Ceilings

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FatmanWithATrowel

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I should preface this with Im not a full time spread, but over the last few years I've done a bit of domestic on the side for beer money.  ;)

Im happy enough on walls but normally I avoid ceilings - Ive not done one yet I've been pleased with. As this was my hall I thought Id make use of the practice. I just cant get to grips with it though.  Laying on I dont seem to be able to get a decent length of stroke in without a build up on the top leading edge and back of the float which always seems to drop on me. Im having to put very small amounts of plaster on at a time as a result I end up with a very uneven coat which Im finding impossible to then flatten out.

Im guessing its something to do with the angle of the trowel I've tried adjusting but I cant seem to get it right. Other than dont give up your day job anyone got any tips.

Ive given it 2 coats and it still looks like someones been ice skating on the surface of the moon.  :mad: Its destined for silk paint so it needs to be reasonable otherwise I'll never hear the end of it.  :-[
 
hello mate theres no easy answer it's all practice, when i started i'd bring the trowel back and empty it in the first 12 " , then i'd be going back and forth evening it out ...........
just remember it's not a race technique comes first and speed sorts itself out, load youre trowel up and remember youre defying gravity so slowly close the trowel in when you lay towards you ..........what would help is watching a spread see if you can get a day with a lad on ceilings
alos mate if youre using pva make sure it's tacky not too wet as this will slide the plaster round even more
 
Hello Mate
I aggree with Nicksey its just down to experience, plastering is hard enough as it is and a ceiling just makes everything harder, your preparation can make life alot easier thou, I use crates and boards as i just find it much easier, I have stilts and use them now and again but I do prefer boards especially as i work on my own. I did every ceiling in my house as a form of practicing when I started and just try and do as many friends and families as you can, its the best way.
Johnathon
 
I have learn't from experience that ceilings tend to sag (with time and gravity) between the joists, bear this in mind when skimming over ceilings, especially artex. I ALWAYS lay on and trowel up ACROSS the joists and generally give it a final cross trowel going the same way as the joists.
 
try not to treat a ceiling any different from a wall, lay your first coat on as qucik as you can flatten off second coat and you should have plenty of time, i would say make sure you have pva the ceiling enough atleast two coats if your not to quick and i think if you cant get a big enough stroke on the ceiling maybe your not high enough to the ceiling.
 
Maybe it's just me, but on ceilings I tend to trowel up with upward strokes, a bit tricky doing downward strokes... :-? On walls I tend to squat down on the downard stroke when stood on a hop- up to lengthen the stroke. (being a short arse) ;D
 
as gps says you might be to low down for the ceiling you are working on lethal for an eye full of finish,try estimating about 8 inchs from the top of your head and the ceiling you should find that alot more comfortable plus it will come to you the more experience you can gain
 
i always go a span (tip of thumb to tip of little finger with your hand splayed) from top of my head to ceiling, just right (i've got big hands tho!)
 
I tried again today ... wish I hadnt. Id got half a bag of wickes one coat thought it might make things easier..... BIG MISTAKE. Looks like a blind man with one arm stood and sneezed plaster at it. :mad: Horrible stuff. I'll pick some more multi up tomorrow.

I tried it a little slower this time certainly less on the floor - but I think you lot may be right about the height thing. Im 6'3" and its impossible to get a comfortable working height - hop up is too high, steps too high but an 8' ceiling standing on the floor just doesnt cut it. Might see if I can find one of those kick stools.

Its freshly boarded, level and flat so its really frustrating ... still its all practice I suppose
 
milk crate is nearly perfect for you mate...then bein 6'3 you should be nearly there for a 2400 ceiling anyway...im only 5'10 and i use a wickes hop up, about bang on for me...
stroke wise i use the same amount as on a wall stroke, length of about 4 foot....ill do a 2400 wide ceiling in two visits...down one side, back up the other, overlap the middle, 3.6 just maybe squeeze it (but i end up bent over backwards)...
practice, practice, practice.....
 
theres a good market out there for an affordable adjustable hop up, stilts are ok but site rules and all the other pains in the asses that comes with using them rules them out
........maybe loads of holes in the legs with pins like a trestle???????
 
cracking idea that nicksey...specially if the buggers would go up to about 2'6 for 3m ceilings..
maybe just some sort of thing like 'lifts' use...i.e. locks up when the weights on em...
id buy one or two tomorrow...

just realised im falling back into the 2'6"+300mm trap again...

anyone else use imperial for estimates and metric for measurments??
 
we bought an 'extendable' step ladder/full ladder last year that slides in and out, little rotating plugs lock it off in the hollow rungs...worked really nice till somehow i let the plugs go and it shot down and nearly broke my foot!!! by god it was painfull...thats what i get for not wearing the ppe ;D
 
ive thought of it for ages but my skills are limited to plastering......just.....and errr.............
anyway most legs on a hop up are square section so how about just inserting another square section inside the leg with a device to stop it at intervals?
 
Maybe your muck is too wet . When your knocking up finish for a ceiling it needs to be a little stiffer just to give you a chance to get it on.
 
omg!!! american though....$299US...
thats wot 150 quid?
bit much for a hop up...but still....now the ideas there..maybe i could butcher my wicksey special? ill call it a 'nicksey special' :D

if that thing came over here at a reasonable price i reckon it'd sell by the bucket load...
sorry no pun intended ;D
i can imagine one with them little collapsible wheels on like u get on library stools..
 
there seems to be loads going on in the way it's made, we just need the legs bit :)...............forget sturdy were all used to our hop ups collapsing arent we ;D
 
I was on a site the other day not a comercial site but just a small builder, and health and safety turned up and we were using our arubu hop ups, we were told unless we stopped using them we were'nt allowed work there, as they are too dangerous, we bought them because we were told we couldnt use crates now there stoping us using specificaly designed hop ups its getting a bit rediculous bloody health and safety :mad:
 
Whats deemed acceptable then? They'd have a field day with my slippery when wet scaffolding batons, perched on two hop-ups. :eek:
 
not long ago mate i was on one of those sites where even the laboureres are telling you to put a hard hat on , im sure you know the ones i mean ;)
i was in a room about 2 m square and 3m high and had to use a platform with bars all round it using sand cement and a 2.2m straight edge ..................fooking joke mess everywhere when i finished i just left it in the room i couldnt even get it out cause the walls were 11mm thicker ;D
 
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