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steves plastering
Senior Member
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
Posts: 129
Location: Newcastle upon tyne
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 Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject: filling and skimming post re-wire???? Awkward customer! |
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I have a very lovely customer who is in the process of re-wiring her house.
She has asked me to quote for filling in after the electrician has finished first fix... so far no problems.
However she doesn't want the walls skimmed but wants them to be a paintable finish i'e. feather in some skim around all the chasing and boxes.
It is my humble (and slightly nervous due to lack of experience) opinion that this will not have the desired effect.. am i right?
I told the lady she should consider having the whole wall skimmed but didn't want to risk sounding like i was trying to rip her off. I suggested she should get some more quotes and see if other plasterers are willing to give it a go
I have done a bit of feathering in but wouldn't want to be trying to disguise a chase down the middle of the wall. What is the technique and is it possible to have such a fine join as to be a paintable finish or should she just get the whole wall done?
Steve |
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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It's damn hard work trying to get a chase to match up that well that you could paint it so that it cannot be seen. I could not do this and would find it easier to skim the whole wall!
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bathstyle
BATHROOM DESIGN AND INSTALLATION
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 796
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| Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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bonding plaster and then easi fill and then sandpaper, once painted it's invisible.
You wouldn't re skim every single wall in a house that has a socket or light switch in. |
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Jaeger_S2k
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 2786
Location: North West, England, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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I was thinking the same, or use Artex a few of the guys have said it sands easier. She's going to have a mess and the sanding is a machine job for the size, dust is going to be your biggest problem.
Call yourself a Plasterer? 
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Jaeger.
"Does my bum look BIG in this?" Wit's a Ba' Hair in Metric? 
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andy-p-
pro plasterer
Joined: 31 Jan 2007
Posts: 398
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:34 am Post subject: |
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Hi steve. Ive done some this week as it happens. Wot i have found over the years is, if the sparky has chased them out really neat you usually cant see them when you fill them with hardwall and skim. But if he has made a real mess of it use hardwall and easi fill then sand as bath said. Use hardwall if its block or brick.
Check wot state all the walls are in, if they are a mess and you really dont want to fill them just tell her in your experience it would be better to reskim the walls because they are in a mess anyway.
If you have to fill them whats the worst that can happen - she'll call you back to sand them down!
I always try and do the whole re-skim thats what pays my bills! |
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steves plastering
Senior Member
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
Posts: 129
Location: Newcastle upon tyne
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:02 am Post subject: |
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Cheers guys,
(call myself a plasterer???) I only started doing this for friends and family around my shifts as a cop as i fancied some extra cash (and i can't stand my day job), words getting around and i'm starting to struggle with some of the more advanced / technical requests from customers.
Probably best just be honest and say i am not good enough yet. I might give the eisifill / sanding a go and charge next to nothing, that way i get to have a go and she doesn't spend any money, if its crap she can pay to have the wall skimmed, if its good then we both win i suppose.
How does easyifill work, do you slap it on smooth it out then sand when its gone off??? |
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Andrew
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Posts: 360
Location: Sunny Southend!
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I'd like to know a bit more about this easi-fill stuff. It's ben mentioned in a lot of the plastering threads here and it certainly seems the nuts when it comes to sorting out a wall where you wouldn't want to plaster it all with skim. I'm just about to strip the paper off in my girlfriend's flat and am not up to the state of plastering whole walls, so was thinking of just making them "good", either for lining paper or even just paint. I was going to just use pollyfilla, but may give easi-fill a go.
However, the problem I've had with the pre-mixed pollyfilla is when you use it on multi-finish (as opposed to that old grey original plaster), the plaster is softer than the pollyfilla and so sands down first!!! I kind of got round that by using the powder stuff and mixing it up weaker, but you still have to be careful when sanding as multi-finish is so damn fragile.
Would easi-fill be the same as above? Do you mix it by hand, like pollyfilla?
My question - why can't multi-finish be used to hide blemishes? Does it not blend out fine enough? Would sanding always be involved when blending?
Steve's plastering - did you go on a plastering course or just learnt yourself? I'd really like to know!
Thanks.  |
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andy-p-
pro plasterer
Joined: 31 Jan 2007
Posts: 398
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:32 am Post subject: |
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steve, never tell someone you aint good enough to do it. Just talk as if you what your on about mate. Because she may want you back at some point to do more work after doing a good job this time! I wouldnt bother telling her what your going to use ie multi or easi fill. Just give her the price to do the job.
