Plasterer in Walsall and Bloxwich.

Which plastering jobs do you take on in Walsall?

Most of what a house needs between bare walls and decorating. A single room often combines two or three of these.

• Skimming: a thin finish coat over sound plaster or board, for walls and ceilings that are tired, patched or rough after stripping wallpaper.
• Replastering: hacking off old plaster that has blown or crumbled, then backing coats and a finish. Common on outside walls of older terraces.
• Plastering over Artex: textured ceilings tested first if the coating is older, then skimmed or overboarded.
• Plasterboarding: new partitions, extensions, and ceilings too cracked to save.
• Lime plastering: for solid brick walls that need to breathe, usually in houses built before about 1920.
• Repairs and patching: cracks, holes and making good after electricians, plumbers or a new kitchen.

Which parts of Walsall do you cover?

The whole borough and the edges of it. I live and work in Bloxwich, so most jobs are a short drive away: Bloxwich itself, Walsall town and the streets around it, Willenhall, Rushall, Pelsall, Brownhills, Aldridge and Walsall Wood.

The houses vary a lot over a few miles. Near the town centre there are older terraces with solid brick walls and original plaster underneath later repairs. Further out there are interwar semis, many with a bay at the front, large post-war estates, and newer homes that are plasterboard throughout. Each needs a slightly different approach, which is why I look before I quote.

Being close also helps once the job is done. If you want me to check drying before the decorator comes, or look at a hairline crack a few weeks later, it is easy to call in.

Why does it help that your plasterer is also a Retrofit Assessor?

Because replastering an outside wall is the cheapest moment there will ever be to insulate it. The old plaster is coming off anyway, the room is already empty and protected, and the decorating only has to happen once.

A plaster-only job puts the wall back exactly as it was, just as cold. When I replaster an external wall, I check the wall type, take a moisture reading and tell you honestly whether insulating it is worthwhile in your house. Sometimes it clearly is, for example a cold front bedroom on a solid brick terrace. Sometimes it is not, for example a dry cavity wall that would be better filled from outside, and I will say so.

If you go ahead, the insulation adds about 20mm to 80mm to the wall including plaster, and it starts from about £2,300 per wall. My internal wall insulation in Walsall page explains the systems I use, and you do not have to decide on the day: the quote shows the plastering on its own and with insulation, side by side.

Does my wall need a skim, a replaster or new board?

It depends on what is underneath, and I find that out by tapping the wall, checking it for damp and looking at what earlier repairs were made with.

The difference matters for the price, the mess and the drying time. My guide on how much it costs to plaster or skim a room explains how these jobs compare.

Why does the plaster on my outside wall keep blowing or peeling?

Usually because something behind it has not been dealt with, and new plaster on top only hides it for a while.

• Water getting in from outside: a leaking gutter, a cracked downpipe or worn pointing. That repair comes first.
• The wrong plaster on an old wall: gypsum on solid brick that used to be lime can trap moisture, so it softens and lets go. My guide to lime plaster and gypsum explains why.
• Condensation on a cold wall: black mould and damp patches on outside walls, especially in bedrooms, are often condensation rather than a plastering fault. My guide to condensation on bedroom walls covers this.

If you have been told you need a damp proof course, it is worth reading this guide before agreeing to anything. I would rather spend ten minutes finding the cause than plaster the same wall twice.

Can you get rid of an Artex ceiling in a Walsall house?

Yes, and in most cases without taking it down. Many Walsall homes that were modernised in the 1970s and 1980s still have a textured ceiling in the lounge, hall or landing. If the coating went on before 2000, I arrange an asbestos test first, then skim over it or overboard it depending on the result and the state of the ceiling.

Please do not sand or scrape it while you wait. My guide on Artex and asbestos explains why, and when a specialist contractor is needed instead.

How much does a plasterer charge in Walsall?

I do not publish one figure, because the same bedroom can be a one-day skim or a full replaster with beads, repairs and drying time. You get a written quotation after a free home visit, and it sets out the preparation, the materials and why I chose them.

When you compare quotes, check whether loose plaster will be cut out or skimmed over, whether new beads and scrim are included, who removes and refits sockets and radiators, and whether protection, daily cleaning and waste removal are in the price. Typical UK ranges are in my plastering cost guide.

What is it like having the work done?

Calm and tidy, as far as plastering can be. Floors and furniture are covered before anything starts, we clean up at the end of every day, and waste is taken away. If sockets, switches or radiators need taking off, I organise trusted trades so you are not chasing an electrician or plumber yourself.

At the end we walk round together, and you get written advice on drying and the first mist coat of paint. I do not decorate, but I will tell you when the walls are ready. About four weeks later I call to check everything has dried and settled. That care is a large part of why I have 5.0 on Google from 37 reviews and 4.8 on MyBuilder. You can read more about me or see how the process works.