DIY from a woman’s point of view

Surface Preparation

No matter which type of surface you are going to treat, it must first be prepared. Tempting though it might be to just go ahead and apply the finish, the results will only be as good as your preparation; it’s worth taking the extra time to make sure that you get the finish that you want and that you will feel proud of.

Plaster will probably be the largest surface that you will tackle. Walls and ceilings should be washed down prior to painting and any holes or cracks filled with a proprietary filler.  This can be bought ready mixed or, usually more cheaply, as a powder to which you add water to form the correct consistency.

Filling Holes and Cracks in Plaster

You will need;

A small trowel or a palette knife with which to apply the filler

Filler - either powder or ready mixed

A container to mix powder filler

Fine sandpaper

An old paintbrush or other soft brush.

First of all, brush any dust or loose plaster from the hole or crack to be filled with an old paintbrush or any other soft brush.  Ensure that the surrounding area is sound, removing any loose or flaking plaster if necessary.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, mix the powder filler with enough water to form a stiff consistency that will not fall off the palette knife if it is held upside down.

Using a small trowel or palette knife, press the filler into the hole or crack - deep holes should not be filled in one application. Apply a thin layer of filler, wait until it is dry and then gradually build up to the surface of the plaster.

Overfill just very slightly, as the filler will shrink as it dries.  Practice will help you to judge just how much you need to overfill, but if you finish the wet filler level with the plaster it will leave a hollow when dry and you will have to go back and do the job again.

Once the filler is thoroughly dry, use a piece of fine sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block to sand it level with the surrounding wall.

These gaps are generally caused by movement - usually nothing to be alarmed about, just the small movements made by your house as it settles; plaster and wood expand and contract according to the temperature and this eventually causes thin gaps between the wood and the plaster.  These gaps are sometimes also found where your walls join the ceiling. If you fill this type of gap with conventional filler, the movement that caused the original gap will cause the filler to come away from one of the surfaces and the gap will reappear.

Flexible filler is what is needed in this case.  Because it is flexible, it will move with the materials that surround it (to a certain extent) and the fill will last.  Flexible filler cannot be sanded and so should be applied carefully and leveled whilst still wet.

This type of filler comes ready to apply, sometimes in tubs but often in tubes which are fitted into a gun.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application, using a wet finger to smooth away any irregularities to give an even finish.