Ceiling only..

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mrspoon

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lets say i wanted to skim over an artex ceiling... but the customer had some hideous floral wallpaper from 1963 and was adament that it remained in pristine condition... how on earth would i do this... be careful not to splodge any finish on her walls and used a semi damp sponge/cloth to wipe up any accidentall splatters? as usually if its painted id use masking tape round the top perimeter ???
 
i always go careful and clean up with sponge after first and second coat. however, if this is a job you've got coming up, price very high and don't be upset if you don't get it, the customer WILL be a nightmare, you'll suss this with experience
 
Hello Mate
What I do is cover the walls with sheeting, the really flimsy thin stuff its dead cheap you get it in B&Q, attach to the walls using decoraters tape then tape again all around the top edge of the wall leaving a couple of mm, its abit of a pain but the walls remain untouched and customer happy
 
and still dont offer a guarantee the dog could try mounting you and push you into the wall ::)
 
Pug is right here. Avoid !!!
Plus the small matter that the wall paper round the edges where it meets the plaster will probably blow away from the wall with the moisture from the plaster.Then when they eventually strip the paper it will bring plaster away from the ceiling around the edges.
You gotta set a standard of work for yourself others will judge you on this standard
good work = repeat work=less advetising=more customers=more money for beer

Even a large ceiling is worth only£100 for 3 hrs work inc setup and travel dont bother mate leave it for the poles.

What if scenerio...
What if i tape the edges of paper and sheet and when i pull tape of which gets wet and sticks to paper and pulls the paper off or worse wont come off?
what if i tape the edges and sheet and water runs behind it and stains the paper?
what if the customer rings me up 1 week later becuse the paper is coming off around the edges and he cancelled the cheque he gave you?
what if the customer is a total w@nker and a week later decides he wants the paper off now and starts stripping and the ceilings starts to fall away around the edges or further with the steam?
 
Hello
Your going in cheap mate at £100 a ceiling, minimum I charge is 150 if its large then it creeps up to 200 and never had a problem with taping and sheeting up
 
good work = repeat work=less advetising=more customers=more money for beer ;D
or
beer=goodwork-advertising+repeatwork divided by people that think plaster comes on a sheet and you stick it on with glue..
 
i priced a job ages ago that was three decent ceilings over artex ........the place was immaculate white deep pile carpet very clean nicely painted etc and it ended up coming to about 800 ish inc sheeting the walls .......didnt get the job but wouldnt want the hassle that comes with shortcuts
 
Ceiling done today was for a couple in there 50's both retired house immaculate, white carpet all through house, took me an hour just to prep but left the place as I found it, they are a pain but everyone hates the artex and wants it removed, every house in the country must have had there ceilings artexed at some point and now people can't stand the stuff
 
keeping carpets where you're working and to and from where you're working is one thing, people who think you can reskim without having to redecorate are a pain in the arse and to be avoided imo
 
artex ceilings are honestly what is keeping me alive at the moment but if theyre not prepared to listen to common sense then i dont want the job.
most sensible people.. no scrap that... any sensible person who is concerned about decor/carpets/furniture etc will get the stuff out of the way and do whatever they can to preserve whatever it is they dont want you to damage..
im a plasterer, not a removal man/decorator/carpet fitter etc..
any person with unrealistic expectations once ive explained exactly whats involved gets quoted 30 quid an hour for anything that isnt plastering..
theyll soon move it/cover it/throw it in the bleedin skip..
ill happily do ceilings all day every day for 100 quid, ive been doin em lately for 80 quid, little uns..
all your doin jonathan is just chargin the customer extra for movin and sheeting.. fair one but if the boot was on the other foot and i was offered the choice i know what id do..
 
u know what? ive been thinking about my last post there...
maybe old jonathan aint as green as he's cabbage lookin..
we live in a society of lazy, bone idle, expect everything on a plate, cant be arsed, somebody elses problem etc.. etc..
maybe if i went in @ 150 quid and told em 'it's alright, dont worry about a thing, i'll do it all for you'... people love to hear that sort of stuff...
extra 50/80 quid to move a bit of stuff, throw a few extra sheets around...
then if i get the old 'well so and so will do it for 100 quid' i'll just go 'well so will i if you move the stuff out/sheet up etc...
food for thought...
 
was just a hyperthetical question, luckily i dont have a job like this to do but gives me an idea of how to handle a customer if they request such a task. 8)
 
skimmin2day said:
Pug is right here. Avoid !!!
Plus the small matter that the wall paper round the edges where it meets the plaster will probably blow away from the wall with the moisture from the plaster.Then when they eventually strip the paper it will bring plaster away from the ceiling around the edges.
You gotta set a standard of work for yourself others will judge you on this standard
good work = repeat work=less advetising=more customers=more money for beer

Even a large ceiling is worth only£100 for 3 hrs work inc setup and travel dont bother mate leave it for the poles.

