I've had new window boards fitted and the area around the boards, below and to the sides, is heavily damaged with bits of undercoat plaster and finish plaster missing. It was poor before the boards were replaced with bits falling off so it is not the fault of the carpenter. All that is happened is that the damage is more obvious. In the worst areas the damage extends a couple of inches down the wall. The builder says they will make good. How should they do this and can they get a good finish? I spoke to the plasterer yesterday, and he said a patch would always look like a patch. I wondered if I could apply undercoat plaster in the deepest holes, then finish off off with Easi-fill and get an invisible patch. I've used Easi-fill to patch holes in the wall and the results are excellent. But would it last? Or is there a better way bearing in mind that I am willing to 'fart about' a bit to get a good finish whereas the plasterer does not have that luxury.

personally i dont 'patch' against the edge of a hollow... i'll fill the hollow with undercoat plaster and blend the skim finish into wherever it comes best off the trowel...
prolly doesnt make much sense to a non-plasterer so ill try to explain...
run a trowel full of plaster down a wobbly wall.... the wall will take the plaster where it needs it, leaving the high spots virtually devoid of plaster.. youve levelled the wall to an extent over the length of the trowel...
so when i patch, ill spread it to a reasonably flat area of wall so what you see is a blended seamless finish as opposed to a flat spot in a wobbly wall with a definate edge to it...
the slightest rub with a bit of fine sandpaper should be the most it requires when dry, if anything..

now, patching into a 'textured' finish, such as artex - virtually impossible...

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http://www.peterborough-plasterer.co.uk/

Thank you. I visited today and the plasterer has done the job. It looks like he used some undercoat plaster in the deep holes, and then today applied some finishing plaster. To be honest he has done a nice job, not perfect because it is a patch, but it is sort of what you describe i.e. blended into the wall rather than a sudden jump. A bit of touching up with sandpaper and Easi-fill here and there and I doubt anyone would know. I'm chuffed. Whoever did some of the work on this house before I moved in should be shot. I hope it wasn't a professional, must have been a home bodger.