Plastered again

Probably my favourite part of "doing up" any room, this. The plastering. Not only a fascinating skill to watch, and one that I have never mastered (so it impresses me every time) but also the single most impactful change to a room. The one where it goes from tatty old building site to almost-pristine new room in a few days. Three days in this case, as our plasterer Neil was working on his own.

Day 1 (Monday of last week) was pretty much taken up with preparing for the skim coat. The inside of the chimney breast, where the new induction hob will go, was "dot and dabbed" with plasterboard, edged with... er... edging strip, and scrim cloth applied.

The rest of the room had browning plaster slapped on all exposed brickwork and deep gaps, as well as a bit more dot and dab at the original cooker site, and a clever rectangle of metal mesh laid over the plywood sheet that occupied the space where the new radiator will go. The plumber was convinced the entire room would be dot and dabbed, rather than simply skimmed, and wouldn't be gainsayed, so he wanted to make sure there was a good purchase for his mounting screws. Fine for him; a bit of a headache for the spread.

Day 2 and the skimming started with the ceiling and the long wall starting to look finished. Our plasterer carries with him the traditional tradesman's portable radio, tuned permanently to Rock Radio. Not only an expert spread but a fine taste in music too!


After lunch, the end wall was completed, along with the insides of the chimney breast, and the sides of the left-hand ex-cupboard space. Things were definitely taking shape.

Finally on Day 3 the front of the chimney breast, old cooker wall and the boiler/window wall all got their skim coat and the job was done.

All we can do now is to wait until the whole room dries out (from previous experience I'd estimate about a week) before I can start slapping on the paint.