Bags of plaster are like hens teeth at the moment.. we’re converting the back half of our garage into a home office as I’m WFH for the rest of this year, and the builder has had to down tools for 2-3 weeks until he can get some plaster. Not a big room by any stretch.. does anyone have a few bags lying round I could buy off them or recommendations on how to source some? Someone was selling a pallet of 30 bags on eBay for £1600 last night. Madness.
No in the south either. My plasterer mate has 2 jobs where he needs about 300 bags in total and has been told 10 weeks before they will tell hime when they might have some.
The big plaster producers have closed their factories.
You, and he, are stuffed
Bollocks. Thanks you for the quick response WCA. I would have thought as production was stopped the use of plaster would have dropped similarly but apparently not
Doesn’t a good proportion of the nation’s plaster end up wrapped round your limbs WCA?
I know of several jobs around Yorkshire on hold due to plaster shortage. The contractors have been round all the houses trying for supplies. Looks like we'll have to suck it up until suppliers are fully back in gear.
Given it's not a big room, how about a different finish, wood cladding, tile, pannelling etc?
I had considered getting it tiled but it’s a quite a big cost increase and not so keen on panelling. Looks like I’ll have to just wait it out. Cheers
Just use sand and cement mix then paint, will be fine for a garage office
British Gypsum actually started production again last month on the 21st, but have said could be 8 weeks before it hits the shelves probably
British Gypsum - will also be supplying direct to major building companies before general builders merchants
Best place to find it atm is Facebook marketplace, although people are taking the piss and charging anywhere upto £40 a bag. I’ve been lucky the last few weeks and been able to get in quick on some at £15 a bag to finish off my current extension projects or else I’d be in the same boat as your builder.
Good luck
just got a job to finish for my brother tomorrow, he managed to get some bags of skim from jt atkinsons, can't remember the make of it and never seen it before, they did tell him they've had reports that it goes of a bit quicker so will have to be carefull till i get used to it.
also went to look at a tiling job today and they had managed to get some, apperantly some turkish stuff and that didn't go of for ages and ended up really rough so will need doing again.
Horsehair boy.
It is around, but not much and you have to move quickly. Selco in Leicester had 10 pallets delivered yesterday at 11am, I rang at 4pm and there were 40 bags left (from 3000). got there 10 mins later and grabbed the last 5 remaining. They are limiting to 5 bags per customer also.
Thank you for the responses and suggestions all. I’ve sent a few messages out to sellers on Gumtree and FB marketplace around the £15-20 mark.. Loads out there for £35+ a bag but I can’t bring myself to do it. supply and demand eh?!
Plaster also needs to be as fresh as possible to ensure its workable. Any old eBay stuff will set in the tub and be useless.
my local wickes had some the other day, worth keeping an eye on your local ones
Some builder friends of ours drove from Derbyshire to Skegness the other week to get some plaster!
I just got some bonding plaster from a Wickes (Slough fwiw, not my nearest by any means but not like going Derbyshire to Skegness!), they had a few bags left and other stores had more going by the website. Problem is they won't do click and collect or reserve it, so you could end up on a wild goose chase.
@milko9000 (anyone South ??)
I need 1/4-1/2 bag each bonding and skim. (old window frame 104x120cm)
Set off for Slough this AM from Woking then Guildford reported one bag. Turned around and went to Guildford but when I finally got in non at all.
6 bag left of lots by this time at Slough so didn't want to risk the drive for nothing.
Anyone want to sell 1/2 bag or so.... driving distance from Woking
Horsehair boy.
Unlikely superhero?
Thanks for the responses all. My mate was in wickes and I just happened to tell him about the shortage this morning. He spotted some Knauf multi finish and picked up 4 bags for me, said there was a couple of pallets. £19 a bag mind but better than waiting weeks on end!
Sorry nick but there’s a reason the Knauf finish was there, it’s awful stuff, your plasterer is not going to thank you!
Picked up 20 bags of BG multi-finish in Oxford today, think it’s starting to find its way back to the merchants.
I’m hoping it’ll be ok. Plasterer is one of my mates from school so called him before shelling out thick end of 80 quid on 4 bags. He said it was fine. I think the performance issues were slow set times in winter and not great for skimming old walls butt this is going on brand new boards. Plus it only came out the factory on 25th May so nice and fresh. Anyway he’s coming tomorrow to do it so it’ll have to be alright! Cheers
stuff i used the other day was called "make good multi", wasn't to bad although prefer the BG stuff. main issue i had was it's white and found it really hard to see imperfections when troweling it up, may just be my eyes though as i know there not perfect close up but don't have any problem seeing when using BG skim.
Jewsons are starting to get some in, I am back plastering next week thank God. 5 bag limit. But we all have partners/friends who can also buy 5 bags. That must be a real mate if he is willing to work with that Knauf chewing gum 😀