Agree word of mouth is best, for manual workers we will always ask friends etc but for some reason the office based luvvies look online and this is where the money is. ( just my opinion and experience )
Agree word of mouth is best, for manual workers we will always ask friends etc but for some reason the office based luvvies look online and this is where the money is. ( just my opinion and experience )
It's a funny one really but it's a yes to them all, I mean we spend most nights on here
f**k me that flew10 minutes
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Deleted member 29624
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Since january
thats why I only take on skimming and boarding until I get more time out with pete, been renovating houses for quite a few years though just never did the plastering aspect before then
Man with the golden touch
Active Member
No disrespect to you but I read you charge 150 a day is your finish and experience worth charging that so soon I took me a while to get upto that!
I'm all about getting as much as you can to cover additional costs but with little experience.
I'm all about getting as much as you can to cover additional costs but with little experience.
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Deleted member 29624
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All I can say is im not getting any call backs, work on my corners and get them all nice and sharp and make sure everything looks good and is clean and tidy at the end of a day....ive seen a fair bit of work painted now and it looks like it should.
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Deleted member 29624
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I do agree I went about it the wrong way and would have loved a year or two training properly but family, bills and redundancy money running out meant if I wanted to make it work this was the only route I could go
Man with the golden touch
Active Member
Fair enough im sure with Pete as a mentor your heading in a good direction.
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Deleted member 29624
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As time allows ill spend more time out with him to broaden what I can do...he's also a good chap to have at the end of the phone
Man with the golden touch
Active Member
Sometimes you do have to charge accordingly to accommodate your livelihood I understand .
Man with the golden touch
Active Member
To be fair you've touched lucky having him around the corner from you take full advantage.
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Yeah I agree would have been much harder without his help and input
theclemo
Private Member
No disrespect do you think he should be doing it for 80 a day. I think it's great that he is looking for 150 a day even if is work is s**t or not. At least he is not under cutting people. At the end of the day it's only skimming. It can be hard on the body but it's easy to pick up.
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Deleted member 29624
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Cheers mate, under no illusions im just a skimmer and boarder at the minute and make sure thats what I stick too, when time allows i'll start to master the harder bits
theclemo
Private Member
The other bits are not much harder to do tbh. If you ever have a float and set job give me a call and I'll drive over to you I'd have u doing it after about 2 days I reckon.
theclemo
Private Member
When the money dropped in skimming so did the quality.
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Deleted member 29624
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just a short little drive, any excuse to get away from all them kids
Clemo u could give lads £10m2 there wud still be shite..there think there work is orite some lads dont even know wat there missing wen flattening/troweling..I do think lodan charging £150 at this stage Is steep but he probably leaves a better job Than lads who have been doing it years so In that sense he's right in charging it..if he's getting good feedback and repeat custom he must be doing sumat rite..domestic work if ur polite leave the Job how you found it in tidyness you've got ur positive feedback already in the bag
If lodan is charging 150 a day then he is under selling himself in my opinion, he is operating as a business and that's what gets lost here, most on here probably just rock up to a building site knock x amount out and go home but lodan has to go out and quote on work write it up etc etc, so 150 for all his troubles and expenses is cheap.
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Deleted member 23452
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Totally agree, and it's the most important factor in working on domestics. It's great to be at the top of your game, the most widely experienced and talented in all the sub-disciplines. However, if you're not making a wage plus a profit for the business you're wasting your time.
I've known so many tradesmen over the years who are vey skilled but struggle to make a proper living and run a business.
You're never going to get rich operating in a single trade as a small business, but there's no need or sense in living a hand to mouth existence either.
It's worth bearing in mind that all those master tradesmen who built the great buildings and monuments a couple of centuries ago which are so much admired now, all died poor.
IMNSHO no one should be doing anything for less than £150 a day.
Man with the golden touch
Active Member
I don't think he should be getting eighty at all no as I didnt put a number on his wages I just said for someone who's been doing it less than a year it's a fantastic day rate and if his works as good as he says then FairPlay.
The amount of people who say skimming easy winds me up there's a difference between a good spread and ok especially when it comes to a challenging job!
I agree you've got to charge accordingly now and treat it like a business or its pointless you're price is only what you think you're worth.
