Doing up an old terrace and I suppose inevitably on 130 year old house the plaster is shot. As I’m getting a rewire anyway it’s looking like a total replastering of several rooms. Had a plasterer round, I was working so the missus spoke to him, he reckoned nobody actually did old fashioned plaster now it was all dot and dab boards and skim – is that right? Seems a shame just from a point of view of fixing things to the walls.

I can live with that but his quote was for a fair bit, though phoned him up and my wife had included doing stuff I don’t need doing so he’s going to redo the quote it’ll still be over what I was expecting or maybe hoping! As it’s a major job though anyone recommend a plasterer Derby area just to get another price – not looking to skimp or pay under the odds but want to know I’m not getting fleeced either.

edit , miss read that your plaster was 130 years old 😀

mines only 50.

Dot and dab will be cheaper and quicker, and less messy, also easy to run your new cables through without having to chase them into the walls. A proper plastering job will require knocking it all back to brick and starting again. Messy, expensive, slow and wet while it dries, but probably better.

My dad was a wet plasterer

I’ve only met one guy in the last 30 years in the building industry who was a wet plasterer – that was 10 years ago and he was old then

long lost art and somewhat of a shame really – used to mix for my dad on Saturdays as a young kid – by hand – none of that drill nonsense – still love the smell of skim plaster

Our house is 100+ years old, just had most walls re-skimmed. Will last another 100+ years I reckon.

Dot and dab / board will be a pain to fix stuff back to, especially anything heavy like shelves, kitchen units. There are special fixings but its still a pain.

Plenty of contractors still do 2-coat plaster. I’m currently working on a restoration involving clay plaster, plaster and lath, GRG, allsorts! You will need a proper plasterer though, not a dry liner (which this bloke probably is) who can do a final skrim on board and thats it.

There’s also a multitude of renovation plasters to deal with different substrates, especially where damp is a concern. Find a specialist who knows his stuff, and get it doen properly. Wont be the cheapest option, but will last another 150 years. Or go dry lined, cheap but not as robust.

The only advantage to dry lining in a terrace is that you could incorporate an acoustic board to cut down noise transmission if this is likely to be an issue.

used to mix for my dad on Saturdays as a young kid – by hand – none of that drill nonsense – still love the smell of skim plaster

Are you me….. about a 2 and half foot length of 2×1 and a bucket, up the ladder onto the spot board and back down for another.

I’ve got my old man still on the tools, he 70… in a couple of weeks time I’ll have him up on a scaffold skimming the 30m2+ vaulted ceiling of my extension… he loves it…. :D…. gets upset that he not as good as he used to be 😥

Whatever else you do, insulate at this stage.

How is it for damp at present?

Complete bullshit. If it’s an old house get it done in lime. Allow the building to breath as designed. There are people that do lime work. Where baous are you? If you are in wilts or Dorset or seven or Hampshire area I could point in towards some people who can do the work or will know people.

Lime is a slower process but it is less damaging to the building.

Let the electricians do their job, replace what falls off. Hollow-sounding plaster can be usable for decades and the electrician will probably be able to recommend someone to advise you better

Consideration of damp is essential and use of lime would be better, although our 120 year-old has been fine using modern plasters, +1 for skimming what’s already there