What does it cost to skim or plaster a room?

Plastering cost in Manchester homes: what we look at

Older houses across Greater Manchester often have original lime or sand and cement backgrounds with years of patching. Newer homes have plasterboard that may only need a skim. The background decides how much preparation sits before the finish coat goes on.

• Wall and ceiling area
• Whether the existing plaster is sound or blown
• Wallpaper, textured coatings or paint to remove first
• Ceiling height and access
• Number of sockets, switches and reveals to work around
• Furniture and flooring to protect

Skimming a ceiling: cost factors

Ceilings take more effort than walls because the work is overhead and needs a working platform. Artex or textured finishes may need treating or overboarding first. Cracks along board joints are usually taped before skimming so they do not reappear.

Replastering a bathroom cost

Bathroom walls are a special case. If the room is being tiled, the wet areas are usually boarded with a suitable backer and tanked rather than plastered. Areas outside the splash zone can be plastered and painted. Getting this split right at the planning stage stops money being spent on plaster that will only be covered or replaced.

Skim or replaster?

If the plaster is firmly attached, a skim gives a new smooth surface for far less. If large areas sound hollow or crumble, a skim on top will crack and the old material needs to come off. Our skim or replaster guide explains how we make that call.

Drying and decorating

Fresh plaster needs time to dry before painting, and a mist coat first. Thicker replastering takes longer than a skim. Plan decorating with that in mind rather than booking a painter for the next morning.

Protecting the rest of the house

Plastering is a wet, messy trade. Floors need covering, furniture moving or sheeting, and sockets and switches loosening so the plaster can run behind their plates. Time spent on this protection is part of a proper job, and it is worth checking a quote allows for it rather than assuming.

Rooms that are empty plaster faster than rooms full of furniture, so clearing as much as you can before the start date can make the work simpler.

Plastering as part of a wider renovation

When plastering sits within a bigger project, such as a bathroom or several rooms, it is planned around the other trades. Electrics and pipework are first fixed before walls are finished, so nothing has to be chased into fresh plaster afterwards. Our house renovation work is organised in that order for exactly this reason.