What if scenerio...
What if i tape the edges of paper and sheet and when i pull tape of which gets wet and sticks to paper and pulls the paper off or worse wont come off?
what if i tape the edges and sheet and water runs behind it and stains the paper?
what if the customer rings me up 1 week later becuse the paper is coming off around the edges and he cancelled the cheque he gave you?
what if the customer is a total w@nker and a week later decides he wants the paper off now and starts stripping and the ceilings starts to fall away around the edges or further with the steam?
Click to expand...
Id love to see this large ceiling in 3 hours incl setup.
Maybe on a site, domestic forget it
 
Hello
Your spot on there gps and thats why I will never charge anything less than £100 for a ceiling, I have never worked on site but do work for 3 builders and sometimes do jobs for them that I imagine replicate what it must be like on site ie empty rooms already boarded out, you just tip up and start skimming finished by lunch,
 
i do em day in day out in 4 hours..
takes under an hour to load out and prep, in fact usually takes me an hour to prep a full room..
3 hour set, clean up as i go along..
still out for 1 o clock and i dont get there till 9 (cant be arsed with young kids running round gettin ready for school and the merchants dont open while 8 anyway..)
up to about 18-20 metres anyway..
any bigger stick another hour on (and some more cash)...
 
hmm if i start at 9 im usually done for 1-1:30 then about 2:15 by the time ive finished tidying up, really must start tidying and loading unwanted bits n bobs as i go ::)
 
thats just it mate, you get into a routine..
soon as the last mix is layed on its mixer, old bags, washed bucket, hawk all on the van while im waiting for that to pull up..
give that a trowel then scrape the floor, sweep up..
another one then wipe down any paintwork, put sockets/switches/rose back..
quick hard dry trowel then its ta very much, have a few more business cards..
 
Im also 4 hours on the one ceiling, I just didnt see how it was done in three, that extra hour is setting up prep work and a bit of tidying too
 
i think the only way you get a 2 hour set is fook all pva on a small ceiling in a hot room with the thinnest topping you can get on it..
or one coat it... not recommended as we know..
board finish used to have 2.5 hours on the bag, multi was 3 hours..
now theyre both sayin 1.5 hours..
???
they do feck about with the stuff at bg though..
 
Ill explain how i do it in 3 hrs with 2 full coats.
This was the routine for a ceiling i did in a terrace house 2 week ago.