Just fill with hardwall leave it a few mm below the surface of the wall then fill with easi fill but not to thick as it takes ages to dry. Make sure you remove the hardwall that may be on the surface of the wall before you use the easi fill.
When dry sand it down using a block nice and flush. Job done!
Youll be fine steve just be confident |
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steves plastering
Senior Member
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
Posts: 129
Location: Newcastle upon tyne
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:56 am Post subject: |
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thanks andy-p. i'll give it a go...
Andrew - i did a 5 day course about six months ago then did most of my own house straight after, by the time i had done that i did my father in laws kitchen then my step-mothers ceilings and before i knew it i was getting phonecalls from random people asking me to skim their walls, it has taken me all six months to get good enough to charge someone and is certainly a case of having a go and keep going at it till you get quick / good enough.
I found the technique quite easy to get the hang of but am still trying to keep up with the mix going off so obviously im still a tad slow, helps loads if you have a labourer to clean buckets etc. just crack on with it mate, if you can find small walls to practice the technique of polishing off then you are half way there, the rest is all about speed. (i think anyway).
Good luck. |
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Jaeger_S2k
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 2786
Location: North West, England, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:05 am Post subject: |
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Hey Steves,
There was nothing serious about my comment fella  I was only playing with you.
DON'T EVER TELL A CUSTOMER YOU DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH!!!!
You're obviously good enough, people have paid you!
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"Does my bum look BIG in this?" Wit's a Ba' Hair in Metric?
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skiking
Senior Member
Joined: 13 Sep 2006
Posts: 3086
Location: Cheshire
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:33 am Post subject: |
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Not sure if I totally agree with some of the comments here about advising the customer. As a customer I'd be happier if I was told honestly the situation. I think if you came at it something along the lines of - "I normally do a skim to get the best result but if you want me to patch this, which is not something I do but I have researched a product that may give the desired result, I'll do it but as its not the way I normally work I cannot gaurantee the results". This set the expectation; if it doesn't work then the customer was aware it may not, if it worked well then the customer is made up that you made the extra effort.
I find that if a trademan is upfront with things (honestly) and takes the time to explain things then problems/issues can be talked through to the satisfaction of both parties - but not always |
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Andrew
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Posts: 360
Location: Sunny Southend!
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the detailed reply steve! Go on, so what course was it...???
So do you trowel easi-fil on? you must have to mix quite a load up to trowel it on! |
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Jaeger_S2k
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 2786
Location: North West, England, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:17 pm Post subject: |
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It also sets the ....
"I'm not letting this useless tw@t anywhere near my wall. I mean, he says he can skim a whole wall, this is just a bit of filling and sanding. If he's incapable of this then I'd hate to see his full skim. How fast can I get him out of here? Plasterer my @rse!!!!"
See the Punters not as Daft as we'd sometimes like to think. 
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Jaeger.
"Does my bum look BIG in this?" Wit's a Ba' Hair in Metric?
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steves plastering
Senior Member
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
Posts: 129
Location: Newcastle upon tyne
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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Jaeger you are quite right, however you and i both know that skimming a whole wall to a polished finish is easier than feathering in a patch so that you can't tell it was ever there.
I'm just keen to operate within the bounds of my ability, if i can't do it i won't, i wouldn't apprecaite somone working in my house if they had lied about their abilities but i take your point
Feedback on my skimming is excellent so i can obviously manage it ok and i'm pretty confident, to be honest i haven't had a single complaint yet which is prob what is making me nervous to try new stuff if you get what i'm on about, don't fancy ballsing up my good record.
Andrew - just a five day plastering course at the local builders training centre, they are all over the country, i'm no pro but it gave me the ground work to practice and definately taught me the technique and the basics of various sorts of plastering, i paid £350 and it has paid for itself 6 times already. so i'm happy with that. |
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Jaeger_S2k
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 2786
Location: North West, England, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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Steves,
I do that all the time, question my ability and logic. I'm sure you'll get a good result.
For your own peace of mind why don't you pre-price it by the hour lets say it'll take 6 hours and you don't leave till your happy to leave. If you know what I mean?
Can't complain at that and you can be sure your reputation will be fine.
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Jaeger.
"Does my bum look BIG in this?" Wit's a Ba' Hair in Metric?
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