Plastering costs? What options do I have to DIY?

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

We've just mapped out the wall areas to calculate the sqm area to be plastered (a time-consuming task we've been putting off tbh!).

 

Well, the answer has come out to be 880sqm - house is 260sqm but with tall ceilings and upstairs in the roof space (this figure hasn't yet had the doors and window areas removed from it, but as an overall ball park figure it gives a figure to work from (noting they all have deep panels around them, plus we need to cater for wastage).

 

I'm looking to fit the plasterboard, and concerned about how costly the plastering would be.

 

A few questions:

1. What sort of plastering cost should I brace myself for?

2. What alternative options are there for achieving a good finish? (just want to make sure I'm aware of all the options)

3. Any tips on fitting plasterboard? (any at all!)

 

Thanks

 

[Nickfromwales]

9 minutes ago, Great_scot_selfbuild said:

A few questions:

1. What sort of plastering cost should I brace myself for?

2. What alternative options are there for achieving a good finish? (just want to make sure I'm aware of all the options)

3. Any tips on fitting plasterboard? (any at all!)

 

1.  Just start ringing local spreads tbh.

2. I'm no fan of taping and jointing, other than in a non-domestic setting. Plaster is the way to get the best finish, subject to the spread not being shite. Scotland folk often say that plastering is not common practice, so you may have to ring around a bit / lot.

3. Don't screw through cables or pipes! Select the correct length screws for each room.

[Nestor]

I have a similar size home, about 800sqm needed skimmimg.

It was a job for a highly skilled professional and really appreciated the quality of the final result.

I did all the plaster boarding and fitted our main ceiling of 60sqm in birch plywood.

I used a wind up lifter for the high ceilings. It is a big task.

Back in 2018 I paid £7.00 per sqm,  I supplied all the tape, plaster and beading.

Pick a number a double / triple it??

Window reveals need to be included.

Get some quotes for whole job.

 

@nod will share same advice.

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

1 minute ago, Nestor said:

I have a similar size home, about 800sqm needed skimmimg.

It was a job for a highly skilled professional and really appreciated the quality of the final result.

I did all the plaster boarding and fitted our main ceiling of 60sqm in birch plywood.

I used a wind up lifter for the high ceilings. It is a big task.

Back in 2018 I paid £7.00 per sqm,  I supplied all the tape, plaster and beading.

Pick a number a double / triple it??

Window reveals need to be included.

Get some quotes for whole job.

 

@nod will share same advice.

Thanks. You've no idea how happy I am to hear that this amount of sqm to plaster isn't totally off the scale!

 

I've got our builder getting quotes from someone he trusts and does a good job. Although our builder is great, and has been fair with his costs, I'm always nervous when a new sub-contractor comes along to quote and may think 'oh great, a self-builder, they must be loaded' (I really have no idea where some of these people get this idea; some of the builders we quickly discounted were clearly testing the water on their visit to site, saying to expect an average cost of £3-5k/sqm - we didn't go back to them...).

 

Friends have said to expect £20k. I'm trying to manage my expectations.

 

I'm interested in your ceiling of birch plywood (we're having a birch plywood staircase) - would you be able to post some photos please? How did you fix it to the ceiling (are screws visible/a feature)? What about light fittings etc?

[Nestor]

I had a 10.5m steel for the ridge and did not want to just box it in. 

So made a frame, similar to a skateboard halfpipe, covered in red  faced plywood, then glued and pinned 4mm birch ply.

Have two long pendant light fittings, one over island, other over dining table.

Your friends might well be right.

Will try and find recent photo.

Edited 23 hours ago by Nestor

[Oz07]

You'd be closer to 4 quid a meter or thereabouts where I live but difficult to say for Scotland 

[crispy_wafer]

Difficult to gauge as I’ve not worked out sq/m, but I’ve got a number of rooms being started over the next few weeks, spread and his labourer, 6 rooms, 2 cupboards, 3 bathroom ceilings.  Plasterer and labourer to skim and prep plasterboards.  £6.5k. I’ve bought in the board finish, beading and tapes.  He says 10-15 days.

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

9 hours ago, Nestor said:

I had a 10.5m steel for the ridge and did not want to just box it in. 

So made a frame, similar to a skateboard halfpipe, covered in red  faced plywood, then glued and pinned 4mm birch ply.

Have two long pendant light fittings, one over island, other over dining table.

Your friends might well be right.

Will try and find recent photo.

 

@Nestor thanks - Ihad been wondering if you went for ply to keep its natural colour, but looks like you’ve painted it. What was the reason for going for the ply? was it the curve?

 

We have a spiral staircase and I’m yet to get to the challenge of working out how to get plasterboard to fit without snapping (one for another day).

[Russell griffiths]

I had two different lads do two rooms both I wasn’t happy with the finish. 
in the end I had a recommendation from a lad on here, I used the bloke he recommended and he has since gone on and done another buildhub members house. 
 

£4 a metre gets you a site plasterer, smash and dash lots of work for the decorators. 
mine came in around £6 when I added it up, I could see an awkward layout or high ceilings costing a bit more. 
I seam to recall a conversation with him about £10 a metre for high quality pain in the arse stuff. 
 

