Drywaller Tries Plaster, Gets Humbled!

[@vandal29]

There are a thousand DIY videos, but none provide the professionalism and humility of VC. I love your videos, your ethics and your family. You keep making, I'll keep watching. Thank you.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you!!🙏

[@essouchement_M.S-G]

Warner zad02eaw33sfw😮​@@vancouvercarpenter

[@StuccoPlastering]

@@vandal29 hello to the most famous drywaller online, funny we were discussing you today and the way you relate to your audience, honest and masterfully. You’re the man.😉🕵🏼‍♀️

[@letjoanin]

I had a rotten day today, and started watching KZbin videos to cheer myself up. The stuff I was watching wasn't helping when I had an inspiration--I'll watch The Vancouver Carpenter! It worked like a charm! Just watching you do things is fun!

[@andrewalpizar8146]

As an owner of an 1950s home with plaster walls, I have been waiting for this

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

Here as well.... I love the smooth walls. But my ability to FIX fubars and snafus in the wall or ceiling is kicking my ass. I just don't understand how the wall is built and I've yet to have anybody explain to me how to properly fix things.

[@jatpack3]

​@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555 your smooth walls are a two coat thick plaster. The base is cement like gypsum based plaster that has sand in it. The top coat is lime putty, called the putty coat. You can buy a modern version of the base but the finish coat has to be made. It is a mixture of hydrated lime and white cement. Takes an hour to mix and I like to let mine sit for a couple days to a month and then re mix it. It does not set like plaster of Paris products. It adhears to the base layer and slowly sets and dries. If you have never done traditional plaster rendering it's best you hire a professional.

[@gabxolotl]

You're amazing. It's crazy to think about how much value you created among the skills of people all around the world. I know I'm one of them. I owe you greatly!

[@WorkMachine-u9t]

I commend you for trying new things and gaining new skills. Most folks get to a point in their career and say "this is all i do and only do it a certain way" but you're out here growing! the results looks great and I would be a proud homeowner having this.

[@gatsby6815]

I’ve seen in our church renovation project the plaster and lathe construction in the walls and ceilings that consisted of a base coat and two finish coats. The molding was cast with horsehair and plaster. You come away with an appreciation of the workmanship it took.

[@jonesconrad1]

thats how my house was built, and nothing is plumb.

[@StuccoPlastering]

Howdy Vancouver Carpenter, I Just posted a lime plaster video that beat me up, thus yours appeared in my feed. Man, I was thinking my man’s arm is on fire towards the end, love it brother. Keep on keeping on, your pal, Kirk giordano plastering

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Kirk!!!! Good to hear from you!!!

[@420architecMindNDesign]

you are the man!

[@HotspotsSoutheast]

I grew up in an old farm house with plaster walls. And what is cool is where the wall meets the ceiling they curve the plaster and embed a metal slot for hanging pictures and paintings. You would never ever dream of putting a nail in one of those precious walls. The paintings had ropes and a metal hook that fit in the slot at the ceiling. You could move pictures anywhere you want and adjust the rope height. Very classy design. And where the first floor meets the second on the stairs the plaster wall makes a big round curve where the wall thickness goes from like 6 or 8 inches down to 4 on the above floor. Old houses always had such nice details like little windows on either side of the fireplace and wood cabinet doors with glass panes on the built in book shelves.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

The good ol houses

[@cmmartti]

​@@vancouvercarpenter Yep. The bad old houses (which was most of them) are long gone.

[@adriaanpatel-coetzee8480]

I truly appreciate you showing the product and process guesswork in the beginning!!!! I am starting in professional home renovation and finding these oddball situations stressful. Encouraging to see that an old hand like you still runs into these situations and goes about them pretty much the same as I do. Cheers for the stellar content man ❤

[@YTubeScandalScrambledMyHandle]

Cool. I enjoy watching people that aren't afraid to learn. Practice makes perfect. Years ago, working around the corner of 2 much older (seasoned) fellas, I tried to get a small wall completed before they did. They appeared to be working slower & talking nonstop. I finished & as I started cleaning my tools, looked around the corner. They had completed their walls, had tools clean, & still talking to one another. I told them I was trying to beat them & asked how did y'all finish so fast. 1 looked at me with a slight grin & said, when you get this old, you gotta make every stroke count. 😂 Work smarter, not harder 😉. Buy the way, that wet slick trowel method at the end, I could be wrong with the product you're using but we call that butter. We use it to help fill in any tiny pits or what some of us call cat heads. It's obvious you're no beginner, just trying something different. Enjoyed the video. The music at the end compared to death metal 😜, I can relate. 😇✌️

[@toastoftowne1076]

I plaster every day for years, and I am not very good at drywall mudd. I always put too much on and have to sand like a fool. I use your channel for reference often. Thanks. Aloha

[@kewlztertc5386]

Get yourself a drywall power sander.

