What do you think the future is for plastering?

[CeeVee]

I think it's dead.

Private jobs are going further and further down as people compete for work, and unskilled workers have a go. I dont think this will change much. Certainly not in the next few years.

Small builders are doing half the work themselves ( boarding etc) so only want skimmers.

Same for bigger sites as competition is fierce.

DIY instructions on the back of plaster, new tools that make trowel marks disappear without much skill (plazis), a drop in quality expectations all round and a mass surge of unskilled people passing themselves off as spreads are all signs of the end to me.

Even when the industry 'picks up' as so many people think it will....it may be too late for most of us trying to hang on to mortgages, pay bills etc.

Mini rant over....I just wondered what anyone else thought...

 

[Rossi46]

It isn't good really is it. Nobody wants to dwell on the negatives but you can't help but see that it all adds up to worsening prospects. Earn what you can while you can and come up with a plan B.

 

[johniosaif]

I have been trying to get out of it for years and do developing small scale, flats or small terrace house, but the downturn shot me down, its too hard on the body...

 

[Deleted member 14228]

Think your right mate !!been in the game 30 years now and this is the worst ive ever seen it !!the property crash done it and without people getting mortgages and doing up property thats it ? seen a lot of good lads go under in the last 3 years ,we need a mass building program in the country to kick start the economy but it aint going to happen for a few years yet with the T***s who are in power now !!it will be to late for a lot who are literally hanging on by the kin of there teeth ........

 

[CeeVee]

flynnyman....my comments on workers coming from abroad, working cheap and getting legitimate benefits for their children were valid points. Why the censorship?

 

[flynnyman]

flynnyman....my comments on workers coming from abroad, working cheap and getting legitimate benefits for their children were valid points. Why the censorship?

If it was wrote how you wrote this it might be considered valid, but when you single out one race of people its not valid and doesnt get the point accross. Also you never mentioned people from this country signing on and doing it for beer money which is more of a problem than blaming someone who is prepared to work legit.

 

[CeeVee]

I also forgot to mention that the influx of workers coming from abroad, and who will work for less than indigenous Britons whilst claiming legitimate benefits for their families abroad are not helping the situation, and whilst the situation is so beneficial to them I can't see them leaving in a hurry.
:rolleyes)

 

[flynnyman]

I also forgot to mention that the influx of workers coming from abroad, and who will work for less than indigenous Britons whilst claiming legitimate benefits for their families abroad are not helping the situation, and whilst the situation is so beneficial to them I can't see them leaving in a hurry.
:rolleyes)

LOL thats better but your living in cookoo land or believing what you read in certain papers, or certain websites, if you think they are charging cheaper than indigenous Britons who all work and dont claim benefits

 

[flynnyman]

Ive only edited a few words but read it like this, indigenous Britons claiming legitimate benefits for their families are not helping the situation, and whilst the situation is so beneficial to them I can't see them working in a hurry.
:rolleyes)

 

[DannyMac]

LOL thats better but your living in cookoo land or believing what you read in certain papers, or certain websites, if you think they are charging cheaper than indigenous Britons who all work and dont claim benefits

What planet do you live on?

 

[CeeVee]

:RpS_thumbsup:

 

[flynnyman]

What planet do you live on?

The same planet as you and all the other people ceevee is talkin about

 

[Rossi46]

Your not gonna win with Flynn! He's like a wasp at a picnic.

 

[DannyMac]

The same planet as you and all the other people ceevee is talkin about

No you don't. Have you been eating toadstools?

 

[hector]

i think you are spot on with your comments ceevee, very very quiet up here , and i just can not see it improving at all

 

[stevo79]

the outlook for the near future at least is bleak, bleak as fook. the main prob for us forign labour and chancers aside is that every bods is skint. plastering is never the main job when people plan work they are having done, how many times have you been to price a job and they had a brand new kitchen or bathroom fitted and want you to plaster round it? i even had people have new carpet fitted days before you meant to be plastering a room.
we get over looked cos walls and ceillings are things that a house is supposed to have any way people want to spend their money on "nice" things that look pretty, and in this economic circumstance we find ourselfs in people are prepared to leave the old walls as they are or just give em a lick of paint or some cheap paper they much rather spend the bit of spare cash on somthing else. our job boomed when everyone thought their houses were never going to stop going up in value, now they all mortgaged up to the tits and in negative equity we are surpluss to requirment and the average home owner will only use us if essential.
to get back to the point of the job getting easier what if plasterers had to be "licenced" like a spark or plumber. the materials we use and the waste we produce have enviromental implications so maybe somthing along them lines like having to show your licence to buy plaster and only licencing people with a proven certificate of competence. i know it would probably cost money to be involved in but would mean for the chancers and part timers it may not be worth it so they can find someone elses job to ruin

