I was asked, whilst enjoying a short break after three + hours or prepping, mixing, and applying approximately 100kgs of plaster onto a variety of surfaces, why I look knackered.
“How come you look knackered? You do a lot of huffing and puffing. You make it sound like it’s hard work but it’s only plastering.”
Only plastering eh.
It’s far, far more than only.
Plasterers are a breed apart in the construction industry.
Plastering is an acquired taste due to the skills required, the science behind it and, last but not least, the amount of effort involved.
If you like a natter, can’t leave your ‘phone alone and want an easy day’s labour then plastering ain’t for you.
One bag of plaster weighs 25kgs, the more you mix, the heavier it gets, the heavier it gets the harder it is on your body.
An example:
I undertook a job that needed more than 25 bags of plaster, plus plaster boards, bonding, which equated to a significant surface area.
25 x 25kgs amounts to 625kgs in total.
That’s over half a ton and then some.
Every mix (combining each 25kg bag with water) requires labour prior to application.
If I to do a three bag mix that’s 75kgs of plaster, three buckets of water (another 50kgs give or take), all of which is combined with a large, heavy paddle tool in a huge, oversized bucket.
Any plasterer will, by this point, start to break a sweat.
I then transfer a heavy, wet medium onto walls and ceilings, as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once applied I have to go over it to smooth it, to push it around, before it starts to dry out.
I then have to watch, wait, judging the correct moment whereby I start flattening it, repeatedly applying pressure as I go. Again, I have to work at speed.
Back to waiting, watching, judging – whilst simultaneously cleaning my tools, keeping the area clean, prepping for the 2nd mix, constantly moving.
Finally the last pass, the one that leaves the surface flat, blemish free, total coverage. More of the same labour intensive arm extension, shoulder flexing, stress on the body.
Plasters don’t get set breaks. We struggle to find enough time to sit and eat through the day due to the constant attendance, prepping, working the plaster as we go.
Were also monitoring the variables, the fluctuating:
- humidity
- temperatures
- surface absorbency
- surface flaws
- human traffic (this affects the drying capability)
- the time
Beyond that we have to prep the area first, ensure the plaster goes onto the surfaces rather than the floor, windows, cupboards, furniture and miscellaneous (including ourselves).
Additionally we’re often called upon to repair or redo period features such as bull noses, cornices and similar, not to mention new fangled aesthetics such as media walls and log burner/open fireplaces, or blending old with new to create a vintage décor outcome.
Conclusion?
Plastering is a highly skilled job, it’s heavy on the labour, it’s messy, it’s a continuous loop of prepping, labouring, watching, waiting, cleaning.
It requires a specific skill set, a broad range of abilities, stamina and, ultimately, a liking for pain and regular appointments with your physio.
And I don’t have a labourer to take any pressure off my working day.
It’s not just plastering folks … if only.
