Where can I buy Decent Plaster?

[sitefive]

Or the question is do you even have anything else available besides that red/pinkish stuff which you must apply in huuuuge amounts and its nightmare to work with since it dries so fast in contact with any dust/drywall itself, I get it that It must be used in huge amounts and all the wall must be covered with it in rather thick coat but do you have Any DIFFERENT plaster which you can apply in thin coats/which covers all imperfections without setting off almost instantly in contact with plasterboard and you don't need to cover all wall with it but only the areas which needs it?

Building materials/techniques over here in UK are just so much different than what I'm used to and mostly not in a good way, having used a decent plaster before and now using this I'm just damn frustrated how bad it is and hard to work with to get anything near good finish to what I'm used to.
I'm used to pay around £15 overseas for 25kg bag of it and it goes a looong way, now just bought this red stuff for £5 for 25kg bag , simply because I couldn't find anything else and it feels more like a clay render not a plaster!

 

[RobinBHM]

Bonding coat or multifinish?

 

[n0legs]

This just a case of you yet again wandering in to the wrong place and buying the wrong material.
If you want to fill joints and nail heads in plaster board why don't you buy drywall filler, plasterboard joint filler, jointing compound etc.
The "red/pinkish stuff" is finishing plaster, used by those with skill to plaster/skim a wall. It will never be very good as a general purpose filler due to it's limits of application thickness, it won't be very easy to sand either.

Maybe you should look up products made by Knauf or Lafarge, I'm fairly sure they may know a thing or two about fillers and plasters.

I guess the people you've spoken to about the plaster available here don't know what they've bought or for that matter how to use it either.

Britain's such a terrible place for good craftsmen I wonder why anybody comes here these days :roll:

 

[n0legs]

Bonding coat or multifinish?

I'll guarantee you he doesn't know the difference.

 

[sitefive]

http://www.diy.com/departments/thistle- ... 812_BQ.prd
I got this red stuff which is called multi finish but it feels more like a lumpy clay render , I get it that it has it's place and every country has different techniques but this stuff simply isn't easy to work with if you haven't mastered it nor is really practical.


I'm after a very very fine grain plaster ( pretty much sure cement based, not sure what that red stuff is made from?)
And Yes the ones I have used before have been made by Knauf as well which has been good quality.

 

[blackrodd]

Plastering is a trade, you need to use the right plaster for the right job, working with Worn in tools and the skills to use them quickly, hence the fast setting time.
Be more specific with a background to be finished, and you'll get an answer, there are a couple of plasterers on here, I believe.
Different plastering materials for thermalite/ celcon type blocks. concrete block, stone, lime plaster cast concrete and various brick types, plasterboard,etc, etc.
Regards Rodders

 

[blackrodd]

If you don't know what the red stuff is made from, how do you know how to use it?
Knauf products are stocked by Wickes, If you've used it before, best stick to that.
Regards Rodders

 

[sitefive]

If you don't know what the red stuff is made from, how do you know how to use it?
Knauf products are stocked by Wickes, If you've used it before, best stick to that.
Regards Rodders

Thanks for suggestion, will head down to wickes and pick up a couple packs to test out, they do seem to have much better and wider product range than the B&Q in this area
Honestly at the price of £5 what that red stuff costs I could only expect that it would of have been made of rather gritty and not well processed stuff as the quality stuff never costs £5 but more like £15 for the bag even in much cheaper countries.

I imagine the red stuff would be good for making a straight wall out of a brick/block or any other really uneven wall ( that's what a render is used usually for) but not for a plasterboard which is already pretty much ready to paint.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Wrong product again. RTFM.

 

[sitefive]

Wrong product again. RTFM.

What I'm used to do with plasterboard is just taping the joints and than skimming the joints/screw holes/any other imperfections as needed and sanding between the coats, but NOT rendering it all in a plaster. For brick/block walls you render it all in plaster yes, but not plasterboard which is already pretty much ready to be painted.
Not sure why is that done over here? anyone have an explanation to that? Maybe just to add another weather-protecting layer?

This is the way I'm used to finish plasterboard, and you get a great/smooth finish without messing around.

 

[n0legs]

Not sure why is that done over here? anyone have an explanation to that? Maybe just to add another weather-protecting layer?

A plaster finish pi$$es all over a plasterboard finish everyday. Jointing and taping is for people who can't plaster and yanks

I'd have skimmed that ceiling by the time you'd picked the sandpaper up.

 

[sitefive]

Not sure why is that done over here? anyone have an explanation to that? Maybe just to add another weather-protecting layer?