 

[Tunna]

the fact is theres No money out there, Im sat at home at the moment, the money i've lost from adverts, time wasters and people just seeing if the plasterer thats about to do their job is not over charging them or to make him lower the price. Its simple No money out there and its the wrong time of year for our type of work. lets HOPE ! come spring our work loads pick up, the money may not be good but it should pay the bills and stop us sitting at our computers or watching babestation on tv. (well maybe not babestation). Now i've been told most of the larger building firms will be building more homes this year, so get your cscs cards ready for the kick off, i've got mine. But like i say the money may not be that good but its better than nothing. As for plan 'B' i'm no good in an office nor an i good at ICT (what ever that is ?) i'm 28 years into the plastering trade its to late for me, i'll stick to what i know, i know 3 plasterers that have left the trade and they hate the work their doing now, but good look to them. more work for us when the building trade starts up and the prices pick up too.

 

[malc]

i have been through a few recessions in this country. in the 60s and late 70s it was always boom and bust.
in the 90s the longest, you learnt not to trust anyone but to be in control of the finance yourself.
you have to build up a customer base in boom times, this will see you through the lean times, and keep away from builders and developers.
we now have a large customer base, and on most days the phone rings and work comes in,
i would agree that i trade in englands fastest growing area.

 

[Rossi46]

How do you keep going without builders and developers?

 

[derbyskimmer]

Just wanted to add my thoughts on this issue. 5 years ago we worked for 6-7 regular builders/developers and bounced from extension to refurb to one off new builds. In between and weekends we'd do private. When recession hit some builders had no work some got far cheaper plasterers and 2 stayed loyal to us and our pricing. Times got tough for a couple years but I did every little job going to bring bit of money in, this in turn got us out there in the private market. Today we have a huge private customer base who have room at a time done. The 2 loyal builders still put a few months work our way each year, so at moment things are good. I'm reluctant to price for any new builders/developers as most are shopping around for cheaper trades, therefore wasting my time. I personally think the country is split between those customers who genuinely are on a tight budget and those who pretend to be and have more money than I ever will. I don't think there is enough work to go around all the good plasterers but you have to make yourself better than your rivals so that the customer wouldn't wanna use anyone else. This means being polite, professional, reliable, clean and tidy and above all else shithot at plastering! Don't get me wrong there will be times when I worry if the phone will ring again but hopefully experience has taught me that the effort I've put in to my job comes back to reward me.

 

[malc]

How do you keep going without builders and developers?

about 20 years now.
i do however do work for local councils. where i have an old pal. it is like everything it is not what you know, but who you know.
i would say 90% private customers, and i always go the extra mile to please them.

 

[malc]

derbyskimmer i am sure that you are going in the correct direction. a bit late off the mark , leaving it till the recession hit, but good luck.

 

[Arti]

Just wanted to add my thoughts on this issue. 5 years ago we worked for 6-7 regular builders/developers and bounced from extension to refurb to one off new builds. In between and weekends we'd do private. When recession hit some builders had no work some got far cheaper plasterers and 2 stayed loyal to us and our pricing. Times got tough for a couple years but I did every little job going to bring bit of money in, this in turn got us out there in the private market. Today we have a huge private customer base who have room at a time done. The 2 loyal builders still put a few months work our way each year, so at moment things are good. I'm reluctant to price for any new builders/developers as most are shopping around for cheaper trades, therefore wasting my time. I personally think the country is split between those customers who genuinely are on a tight budget and those who pretend to be and have more money than I ever will. I don't think there is enough work to go around all the good plasterers but you have to make yourself better than your rivals so that the customer wouldn't wanna use anyone else. This means being polite, professional, reliable, clean and tidy and above all else shithot at plastering! Don't get me wrong there will be times when I worry if the phone will ring again but hopefully experience has taught me that the effort I've put in to my job comes back to reward me.

like the I****n said to wayne from waynes world in his dream "book them and they will come"..................:RpS_wink:

 

[graceland]

Plumbers don't need to be 'licensed'.

 

[Fatarm]

:RpS_laugh:

 

[stevo79]

Gas?

plumbers don't need to be 'licensed'.

 

[N8rbos]

Plumbers don't need to be 'licensed'.

You'll find they have to hold many certs to do various works, water regs and unvented hot water being two to add to gas, mainly gas is done by an 'engineer' everything else by a certified plumber, there will always be in any trade people who hold no certs etc and do the work. Just cuz you hold certs don't make you any good,is this better than no certs but good workmanship?