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Plastering, damp or decorating quotes
Three related jobs that often come up together during a renovation: plastering walls and ceilings, dealing with damp, and decorating.
Plastering is one of the most common jobs in a renovation. Plenty of people do it themselves, and it does save money, but it has to be done correctly to leave a wall smooth and level, and a professional makes the rest of the project much easier.
Damp is a different matter. It is not a finish, it is a fault, and it needs identifying before anything gets covered over.
Decorating is the most personal of the three, and the one where a professional most often opens up possibilities you had not thought of.
Is your property suitable?
Damp comes first, always. There are three main types with different causes. Condensation damp comes from moisture in the air. Rising damp comes up from the ground, and is usually seen in houses with poor exterior walls and no damp proof course. Penetrating damp comes from rain or ground water, and can also be caused by poor plumbing. There is also the ordinary drying out of walls and floors after building work.
Get a specialist to examine it and identify which type it is, and deal with it as soon as you can. Damp is not only a building problem. It affects the health of everyone in the house, including children and pets.
Plastering and decorating come after that, in that order.
Typical cost range
£1,150 – £17,250
Excludes VAT, and includes a 15% contingency allowance for the unexpected.
Plastering is usually priced on the dimensions of the room, so the size of the space is the main thing deciding the figure. Get a few quotes from different plasterers.
It is also a very messy job, which is worth planning for rather than discovering. If you are plastering a room with windows or glass doors, cover them completely. Bits of plaster get into the gaps and can damage the frames and the glass.
What to ask before hiring
For damp, ask what type it is and what the evidence for that is, rather than accepting a treatment. Ask what is causing it, because treating the symptom leaves the cause in place.
For plastering, ask how many coats and what finish, who is protecting the room and clearing up afterwards, and how long it needs to dry before you can decorate.
For decorating, ask to see previous work. This is where the choice is genuinely personal, so look for someone whose work leans towards your own style. You will work together far better.
Red flags
Anyone offering to treat damp without identifying which type it is. Anyone recommending a damp proof course before checking the obvious causes such as ground levels, gutters and plumbing.
A plasterer relaxed about covering windows and floors. A decorator who will not show you previous work.
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Plastering, damp or decorating
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Common questions
Can I plaster a room myself?
Plenty of people do, and it saves money. It also has to be done correctly to leave a wall smooth and level, and it is messier than most people expect. If the finish matters to you, a professional is worth it.
How do I know which type of damp I have?
Get a specialist to examine it. Condensation comes from moisture in the air, rising damp comes up from the ground, and penetrating damp comes from rain or from poor plumbing. The type decides the fix, so identifying it correctly comes before anything else.
Is damp actually a health problem?
Yes. It affects everyone in the house, including children and pets, which is why it is worth dealing with as soon as you find it rather than covering it over.
What order should these jobs happen in?
Damp first, then plastering, then decorating. Covering damp with fresh plaster and paint hides it for a while rather than fixing it, and you will be doing the same work again.