Plasterboard fitting and skimming

The process involves "drylining" (fixing the boards) followed by "skimming" (applying a thin layer of finishing plaster). While it sounds straightforward, achieving a glass-smooth finish requires significant physical stamina and a high level of technical skill.

What Does the Work Involve?

• Preparation: Covering floors with heavy-duty protection and removing existing skirting boards, coving, or electrical faceplates where necessary.
• Boarding: Measuring, cutting, and fixing plasterboard to timber studs using screws, or to masonry walls using the "dot and dab" adhesive method.
• Taping and Beading: Applying scrim tape to all board joints to prevent future cracking and installing metal or plastic beads to external corners for sharp, durable edges.
• Skimming: Applying two thin coats of finishing plaster (usually Multi-finish) over the boards, trowelling it to a smooth, matte finish as it sets.
• Finishing: Polishing the surface with a clean trowel and water to remove any imperfections or "cat faces" before the plaster fully dries.

Typical Costs

Prices vary based on your location, with London and the South East typically seeing a 20-30% premium. Costs will also increase if you require specialist boards, such as moisture-resistant (green) boards for bathrooms or fire-rated (pink) boards for kitchen ceilings.

How Long Does It Take?

• Small Room/Patching: 1 day for boarding and skimming.
• Standard Double Bedroom: 2 to 3 days (Day 1: Prep and boarding; Day 2: Skimming; Day 3: Tidy up).
• Full House (Renovation): 1 to 2 weeks depending on the number of operatives.
• Drying Time: 2 to 5 days before the plaster turns from dark pink to a uniform light pink/grey, indicating it is ready for paint.

DIY or Professional?

Fixing plasterboard is a manageable DIY task for those with basic carpentry skills and a spare pair of hands, but skimming is a different story. It is widely considered a "black art" that takes years to master; a poor DIY skim will look uneven and require hours of sanding, which creates immense amounts of dust.

Plasterboard cannot be disposed of in general waste skips in the UK. It must be separated and taken to a dedicated gypsum recycling facility, which your tradesperson should manage for you.

Choosing the Right Tradesperson

• Check Credentials: Look for NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Plastering or City & Guilds qualifications.
• Review Portfolios: Ask for photos of "trowel-finished" walls before they have been painted, as paint can hide minor flaws.
• Cleanliness: A good plasterer is a clean plasterer. Ask how they intend to protect your carpets and furniture.
• Questions to ask:
  • Do you include the cost of materials and waste disposal in your quote?
  • Will you be using a two-coat skim or a single-coat finish?
  • How do you handle electrical sockets and switches?

UK Regulations

• Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power): If you are stripping back more than 50% of an external wall, you may be required to upgrade the insulation (e.g., using insulated plasterboard).
• Part B (Fire Safety): Specific fire-rated boards must be used in garages, loft conversions, and certain ceiling areas to meet building regs.
• Part E (Resistance to Sound): Acoustic plasterboard may be required in flats or between bedrooms to meet noise reduction standards.
• Waste Regulations: The Environment Agency prohibits mixing gypsum-based waste (plasterboard) with biodegradable waste in landfill.

Common Problems

• Joint Cracking: Occurs when "scrim tape" is omitted or boards are not fixed securely to the studs.
• Popped Nails/Screws: Usually caused by using the wrong length of screw or the timber studs shrinking/moving.
• Visible Beads: If the plaster is applied too thinly, the metal corner beads may show through the finish.
• Efflorescence: White salty deposits appearing on the surface, usually caused by moisture in the wall behind the new plaster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I paint the plaster as soon as it looks dry?

No. You must wait for the plaster to turn a uniform light pink colour with no dark patches. Once dry, you must apply a "mist coat" (thinned-down emulsion) first, or the new plaster will suck the moisture out of your paint, causing it to flake off.

What is "Dot and Dab"?

This is a method where dabs of adhesive are applied directly to a solid masonry wall, and the plasterboard is pressed onto them. It is much faster than traditional "wet" plastering and allows for an air gap that can improve thermal performance.

Can you plaster over old wallpaper?

Absolutely not. The moisture in the fresh plaster will cause the wallpaper adhesive to fail, leading to the new plaster peeling or bubbling away from the wall. All wallpaper must be stripped and the wall cleaned before work begins.

Do I need to move my furniture out?

Ideally, yes. Plastering is a messy, wet trade. If furniture cannot be moved out of the room, it must be moved to the centre and covered with heavy-duty plastic sheeting, as plaster dust is incredibly fine and invasive.

Why is my new plaster cracking in the corners?

Small hairline cracks (crazing) can occur if the room is too hot and the plaster dries too quickly. Larger cracks usually indicate movement in the building's structure or that the boards were not taped correctly at the joints.