Maybe I am being a little harsh but like many I had it the hard way building my way up.
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Deleted member 29624
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Yeah I think thats why I get some stick on here as it seems a bit unfair to cut out the hard bit. Maybe ill work with some lads on here in the future and we'll see what they think, probably be the biggest test.
theclemo
Private Member
U where not harsh at all
theclemo
Private Member
In all fairness f**k doing the hard bit. U have pate anytime on the phone. 18 years at plastering I still have to phone my old man the odd time when it comes to the older stuff. And he rings me when it comes to the modern stuff. He has been plastering over 50 years. He thinks he is retired anytime I call up to him he is at work lol.
vfr12
MOTORC*NT
None of us has started in the past year or so Lodan. Maybe if I had to start now I will do the same thing just like you. The time we are living now are very diferent and require diferent approach . In 10 years , something else will change and this doesn't mean we have to stick to the past if we want to progress . And my way is not necessary the right way , or the other way around. The people who survive the storm are not the strongest or well prepared, the flexible and adaptable will see the next day, but I have to agree with some of the comments that you have missed valuable lessons forking for a spread at the beginning , but then .... how do you know he has thought you well if you don't meet and work with someone else? Seeing diferent spreads and technics will help you to find the best way of doing it , but that comes with time.I have said it before , you are doing ok ..... even better than me tbh........
£150 m2 is fecking brilliant
. I won't get that even after 10 years you c**t!
Man with the golden touch
Active Member
Like many say times have changed you're starting late but with a mortgage and kids and the truth is that's the price you have to charge
To a competent spread skimming is the easiest plastering disciple hands down pal..thats y there's alot more skimmers,job we are doing in Harrogate everything is on a angle there's hardly anything that's square,we had some skimmers on job he was watching us board and we said you can do some boarding if you like he said f**k that Il just skim..u wont get chancers wanting to dot and dab etc as its harder to sort out if there f**k up..
theclemo
Private Member
Dot and dab is piss easy 2 in all fairness.
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Deleted member 23452
Guest
I think the main reason most on here say skimming is the easiest part of plastering is because you're (mostly) plasterers.
I think the only thing I could personally compare it to would be laying/pouring concrete. It looks very easy, especially a small volume (2 cube or less) with ready mix available. Unfortunately when it's set and the floor, steels or blockwork starts is the time that it becomes apparent it's not. Like plaster when the painter or kitchen fitter starts to do their thing and it becomes apparent what the finish is really like and how out of plumb it is.
I know we all take the p1ss, but don't sell yourselves short. Plasterers have a skill, some have a wider range within that skill thaan others. If skimming was as easy as some suggest it would be a DIY job.
In @Lodan 's case he has that skill, but has yet to moove into the other areas of the trade. So I would suggest he'dd be classed as an 'improver' back in the day.
Regarding the day rate of £150:00, when I finished my four year apprenticeship in 1987 I was 20 and classed as an improver. I was on the books and my top line was just under £100:00 a day.
Does it seem fair that 30 years later a skilled or semi-skilled bloke is getting £150:00 a day self employed and some think it's too much?
I think the only thing I could personally compare it to would be laying/pouring concrete. It looks very easy, especially a small volume (2 cube or less) with ready mix available. Unfortunately when it's set and the floor, steels or blockwork starts is the time that it becomes apparent it's not. Like plaster when the painter or kitchen fitter starts to do their thing and it becomes apparent what the finish is really like and how out of plumb it is.
I know we all take the p1ss, but don't sell yourselves short. Plasterers have a skill, some have a wider range within that skill thaan others. If skimming was as easy as some suggest it would be a DIY job.
In @Lodan 's case he has that skill, but has yet to moove into the other areas of the trade. So I would suggest he'dd be classed as an 'improver' back in the day.
Regarding the day rate of £150:00, when I finished my four year apprenticeship in 1987 I was 20 and classed as an improver. I was on the books and my top line was just under £100:00 a day.
Does it seem fair that 30 years later a skilled or semi-skilled bloke is getting £150:00 a day self employed and some think it's too much?
Ur rite clemo but u wont get chancers saying Il do all boarding you do the skimming
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Deleted member 29624
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Sssshhhh......we're not meant to talk rates