[@MIDEEZEE]

I have done wet plaster on lath strips, it was an experience for sure. It seems like with mud you have plenty of "play time". Plaster seems like the clock is ticking as soon as you add water. You need to take your show on the road. I have tons of respect for you. Great Job as always.

[@OscarGarcia-wz3bi]

It looked great! And we all learned to hire someone that knows what they’re doing and not do ourselves. Thank you

[@tonyr8443]

Well done my friend! I did Venetian plaster one time, just to find out how hard it is and it was an absolute experience for me

[@davidhawkey8426]

I've never seen you look so focused. Thanks for the videos!

[@danloran]

At the end, you looked like I have felt for the last several weekends drywalling and finishing my manufactured home. Your videos have been a big help, but you make it look much easier than it was for this old man. Thankfully, I have an easy going wife. Poor lighting and curtains should make it look acceptable. :D

[@robertroy8803]

Good timing on the transition to music, yes that was right on the point of information overload. Much appreciated! I doubt I'd ever tackle plaster myself but it's fascinating to see what's involved, and even more so to see you in your learning process. While it sounds a bit intense to try two walls at once so quickly, really that's the only way you become professional at it, pushing the boundaries of what you can do with it.

[@reinoutreybrouck]

I was surprised to hear you don’t get these kind of works often and it was an opportunity to practice your skills! Working with drywall always seemed to be more involved and specialised and i thought this kind of plastering were the basics for drywall installers. (Recently used tape mud for the first time and I thought i forgot to put in the hardener 😅) Anyway, what a lovely job!! thankyou for all the tips & tricks you teached me! 🙏🏼

[@marciajohnson5143]

I saw the word ‘veneer’ in the caption and heard it as you opened your comments. As a true novice DIYer of prepping walls after paper removal, I thought I needed to learn about this ‘veneer’. As soon as you said the walls had an oil based primer, I knew you weren’t going to help me. Yet, I was fascinated by your challenge. Thanks for entertaining this old DIYer. Love your videos.

[@ericzenk4404]

My sister's old house is finished with plaster. The connection between the walls and ceilings is rounded (10-12 in radius I think). The corners there look like they would be impossible to cover. From watching you I have used a trowel a bit (while finishing the basement). I have found it to be the fastest way to get material on the wall, but I still have trouble feathering edges with it. Interesting how well adapted it is to plastering. People have used this kind of construction for hundreds of years. But it takes some serious skill to get it to work.

[@mplehmann]

Thank you so much for this!! I had not seen very many current day plastering videos that compare and contrast drywall. I’m sorry for the tortuous experience, but greatly appreciate the demonstration and knowledge sharing!

[@Allen-c3x]

Looks really good! I’m staying with drywall compound…lots and lots of work. I appreciate you showing us DIYers what’s involved.

[@AlbosNoggins]

I think you did a great job! Here in the UK plaster is definitely the most common wall covering. It definitely isn’t easy but I’ve found, as a non-pro, that practice is the key. That and timings. Once the first coat is on we go straight for the second coat, then wait 30 to 40 mins then flatten and polish.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

You guys have waaaaaay better product and more selection. I have one choice and the supplier doesn’t even know what it is or why people use it. I can’t find the compatible wallboard, primers or different set times. It’s basically trial and error. I would love to have more plaster options here but literally no one does it.

[@gray1280]

We tend to use Thistle multifinish for nearly everything indoors. Unless you need to builld out first then we using bonding, or if it's direct to brick there's a product called hardwall and then you use multi finish over the top of it. SBR is really good choice for priming an old wall, it's a lot better than PVA for controlling suction but you need to let it dry.

[@AlbosNoggins]

@@vancouvercarpenter that’s such a shame. Funnily enough it’s very similar (although opposite 🤔) here. Drywall compound is so rare and any meaningful amounts are just very expensive, ready-mixed or powder. I guess it’s what the different countries are accustomed to but it definitely sucks when you want a product you know exists but are unable to get it.

[@PaulMikna]

Thanks for taking us on the journey.... It's always stressful pushing our skill sets and I thought you did a great job! It's hard to find guys who do plaster anymore, so I'm sure this will be an added valuable skill for you!

[@dallinbagley4486]

Awesome video, always fun to expand the skill set. I’ve always thought plaster looked soothing since I find drywall mudding very soothing but perhaps that’s just the bliss of ignorance. Thank you for sharing and not sugar coating the challenges, it is very appreciated!

[@Matt-my7pz]

Man Ben, given the assumed transferable skill set crazy how challenging that is. Having to deal with stupid timing, thin slippery product, flash moisture absorption, polishing... So much respect for those forefathers and the skill/ knowledge they developed. My first home was a 50s home in Lethbridge. 18" x 48 drywall panels with expanded steel mesh in all inside corners and so much plaster!

