Getting plastered..! That's what your walls will need to be if we have another summer scorcher !

Anyone whose house is close to a large tree - like an oak - or situated on a steep incline, will know the damage that is likely caused during a long hot summer. The tree's roots draw up all available moisture leading to the soil drying out, contraction and slippage. The first you'll know about it is when the tell tale cracks appear on the walls of your home, especially in one or more corners. This could mean an expensive 'Underpinning' bill is about to come your way!

In the above situation, one or more walls may need to be knitted together with infill brickwork or perhaps rebuilt and resurfaced. More commonly though, jobs requiring plastering work to be done mostly involve built extensions or as a result of 'knocking through' from one room to another or dividing a living space into two by studwall and plasterboard. Sometimes a wall may need a 'skim', i.e. a thin layer of plaster after the removal of old wallpaper reveals a deteriorated, unstable surface that is either uneven, crumbling, flaking or worse!

Or perhaps removing old 'textured' wall / ceiling rendering and replacing with a smooth plaster surface prior to painting.The above jobs are typical for a professional plasterer working in domestic dwellings and are always in demand as homeowners seek to increase the value of their property by making alterations and increasing habitable space. Training to be a high quality plasterer , who can produce absolutely flat, glass smooth surfaces is a challenging discipline requiring to being shown how to master the art of the trowel, correct application, good controlled arm movement and a watchful eye!If you show flair for the craft, and can 'lay up' at the required standard of workmanship and at a good pace, then opportunities abound on commercial and industrial build or renovation projects.

For all those just interested to learn a few techniques, so simple small scale DIY jobs around the house may be successfully attempted - e.g. plastering over part of a wall surface where a long fixed cupboard unit had been removed - a short course is well worth the time and is money well spent! Attempting to apply a plaster surface without any prior knowledge could cause all sorts of unforseen problems - such as not using the right jointing tape or not covering it correctly !