What to Expect from A Plasterers?

The plasterer is a trader who applies coats or stucco to the wall to make them functional. They clean the surface and apply two to three coats of plaster using brush or spray guns. They carry out traditional plastering like applying plaster and cement mixture to the walls. They also apply sealant to protect the finish and allow for easy cleaning. The work done by the plasterer is known as plastering. But concreters and plasterers are not same. Concreters mainly mix the building materials and build the walls and structure of the building. And plasterers mainly do the plastering work on the walls and ceilings of the buildings. Even they also do the same work on the exterior walls and before you apply the paints you need to plaster your walls completely.

History of Plastering

Plastering is an age-old method of building interiors of homes. It is an ancient method where the primitive men constructed their dwellings by plastering them with mud. At a later stage, the plaster that was compounded was perfect as can be seen in the ancient monuments and buildings which still stand undisturbed and intact. The calcined gypsum used by the Egyptians is very similar to the plaster of Paris that is used nowadays. Some of the earlier plasterings were so scientific in the composition that we still use them for building our house to the present day. Plasterers typically do a series of work to complete their work.

What do the plasterers normally perform?

  • A plasterer first cleans and prepares the surface of interior walls, ceilings, to form fire-resistant surfaces.  They clean the surface with a scratcher so that the stucco holds in place. 
  • Then mixes plaster and stucco to apply coats of plaster using towels or one can also use stucco. Options for brushes or spray guns are there too. 
  • Some of the plasterers decorate with textures via brushes, sand, or stones. With the help of different moulds and trowels, some plasterers are able to create very decorative designs. 
  • Such work requires special ability and skill. Apply a sealant or wax to protect the finish and for easy cleaning. They also apply plaster on the drywall to get a mooth scratch resistant surface.

The Tools Used by plasterer

Very few tools are required for the common type of plastering. The efficient workman will use a variety of tools to accomplish the task of skilful plastering. Lath, lime, plaster of Paris and many types of cement are used to create the smooth effect.

The qualities of a skilful plasterer

A skilful plasterer knows techniques of excellent plastering. He can produce perfect plasterwork. He has a good eye for detail and visualises the finished project. He should be a good team player to be able to work with others. He should follow strict health and safety guidelines as many materials are toxic in nature. You will have to work as a domestic plasterer for several years before becoming a technically skilful plasterer. Apart from that, the plasterers must have a valid license proof and insurance papers to do this work and if they fail to show these documents then you must avoid hiring them for your home improvement.

Most plasterers work indoors but sometimes some decorative work outdoor may also be required. A skilled plasterer can create smooth to rough and rustic finishes with the stroke of his brush and lathe. Most of the plasterers work as independent professionals and some of them also work under the supervision of building contractor. So it is your choice that you need to hire individual plasterers for your project or choose the building contractor for your large home improvement project.

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