Plasterer in Oldham for skimming and replastering

Plastering in Oldham's terraces and stone houses

A large part of Oldham's housing is terraced, much of it built for the mill workforce, along with older stone properties towards the hill towns and later semis and estates around them. Those older walls behave differently from modern plasterboard. Solid brick and stone walls may carry original lime plaster, decades of patching and layers of paint, and the surface underneath is rarely even.

That means the preparation is the real job. Loose and hollow plaster has to be found and cut back, cracks opened and filled, and the wall brought level before a final skim goes on. Rushing past those steps is why skims crack or blow within a year.

What we plaster in Oldham homes

Most plastering work falls into a few types. The right one depends on what is under the paint, which is why we look at the wall before recommending anything.

• Skimming walls and ceilings that are sound but rough or patched
• Replastering walls where the old plaster has blown or crumbled
• Plasterboarding and skimming ceilings that have cracked or sagged
• Skimming over textured or artex ceilings once they have been tested
• Making good after rewiring, new windows or removed fittings
• Plastering as part of a bathroom renovation, ready for tiling

Skim or replaster?

A skim is a thin finishing coat over a surface that is basically sound. It is the right answer when the wall is solid but marked, uneven or covered in old repairs. Replastering means stripping back to the brick or stone and building the wall up again, and it is needed when the existing plaster has lost its grip on the wall.

Tapping the wall tells a lot: a hollow sound usually means the plaster has come away. In Oldham's older homes it is common to find both in the same room, so a quotation may combine patch replastering with a skim over the rest. Our guide on whether to skim or replaster explains the differences in more depth.

Making good after damp or leaks

Walls that have been wet, whether from a leak, a failed gutter or condensation over many winters, often need new plaster once the cause has been put right. Salts and soft patches will push through any paint or skim laid over the top.

The order matters. The source of the water has to be dealt with and the wall given time to dry before it is replastered. We are happy to look at the wall and say plainly whether it is ready for plastering, so you do not pay for a finish that will fail.

How a plastering job runs

We start by looking at the room, agreeing what is being plastered and confirming it in a written quotation. On the day, floors and furniture are covered, loose material is removed and the walls are prepared. Bonding or backing coats go on where needed, followed by the finishing skim.

New plaster needs to dry fully before decorating, and it should be sealed with a mist coat first. We will tell you what to expect for your room, as drying depends on the thickness of the plaster, the season and how well the room is ventilated.