This is a little article about how i got into the plastering trade, or became a plasterer in bristol.
Part 1
Well firstly, my older brother is a plasterer and my uncle is a plasterer, my older brother learnt how to plaster from our uncle (which was a very good plasterer, but he hated it). Anyway, when i was in school i use to do the odd weekend working with my brother, (which at the time was doing dry lining) plaster boarding or tacking plaster boards to stud work in new build houses, i use to go in and he would pay me a couple of quid to put all the insulation in the studs, (horrible job was the really itchy pink stuff back then), and going round screwing all the boards up, or nailing. Then after a few weekends of that, came the real eye opener, (my brother didn't want me in building trade, so tried putting me off a bit) he asked me to start loading out the house with the plasterboard. a house was like 2 packs of plasterboard, 70 boards in a pack, and i would have to get 75% of one pack in before 8 so he had plenty to get on with....Bearing in mind there was scaffold across the entrance to the house, and you couldn't bang or damage any of the boards, and you had to go up a windy staircase, Well, let me tell you that was the hardest days work i had ever had up into that point, i never thought that pack of plasterboard was going to get any smaller, i was literally shaking at the end of the day from it, but it didn't put me off.
After a couple of weekends, and most of the last summer holidays in school of doing this, i was coming to the end of school, and didn't know what i really wanted to do, didn't fancy dry lining. It wasn't till i done my first bit of plastering with my brother on a new build house he was doing for his mate, that i found my calling. It was all block work walls everywhere, and only a few stud walls, so everything was floated out in sand and cement, all the angle beads dabbed on and plumed up, and was the first time i got to see my brother on the rule (feather edge) was a art to watch, as he was ruling it flat, then after all the sand and cement work, we had to drop back and apply the finish coat, skim it. I just love the way we completely transformed the house from bare block work walls to beautiful plaster work, with nice sharp crisp angles and ceiling lines. Total job satisfaction...Loved it..
Second part to follow, as i tell you how i went on to my apprenticeship, and decided to start up on my own.
plasterer bristol
plasterers bristol
