What do I need to plaster a wall?

Plastering a wall can take time so it’s important to choose good quality tools which feel comfortable in your hand. A full list of tools required can be found at the top of this page, but the five basic tools are: Plastering trowel – choose a stainless steel trowel with a comfortable, evenly weighted handle. A plasterer’s hawk board – this is the tool that holds your plaster. A plastic hawk board is lighter than a wooden one, although both types are absolutely fine. A wooden hawk board will last much longer though. Bucket trowel – this tool is specially designed to make it easy to scoop plaster from the bucket to your hawk board.

Although mixing the plaster by hand is good, using a speed mixer is considerably easier and faster. It’s very useful when making large batches of plaster that need to be applied fast.
A decent quality paint brush is required for cleaning your edges and applying water to your plaster.
If you re-use R&B Plastering tools, make sure they are completely clean and free of any plaster residue from past jobs.

Preparing the wall for plastering

Plastering may be a nasty job, so a clean, unobstructed work area is essential. Remove any furniture from the room, and depending on the project, curtain rails, dado rails, and even radiators may need to be removed. Tape any exposed sockets to prevent plaster from entering.

Prepare the floor with heavy-duty protective coverings. If you’re removing old plaster, you’ll need two sets of sheets: one for removing the old plaster and another for applying the new plaster. Otherwise, you risk contaminating your new plaster with dust.
Scrub the wall vigorously to remove any wallpaper, loose plaster, grease, or dust.

This is critical because any debris left on the wall will prevent the plaster from adhering properly.
Apply plaster tape to all joints between plasterboard sheets if you’re dealing with fresh plasterboard. Once the tape is in place, trim it to a tidy edge with a sharp knife.