artex using a scraper / knife - they come on a stem with replaceable blades.
Be careful not to gouge the ceiling too much and also, sheet everything out under the area that you are working on.
After you have de-knibbed the artex, prime the whole ceiling with some dilute PVA adhesive. Get it from Wickes or somewhere like that - you don't need 10 litres. Buy some patching plaster and go for it. You'll need a bucket, trowel, hawk and patience but it is do-able.
Afterwards, any dodgy bits can be sanded down using a pole sander.
After all that, reprime with PVA, allow to dry and then line the ceiling with 800 grade lining paper, making sure you pay particular attention to the edges. I always use a ready mixed adhesive applied with a big roller - like paint...
After all that, the ceiling is ready to paint with vinyl matt emulsion (unless absolutely perfect, in which case go for gloss!!) and will look perfect. Allow 2 days for this - from start to fin.
I'm assuming you have a pair of steps - a short plank, something to support the other end of the plank... usual stuff.
The key to plastering is not to make the mix too stiff, approach in small, manageable sections, DON'T try to get it smooth at first, cover the whole area and then start again and all will be well. A hand sprayer can help when finishing to smooth - but do not over use the spray and be prepared for a mega-achy shoulder the next day!
Edit: Two other things: The thickness of your 'plastering' will be virtually nothing - just aiming to fill the depressions with the first pass, smoothing with the second. Also, overlooking the obvious (as I do...) if you knock the tips of the artex off with the scraper as described above, then dampen the artex once or twice (use a sponge and water etc..) and leave to soften, you might find that the nasty stuff is easily scraped off the ceiling, leaving you with a smooth surface, ready for jointing and lining - no 'plastering'!
Sorry to make this sound a bit laborious...please don't take the p*ss Abitary :¬)

 

[Abitrary]

Plastering can't be hard. Just learn it, practice on a surface you're not that bothered about. Even if it is hard to get a smooth finish, just whack loads more than you need on and then sand it down once it's dried.

yeah...

 

[Abitrary]

Plastering can't be hard. Just learn it, practice on a surface you're not that bothered about. Even if it is hard to get a smooth finish, just whack loads more than you need on and then sand it down once it's dried.

Sanding a potential mess like that will involve timescales that can only be described along the lines of when I asked the leader of my Buddhism club at college how long the world would last and he said...

'Imagine a mountain made of diamond, in a strange land, and once a year a bird comes to sharpen his beak upon it. When the mountain is no more, then neither will we'