Question 1

How long does plaster take to dry?

Accepted Answer

Two to seven days for most rooms, depending on ventilation and time of year. Ceilings and chimney breasts take longest. Wait until the whole surface is one even pale pink rather than patchy brown.

Question 2

How long before plaster can be painted?

Accepted Answer

Once it has dried out evenly — usually within a week. Start with a mist coat of emulsion thinned roughly 3:1 with water so the wall can still breathe, then two full coats.

Question 3

Can you plaster over Artex?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes. Shallow patterns are bonded and skimmed straight over. Deep swirls are better overboarded. We never dry sand textured coatings because pre-1985 Artex can contain asbestos.

Question 4

Can you skim over wallpaper?

Accepted Answer

No. The paper lifts as the plaster dries and takes the finish with it. Stripping first is a couple of hours' work and saves the whole job.

Question 5

What's the difference between plastering and skimming?

Accepted Answer

Skimming is the thin finish coat over a sound surface. Plastering usually means the whole build-up — backing coats, boarding or rendering — before that finish goes on.

Question 6

Why has my new plaster cracked?

Accepted Answer

Hairline cracks usually come from drying too fast, a single thin coat instead of two, or movement in the background. Cracks along board joints mean the joints weren't taped properly.

Question 7

Do I need to strip the room before you arrive?

Accepted Answer

Take pictures and curtains down and move small items out. We'll move and sheet furniture, cover floors and seal doorways ourselves.

Question 8

Can you fix a cracked or sagging ceiling?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Small cracks can be cut out and made good. Where lath and plaster has come away from the joists, overboarding and skimming is the lasting repair.

Question 9

Can you plaster a newly built extension?

Accepted Answer

Yes — dot-and-dab or tape and joint onto board, then a full skim so it matches the rest of the house. We can also work directly with your builder's programme.

Question 10

How long does a media wall take?

Accepted Answer

Typically three to four days from framing to final polish, plus drying time before decorating.

Question 11

How soundproof is a stud partition wall?

Accepted Answer

With acoustic mineral wool in the void and sealed perimeters, normal conversation drops to a murmur. Double-boarding and resilient bars go further where you need it.

Question 12

How do I know if a wall is load bearing?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the direction of the floor joists, the wall's thickness and what sits above it. We check at survey and, where there's any doubt, a structural engineer decides.

Question 13

What causes damp?

Accepted Answer

Three main things: groundwater rising through walls, water getting in from outside, or moisture in the air condensing on cold surfaces. They look similar on the wall and need completely different treatment.

Question 14

What causes rising damp?

Accepted Answer

A failed, missing or bridged damp proof course. Bridging — raised paths, render carried over the DPC, rubble in a cavity — is the most common cause we find locally.

Question 15

How do I know if it's rising damp?

Accepted Answer

Rising damp stops at a consistent height, usually under a metre, and leaves a tide mark with salt deposits. It never affects upstairs walls.

Question 16

How do I stop condensation?

Accepted Answer

Cut moisture at source, ventilate while it's being produced, and warm the cold surfaces. In practice: a decent extract fan, trickle vents open, and steady background heating.

Question 17

Why do I get black mould in the corners of rooms?

Accepted Answer

Corners and reveals are the coldest points of a room, so moisture condenses there first. It's a ventilation and insulation problem, not rising damp.

Question 18

How long does damp proofing last?

Accepted Answer

A correctly installed chemical damp course should outlast the plaster over it. Ours come with a written 10 year guarantee.

Question 19

Will damp come back after treatment?

Accepted Answer

Not if the cause was diagnosed properly and the wall replastered with a salt-retardant system. Damp returning nearly always means the original cause was never addressed.

Question 20

How long does a wall take to dry after damp treatment?

Accepted Answer

Masonry dries at roughly 25mm per month, so a thick solid wall takes time. The new render lets you decorate long before the wall behind is fully dry.

Question 21

Why does the damp patch only show after heavy rain?

Accepted Answer

That's penetrating damp. Water is getting through the outer face of the wall — usually failed pointing, cracked render, a blocked gutter or chimney flashing.

Question 22

Do you provide free damp surveys?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Free, no obligation, with a written explanation of the cause. If the fix is a gutter rather than a damp course, we'll tell you.

Question 23

Will I need a damp report for my mortgage or sale?

Accepted Answer

Lenders often ask for a specialist damp report and, where work has been done, the guarantee paperwork. We provide both.

Question 24

Can you treat damp in a cellar?

Accepted Answer

Yes — usually with a cavity drain membrane system and a perimeter channel rather than a simple tanking slurry, which tends to fail under water pressure.

Question 25

Is black mould dangerous?

Accepted Answer

It can aggravate asthma and allergies, especially for children and older people. It wipes off easily but returns until the underlying conditions change.

Question 26

Will rendering stop damp?

Accepted Answer

It can stop penetrating damp through a porous wall, but it won't stop rising damp — and non-breathable render on solid stone usually makes damp worse.

Question 27

How much does plastering cost?

Accepted Answer

A single average bedroom skim is typically a few hundred pounds; a full three-bed house re-skim runs into the low thousands. We price after looking at the actual room rather than by square metre over the phone.

Question 28

How much does damp proofing cost?

Accepted Answer

One wall of a terraced house is usually a few hundred pounds including replastering. A full ground floor is more. The survey and quote are free and the price is fixed.

Question 29

Are your quotations really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, always, and there's no follow-up sales visit. We look, we explain, we send a written price.

Question 30

Do you ask for a deposit?

Accepted Answer

For most jobs, no. On larger refurbishments or where we're ordering materials up front, we'll agree a stage payment schedule in writing before starting.

Question 31

Is the quote fixed or could it change?

Accepted Answer

Fixed against the specification we quoted. The only time a price changes is if something genuinely hidden turns up — and we'd show you and agree it before doing the work.

Question 32

How do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Bank transfer on completion for most jobs. We issue a proper invoice with our details on it.

Question 33

Are you insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes, fully insured for public liability. We can send the certificate over before we start if you'd like a copy.

Question 34

How long have you been trading?

Accepted Answer

Over 25 years working across Tameside and Greater Manchester, based in Mossley.

Question 35

Do I need to be at home while you work?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Plenty of customers leave us a key or a code. We'll keep you updated with photos if you're at work or living away.

Question 36

How much mess will there be?

Accepted Answer

Plastering is dusty, but it's controllable. Floors and furniture are sheeted, doorways sealed, waste bagged, and we hoover up at the end of every day.

Question 37

How far do you travel?

Accepted Answer

Across Tameside and out to Oldham, Stockport, Glossop and Manchester. If you're further afield, ask — we'll be honest about whether it makes sense.

Question 38

Do you work on commercial properties?

Accepted Answer

Regularly — offices, shops, salons, clinics and industrial units. Out-of-hours and weekend work is available so you don't have to close.

Question 39

How soon can you start?

Accepted Answer

Small jobs often within a week or two. Larger refurbishments are usually booked a few weeks ahead. We'll give you a real date, not a vague one.

Question 40

What happens if something isn't right?

Accepted Answer

Tell us and we come back. Our work is guaranteed and we'd far rather fix a snag than lose a recommendation.

Everything homeowners ask us,answered properly.

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