How to achieve a finish both you and your builder are happy with.
Have you ever been onto a job site to discover that there are just a few things that just aren’t quite right? It can make the difference between an average and a good plastering job. Attention to detail can be what makes a good plastering contractor great, as well as avoiding those time consuming and costly call backs by builders.
Plastering is governed by the Australian Standard 2589; it is a requirement that you maintain this standard, but it is also good for business if you avoid some of these common observations.
Observation: Some topped screws aren’t sanded
Cause: The plasterer got distracted by a site visit, another trade starting work before he was finished or simply missed it because he was in a hurry.
Action: You can avoid mishaps like these by working methodically and checking over every room in the job before you leave to ensure that nothing was missed. Better yet, arrange to meet the builder upon completion to look over the job and sign off the work completed.
Observation: Topped screws over sanded or roughly sanded.
Cause: New sanding pads that haven’t had the new edge taken off or using too heavy a grit (180) for sanding.
Action: If you’re going to sand mechanically then you can use a fine grit to take the edge off the sanding pad first, or use an old pad that will just take the compound off and doesn’t rough up the paper. You can also still sand topped screws by hand. If you talk to your tool manufacturer, they can help iron out the problems you may be having with ideas and advice.
Observation: Outer edges of the recesses were visible and once painted they looked like shoulders
Cause: Over sanding of the joints
Action: Take greater care when applying the base coats and your top coat will need less sanding. Look at the example from a tradesman’s work who was a winner of the Awards of Excellence. The edges are beautifully feathered and the application looks like it has been applied with a box and then hardly touched. Experienced tradesmen using mechanical application will make all the difference to your job.
Observation: Dimple topped screws
Cause: Sometimes a screw enters the plasterboard on an angle, or penetrates the plasterboard paper. Once it is topped, the paper will shrink back more than if the screw had been correctly fastened. If you notice this error at the time of fixing, remove the screw, remembering that when you fill the holes there will be significant shrinkage as the compound dries.
Action: Let your applied compound dry thoroughly. When sanding, don’t take off too much of the compound. Screws are topped with three layers of cement for a reason.
Observation: Narrow butt joins
Cause: Using a single pass of the box when applying base coat, second coat and top coat.
Action: A good butt join should be a minimum of 500mm wide. It is not good workmanship to make them too narrow.
Observation: Deep scratches around externals at the top of the staircase
Cause: Poor sanding practice. One of the most common reasons you get gouges and scratches is because the area was sanded too hard in one direction with 180 grit sandpaper folded up to get into the corner. This will commonly result in the compound being gouged out during sanding and scratches appearing.
Action: Sand with a flat block to minimise scratching and create a smooth, even finish.
Observation: Ridge taped with paper tape which left minor imperfections noticeable which may not have been as evident had the painter back-rolled the surface, or at least presented some texture.
Cause: Any deviations in the background can be transferred through the paper tape and in some cases a different material is required to create an even line.
Action: Try using magic corner or angles designed for this type of application which gives a great finish, and build a strong relationship with the painter.
Observation: Dags left on the wall
Cause: A bit of sawdust, a drop of silicone, a smear of grout, a drip of compound – these can all cause a dag to remain on the wall and although they are often not the fault of the plasterer, once painted, the builder will see what looks to them like plastering dags.
Action: Take the time to clean the surface of your job. It may take you an extra ten minutes, but it will save you the heartache of trying to repair and explain dags to the builder. You will feel more confident once your job is finished that the final decorated surface will have fewer, avoidable imperfections.
Observation: Gaps near the skirting line of short returns. On many occasions a gap can be seen in the skirting line when a return is 300mm – 400mm wide
Cause: Too short a distance for the compound to feather and not be noticed.
Action: Good plasterers set over the entire area so the build is not noticeable from the external to the internal and therefore a flat surface is the result.
Observation: Sloppy Internals
Cause: Poor workmanship and no attention to detail
Action: run your fingers up the internals to feel for any obvious imperfections and eyeball the internal for straightness. If any spot looks a bit suspect, add a little more mud and smooth it over.
Observation: A messy job.
Cause: Rubbish including left over compound, banana skins, lunch wrappers, drink bottles and cartons, off cuts, loose screws and scraps of metal angle left lying about are a sure way to offend the builder.
Action: Keeping your site tidy demonstrates your professionalism to a builder. A messy site is completely avoidable.
Final walk through…
This is the most important part of your job. Using your eyes and running your hand over your finish, critically examine your work and make sure that it is a job you are proud of before contacting your builder to arrange final inspection and sign off of the job. In this way, you can be sure that on your job, quality control for plasterers has been met.