A plaster finish pi$$es all over a plasterboard finish everyday. Jointing and taping is for people who can't plaster and yanks

I'd have skimmed that ceiling by the time you'd picked the sandpaper up.

let us be real, unless you spend ages mastering that skill you will never get as good/smooth finish.
Since I have no wish to work as a plasterer and maybe actually do that task once every few years I will stick to the easy way and still get good results

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I stick to the way I know I'll get a brilliant result. I pay someone well ... and they know if they screw it up I've a big mouth in places they could do without someone having a big mouth.

 

[Adam9453]

Site five You do talk utter rubbish, just because YOU can't do it does not make it impossible.
You clearly haven't got a clue about plastering and should really employ someone who does, at least that might give you something new to complain about (how much plasterers charge in the uk blah blah).
I am not a professional plasterer but I got plasterers to teach me while they were doing the downstairs of our house.
I would put the finish quality of my plastering up against any professional but the difference is they would do it twice as fast or even quicker.
Plastering is like any skill, it takes practice, patience and dedication. From reading your posts I doubt it's for you.
Rant over

 

[Beau]

Gyproc easi fill http://www.british-gypsum.com/products/gyproc-easi-fill

Brilliant stuff. Much easier to sand back than pink. Dry lined our ceiling with it like in the picture you posted. Never done it before and got spot on results.

 

[Doug B]

As beau says its easi fill you want for taping & covering screws & you'll be happy because it's a lot more expensive than finish plaster :mrgreen:

 

[mindthatwhatouch]

Beau beat me to it.
Easifill or a similar jointing compound for JOINTING.
Plaster is for PLASTERING....

 

[Graham Orm]

You don't give the name of the product you're struggling with, it could be several different products, I'll assume it's finish (or skim), in which case is it board finish or multi-finish?

Or the question is do you even have anything else available besides that red/pinkish stuff which you must apply in huuuuge amounts and its nightmare to work with since it dries so fast in contact with any dust/drywall itself,

It should remain workable for 20 minutes, if it only lasts a few minutes it's been kept in a damp environment and is useless.

I get it that It must be used in huge amounts and all the wall must be covered with it in rather thick coat

It should be a thin coat 1mm thick, it's skim.

but do you have Any DIFFERENT plaster which you can apply in thin coats/which covers all imperfections without setting off almost instantly in contact with plasterboard and you don't need to cover all wall with it but only the areas which needs it?

If you want to do it properly...all the wall needs it. The way the Americans do it by patching the screw holes and joints is a short cut bodge if you ask me. It will leave you with a paper coated wall that won't withstand any knocks at all.

Building materials/techniques over here in UK are just so much different than what I'm used to and mostly not in a good way, having used a decent plaster before and now using this I'm just damn frustrated how bad it is and hard to work with to get anything near good finish to what I'm used to.
I'm used to pay around £15 overseas for 25kg bag of it and it goes a looong way, now just bought this red stuff for £5 for 25kg bag , simply because I couldn't find anything else and it feels more like a clay render not a plaster!

It should feel like Talcum powder to touch and should be mixed to the consistency of ointment.

In a nutshell:

Step one: Find out what you're using.
Step two: Find out how to use it.
Step three: Avoid going on a UK forum criticizing UK products and techniques if you want help.

Alternative step: Go back to where you were when you found things much easier.

You're welcome.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Skimming with finish plaster is a skill - and requires a fair bit of physical stamina, especially on large areas. I have taught myself how to do it by studying and talking to others doing it, by watching youtube and by studying the British Gypsum "White Book" - which is on their website and it extremely helpful. It is not rocket science, but it helps a great deal if you think/plan about what you're doing very carefully beforehand (he says) - and ideally have a reasonably fit helper.

Multifinish should be a creamy, not stodgy, consistency with absolutely no lumps.

Besides choosing the right product(s) according to the instructions, a key success factor is to understand the way in which the substrate pulls water out of the plaster - using PVA as a way to reduce that effect in certain cases.

There's no reason why you can't use the methods of taping and jointing that you're more familiar with - the tools and materials are readily available e.g. http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/building/dry- ... board.html My personal perception is that this method saves a bit on materials and requires somewhat less skill, but the results are not necessarily as good looking or as durable (having lived in houses/flats where both techniques have been used).

Cheers, W2S

PS most people - who haven't got the luxury of time, or the inclination, to learn - find it much easier to pay a "pro" to do it for them!

 

[John15]

Could this guy just be winding people up? I can't imagine anyone can be so dim.

John