Lime Plaster Recommendations/Courses

[beetle_pete]

We need to get quite a bit of Lime plastering done in our house. Ideally I would like to do a course so I can patch relatively large areas myself but will also need a pro to do some rooms/ceilings.

Does any one have any recommendations for Lime Plasterers around the midlands? (Northampton/Coventry/Leicester area)

Also is there any courses that are worthwhile going on to get me up to a good level of finish? I've never plastered before.

thanks in advance

 

[DavidB]

beetle_pete

At one stage I looked at courses with these two - they both looked good and feedback seemed positive.

https://www.lime.org.uk/courses-site-visits-consultancy/courses.html

https://www.mikewye.co.uk/product-category/training-courses/

However, I was repairing a section of wall and I felt it had to fit in with the general rustic look my property has. So I simply read up a bit and watched some YouTube videos and bought some thermalime from Anglia lime after talking to them about the product (http://www.anglialime.com/products/dry-ready-mix-mortars-renders-plasters/thermalime-insulating-lime-plaster) and tried it out. It's really nice stuff to work with - it's like working with thick ice cream . The effort is in the preparation - its not a quick job. Although thermalime is a relatively quick product to apply as you can put it up in one coat - but lathing up takes time and you have to wet down the laths before applying the plaster. With some lime plasters you have to do a scratch coat, then scratch it, then apply a 2nd coat, devil float it and final coat and finish float - which literally takes days - with drying time between applications. I chose to put up a scratch coat and then applied a 2nd finishing coat and then polished it with a float. It's quite hard work as you have to compress the plaster and push it around and get it to squeeze through the laths and form nice nibs on the other side.

I also had the advantage of applying mine as an infill between studs and not a large flat area. So I only had to get a small width level and could take a break and do them in sections.

Sorry - can't help with local recommendations.

 

[GPHouse]

I cant help on the local front, however, I have done a course with MikeWye

It was a good course in terms of getting an overview to Lime plastering, and different products. In terms of teaching you to plaster - the course I did want much help but they did give some tips. It was VERY hands on and we were plastering with differnt products and different layers at all points.

Other courses are available and they may give more of a beginiers guide to plastering. Thoroghly recommend them.

I wnt hoping I would be a master plasterer by 5pm, I came away with a reinforced view of plastering is an art, and one it will take 10000 hours to master!

G

 

[Zebra]

I went to the Ty Mawr one - (the lime.org website) in about 2012, and it was very much like GP House describes the Mike Wye one to be. Very hands-on, doesn't turn you into a professional by any means, but gives you the confidence to give it a go on your own. In my case, it helped me make some decisions about plaster finishes, because of the ones I found I was rubbish at doing!

 

[a twig]

YouTube and patience were the best teachers for me...

The best thing about lime (non-hydraulic) is that there is no rush due to how long it takes to go off, so you can plod away doing small 1m x 1m sections at a time. I bought mine ready mixed from Ty Mawr, my first few bits were a bit ropey, but that was a scratch coat so didn't really matter. By the time I had done the second coat, it looked ok, and then multiple coats of limewash helps to hide a lot of sins

 

[MatthewC]

I did the Mike Wye one day introduction course in 2009, and it was all very informative. When it came to doing my house (almost the entire inside) I found a young plasterer who admitted he had only done lime on his training but "I loved it", so I provided some technical input with help from Mike Wye, and between us the job was done. I was right to employ a professional - the job is very skilled and needs a very strong right arm! The bit I did is rustic in comparison with his.

As the twig says above, the joy of lime is that it takes ages to go off so you can work it for ages (although I didn't find that limewash hid any sins!). The converse is that it takes ages to go off so the job lasts for ever, it seems.

 

[steveb]

no actual experience of them but both SPAB and Essex Council (probably not so convenient for you ) I believe run lime courses for people of none to varying skill levels

http://www.essex.gov.uk/Activities/Heritage/Pages/Traditional-Building-Courses.aspx

https://www.spab.org.uk/spab-events-awards/events/ (can't find any lime ones listed at the moment)

https://www.buildinglimesforum.org.uk/courses-on-lime

-Steve

 

[JoceAndChris]

Local recommendations - Phil Gaches ( Google Gaches plastering) is the very best.

Skillingtons Workshop work in conjunction with Phil for fine plastering - though Phil always says vernacular pleases him just as much. Skillies also employ some excellent lime plasterers who live in Melton who do the more run of the mill stuff without Phil.

Not easy to get hold of these boys but they are the best. The job they did on my exterior render ( total chop off and re render in lime - lined out work - then limewashed - took around 2 months and set us back 25k but totally worth it).

Good luck with your project!