1. first and most important tell the customer at quote time you want a clear room to work in explain that its gonna be messy and if anthing isnt removed its gonna get covered in plaster and be ruined (i.e carpets blinds curtains furniture etc)i also explain i will sheet the carpet but offer no guarantee of spilage on to it.
2. Asuming room clear.When the customer asks if ill have a drink ill decline ive just had Mac D's ill tell him 1 hour please ill be ready then!
3.ill then goto the van get plastic sheeting covber floor .then go to van get 3 hop ups and set up back to van bring in 3 more hop ups and set up back to van to get 2 planks back again 2 planks again 2 more planks i know have scaffolding sorted 15-20 mins max.I always have 1 tub with diluted pva in it ready to go and a tub with neat pva in it, ill be using the mixed 3-1 and bang a coat on now!
4. back to van get yellow bucket with kit in trowels etc and 2 large yellow buckets for water(put kit in other 2). i wont be using a spot for 1 medium ceiling it takes too long to wash etc.
5 .back to van get transformer + mixer and a clean pair of trainers.
6.Now ill be banging on another coat of pva on ceiling if needed (i know i know).
7. now ill go and fill 2 yellow buckets you now the sort ?? half full with cold water and put one in a corner out the way and other in centre of scaffolding.
8. now its fag time outside,quick fag and on we go.
9.Now ill make the mix ,as pva is ready to go.As soon as mix done take mixer straight to the ther large bucket and wisk it in the water and clean mixer and put under scaffolding.
10.1st coat ceiling quick wash down off edges and straight into second coat no farting around!!
11. Quick wash down of edges put a little plaster to the side on hawk and empty remainder plaster into old plaster bags (i carefully opened earlier).
12.now all my kit will be washed down and the trowel i layed on with dryed and put to sleep.
13.by now 1 hour as passed and its time for a quick fag and that drink i asked for, ill now swapp shoes so i dont walk s**t around the house before i smoke.!
14.enjoyed the fag changed shoes now ill pull the ceiling in thankyou very much with my polishing trowel.
15.now its scrape the planks and open the windows time and get that air a moving!!
16.take mixer buckets and all trowels except polishing trowel paint brush and spayer with you to van.(change shoes obviously).
17.back up stairs remove 2 hop ups and 2 planks as the ceiling is on and flat and DRYING.
18.Spread the scaffolding out a little further now and reach over slightly as i polish again with a little spray here and there as i go wash corners kit etc etc .
19.change shoes back down stairs with 2 more hop up in hand again with 2 planks .
20 ceiling looking good but not drying as quick as you like time for a quick fag outside
21.now ill move the last row of scaffolding remaing to one side of the room and lift the polythene sheets into centre of room emty all this rubbish into a bag.then tak e all rubbish to the van.
22.ceilings drying a treat a quick final hard dry trowel moving the final set of scaffolding as i go 2 or maybe 3 times and FINITO.
23.change shoes downstairs with the hops up the planks the trowels and the kit.
24.to the van get a couple of business cards and a company logo diary collect and exchange for hard cash.

Obviously on a real hot summers day i might have to leave clearing away til a bit later as ceiling drying faster and i wont want it to die on me.in this case its a few less fag breaks and skim it out quicker and finish earlier it all depends as all jobs are different.
This is a typical ceiling for me in 3 hrs no kidding no bullshitting just how it is most the time. based on 4x4 M approx ceiling as this was.
 
just kick the hop up round the room mate.. bollox to scaffolding out..
 
yes slip ons mate addidas (they stink too).you could kick the hop up around but a good straight run will improve the finish and make it quicker to move around and its also safer so i plank it unless a really small room then kick around. have got stilts but never use them when working alone cus if i drop sommut ur fcked. plus the fact im not that keen on them.
you may laugh and think this is b*ll***s why do it like that ??? but it works for me,im just being honest and trying to help some of you muppets out there that aint gotta a clue.
When plastering you have to attack it not fck around make ur mind how many walls ceilings in set and attack i have a laugh and joke but only when it on the boards and drying ,talk to me while laying on and get flicked with plaster be warned.
 
attack attack roooar would you like me to lap dance for you mmmmmmmm nice slippers do they sell them in matalan mmmm sexy
 
i usually just walk along the floor since im a lanky streak of pi$$ ;D
only use opups/lech beer crates when its a high ceiling
 
Fact is guys... im good at what i do and a lot of you (not all) have little or no experience,im trying to help the ones with no experience not convience the good ones with plenty!
i dont have to reallly explain my methods to any of you but im trying to help.You may all laugh or tease but i aint the one asking " do i need to pva this ceiling" blah blah blah.
At the end of the day each to there own method !
But im only 35 and run 2 houses with 1 in spain with 1 on a small mortgage so im doing something right dont you think ?
Also im not complaining i have no work either ... It has slowed a little, but i usually go full steam so its no problem to me really.

Mr spoon a good tip is to no nails or stick a 6 foot plank to 2 crates that way you can move it less frequent and have plenty of length to reach from,i cant do this as im just a little to short to reach the ceiling but a guy who works for me sometimes always uses this method.
 
sounds good, tho im thinking about raising the whole floor as i can lay on much quicker and more meterage if i can skim the ceiling without any kind of hopups/stilts.

ive seen some trestles and i think they're called split ends or split heads?

upside down letter T long winded to explain what i mean but if anyone knows where to get them from can they please share 8)
 
mrspoon said:
sounds good, tho im thinking about raising the whole floor as i can lay on much quicker and more meterage if i can skim the ceiling without any kind of hopups/stilts.

ive seen some trestles and i think they're called split ends or split heads?

upside down letter T long winded to explain what i mean but if anyone knows where to get them from can they please share 8)
Click to expand...
i think macc tools do em.. theyve got some good kit like telescopic work plastforms and stuff but be prepared to pay through the nose for em..
 
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