Plastering Is A Great Diy Project

Are you renovating your home and need to plaster some walls? It can be expensive to hire a professional to perform this task, so why not try doing it yourself? Plastering walls is not a difficult task but must be done correctly if you want the walls to look nice. It’s easiest if you follow certain steps instead of just throwing plaster on a wall with a trowel. There are three components to a good plaster job: the right tools, preparing the walls correctly, and the actual plastering.

The Right Tools

The first thing you need to do is ensure you have the right tools. There are five primary tools you’ll need. These are a trowel, a hand or hawk board, a bucket, trowel, a mixer and a water brush.

The trowel is the most important tool and you will use this to put the plaster on the wall.

The hand or hawk board holds your plaster. Choose a sturdy board so you don’t have problems with it bending or breaking. A plastic or foam board is a good choice for beginners.

The bucket trowel is helpful and you’ll use it to scoop the plaster out of the bucket and put it on the board.

The mixer can make the job so much easier. It used to be that plaster was mixed by hand. Today, a good plaster mixer is essential and will cut your preparation time in half.

It is also crucial to purchase a good water brush. This tool is used to splash water on the plaster, keep the edges clean and help create a perfect finish on the walls.

Preparing The Walls

This is a crucial step and must be done correctly. There are four steps that must be completed to ensure the walls are properly prepared. These are stripping any wallpaper, washing down the walls, putting scrim tape on any cracks, and using Blue/PVA grit.

If you don’t have any wallpaper, you can skip this step. If there is wallpaper, it is best to completely remove all wallpaper and clean the walls before plastering. If you don’t, the new plaster may bubble and separate from the wall.

The next step is to wash down all the walls. This helps remove any dirt and grime and helps the plaster adhere to the walls. It is recommended that you use a sugar soap mixed with water to clean the walls.

Once the walls are clean, use scrim tape to cover any cracks. After that, apply PVA to the walls. This substance helps slow down the plaster set time and reduces cracking.


Plastering the walls is actually pretty easy but if you need some help, see this great post. You will mix the plaster according to the directions. Once the plaster is mixed, apply two coats of plaster and then flatten the plaster using the trowels. You’ll do this two times to ensure the plaster is smooth and doesn’t have any cracks or other imperfections. The final step is to polish the walls and get them ready for painting.