 

[crispy_wafer]

You can get 6mm board, that might be flexible enough to form a radius, alternatively, if you can get a plasterer that would be happy to skim over xps backer board, then you can buy the stuff that is prepped for strange shapes and curves…

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermopanel-Waterproof-Resistant-Install-Bathroom/dp/B07RZV1XCR/ref=asc_df_B07RZV1XCR?mcid=5c31f7c6a9a731dcb14df90763ba078c&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697339313975&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1902209021199673924&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-943033153117&psc=1&hvocijid=1902209021199673924-B07RZV1XCR-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

 

[Russell griffiths]

The cement faced xps board required a specific primer before skimming. 

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

21 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

You can get 6mm board, that might be flexible enough to form a radius, alternatively, if you can get a plasterer that would be happy to skim over xps backer board, then you can buy the stuff that is prepped for strange shapes and curves…

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermopanel-Waterproof-Resistant-Install-Bathroom/dp/B07RZV1XCR/ref=asc_df_B07RZV1XCR?mcid=5c31f7c6a9a731dcb14df90763ba078c&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697339313975&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1902209021199673924&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-943033153117&psc=1&hvocijid=1902209021199673924-B07RZV1XCR-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

 

Thanks - once the battens are in place and give the final radius I was thinking about getting a board to test out options.

 

I hadn’t been aware of the tile backer board for this purpose (just had it recommended for going under electric UFH mats, but wondering if it’s really needed there - that’s a different matter entirely). I’m wondering if the cuts/scoring can be made in the other boards (20mm is very deep).

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

21 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

The cement faced xps board required a specific primer before skimming. 

Useful to be made aware of this sort of detail - TVM. Is sounds like you’re suggesting that all XPS boards are cement-faced, or are you just highlighting the need to check whether they are cement-faced?

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, Great_scot_selfbuild said:

 

We have a spiral staircase and I’m yet to get to the challenge of working out how to get plasterboard to fit without snapping (one for another day).

Where I worked before they built a spiral staircase.  The plasterboard was stood against a wall outside and wetted frequently and gradually it curved under it's own weight as it was leaning against a wall.  After several days it had got to the approximate bend radius needed so it was brought inside and wetted further and gradually eased into the bend needed.

 

Once to the radius you need you let it dry before you screw it to the wall.

 

That is a job well suited to DIY as it will take time and your own labour is free. 

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

46 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Where I worked before they built a spiral staircase.  The plasterboard was stood against a wall outside and wetted frequently and gradually it curved under it's own weight as it was leaning against a wall.  After several days it had got to the approximate bend radius needed so it was brought inside and wetted further and gradually eased into the bend needed.

 

Once to the radius you need you let it dry before you screw it to the wall.

 

That is a job well suited to DIY as it will take time and your own labour is free. 

@ProDave Thank you so much for this suggestion! We had some offcut Medite vent board do the same as it was left to one side. This is absolutely within my ability 😁

[BotusBuild]

We fitted ~264 sheets of 1.2x2.4m PB = ~760 sq m of PB which has pretty much all been plastered brilliantly. We spent about £7500.

 

This is in Cornwall

[Nestor]

4 hours ago, Great_scot_selfbuild said:

@Nestor thanks - Ihad been wondering if you went for ply to keep its natural colour, but looks like you’ve painted it. What was the reason for going for the ply? was it the curve?

 

We have a spiral staircase and I’m yet to get to the challenge of working out how to get plasterboard to fit without snapping (one for another day).

Yes, 6mm + 4mm for the ceiling curve. All depends on the radius and how much pressure you can apply before fixing.

Birch ply was only treated with clear osmo oil.

I had to create a very tight curve above some stairs and cut lines on the back of the plasterboard, it did work.

[Russell griffiths]

5 hours ago, Great_scot_selfbuild said:

Useful to be made aware of this sort of detail - TVM. Is sounds like you’re suggesting that all XPS boards are cement-faced, or are you just highlighting the need to check whether they are cement-faced?

If you want an insulated board for window reveals then the cement faced xps has been used by a few on here myself included, I called up one of the technical depts and found out the need for the primer. 

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

5 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

If you want an insulated board for window reveals then the cement faced xps has been used by a few on here myself included, I called up one of the technical depts and found out the need for the primer. 

@Russell griffithsI hadn't thought about that detail for window reveals (the walls are really well insulated, but window reveals will naturally be an area of less insulation - really like this prompt. I must start a log somewhere of things I shouldn't forget...

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

7 hours ago, Nestor said:

I had to create a very tight curve above some stairs and cut lines on the back of the plasterboard, it did work.

Great to know.

 

@NestorI think I've been reminded that we will need more light and so need to paint our ceiling. That said, I really do like what you've done. What fixings did you use (I can't see any trace of a pattern of fixing points - lovely job!

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

8 hours ago, BotusBuild said:

We fitted ~264 sheets of 1.2x2.4m PB = ~760 sq m of PB which has pretty much all been plastered brilliantly. We spent about £7500.

 

This is in Cornwall

Was this recently? When you say you spent £7500, was that on materials, or the plastering?