[@Matt-my7pz]

I wonder how many different types of plaster methods there are. Not techniques but like the substrate types, scratch cost compounds, finishing compounds. So much skill required

[@mathman0101]

Quite frankly the most interesting man in the world of drywall, constantly perfecting his trade and talking through it. My mastery of drywalling having come from a UK plastering position is something I owe to you Ben. Maybe someone can send some plaster products to you Ben, or better still take a week off, go to UK and learn on-site that would be a super interesting series….

[@scottpulver4920]

Nice job. I’ve done 3 coat plaster over wood lathe and wire. I use Larson plaster weld or UGL bonding agent then a imperial base coat then the diamond finish. Timing and water. Old grandmaster plaster from UK taught me and then learned from a awesome Italian plasterer. Both forgot more than I’ll ever know or do.

[@pcno2832]

I've done this on textured walls that I wanted to flatten and it is stressful. At times, I found myself spitting on the "fat" left on the trowel to keep the surface from wrinkling; something slimy keeps the trowel moving smoothly better than just water. Real plastering is useful if you have a textured surface, or one that's so uneven that regular patching would take forever, or ... if you happen to be English. But for most of us, for regular drywall that is, after all, already flat, it seems like a reinvention of the wheel. PS: seejanedrill posted a video on traditional plastering using hot mud, something that could be very useful for those who can't easily buy plastering supplies. It looked about as easy, and as hard, as using the real thing.

[@thepracticalhowtohomebrewman]

Awesome to see you trying new things. I feel like I'm now a first or second year apprentice at plastering after all your help and finishing my 4 bedroom house ^__^ I just watch your videos for entertainment now this new plaster style might be nice in my next house haha thanks again for all your hard work and effort teaching us 💪😜🤙💖💖💖

[@YYZ-SRQ]

I live in a 100 yr old semi detached house in Toronto and have a long shared wall that is plaster over brick that is looking tired (100 years of paint and spot repairs ) that is bumpy and lumpy, affixing 3/8" drywall over it would be too difficult as it would need 100's of tapcons for the 5 sheets not too mention the pre-drilling with concrete drill.. The building supply place recommended Diamond coat (I bought it and the bonding agent -pink paint stuff) to skim coat. I was about to start the job until I saw your video. I consider myself a very good with the mud and taping etc but when I saw you (the master) struggling with it I decided to retreat and do 2 coats of Sheetrock 90 followed by 3 coats of joint compound. I finished yesterday and the job looks amazing, maybe not as hard-shell as the veneer. So glad I did not go the route of the Diamond veneer as the end product would have looked awful. Your timing could not been better. Saved me from stress heartbreak and disappointment. Now what to do with the huge unopened bag of this sh!t

[@maui6446]

Good Job! You really worked hard on that! We could tell.

[@FendersRule]

Been watching your videos for years. My general contractor lets me do the drywall for my projects because he likes my work, which is all thanks to you. I've done 3 small-ish projects so far. Current job is a bathroom remodel, which is a 4-sheet job, so small, but it's testing my patience because everything is just so close together. One of the things I've started doing is learning to like quikset, and utilize quikset when it makes sense to. The fun thing about being a home owner and doing drywall is that you can rely more on air-drying mud since you're usually not in a hurry to finish a job. I'm still learning to not worry about perfection until the last coat (lift-offs are OK and sand out in a heartbeat!). It's more important to listen to your straight edge (or your 12" -14" knife blade) rather than to be worry about a few lift-offs here and there. I've only been using a 4", 6", 10", and 12" knife, no trowel yet. Knifes work great, but one of the annoyances about them is sometimes you need to use them at very shallow angles, and it's easy to run your fingers into your finished product if you're not careful. Ben, I'd like to see you do a video on paper drywall shims (I used them for this job and it was really easy and I'm sure my tiler will appreciate it).

[@NiktheEnglishGreekCypriot]

Good attempt mate. In England we use British gypsum multi finish, similar procedure, Apply the first coat Flatten and leave until it doesn’t stick to your fingers when you touch it Then apply the second coat Flatten 2 wet trowels Final hard steel trowel or plastic to finish

[@Alex-hb5pm]

As a DIYer, plaster is very difficult to work with. I wasn't able to apply it because of time and the slickness you show. I had some success combining EZ sand 90 minute, water, and plaster at a ratio of 5:4:3. This allows it to be applied to anything and increases working time for unskilled hacks like myself.

[@ChipShipley]

One way to avoid priming with PVA, although some will scream "sacrilege", is to do a mix of 50/50 drywall mud and veneer plaster. The pva in the drywall mud will help the plaster stick to paint or other surfaces, extend working time, and make it easier to work with. Of course the coat will be aofter than veneer. You can then do a proper veneer only coat over this though, and get proper adhesion. For a diy home owner that isnt experienced with plaster, it's a decent alternative.

[@ThePlockets]

I don't think this is sacrilege, but I would definitely be at least slightly concerned about the 5/10/20 year durability. You are basically making a new and untested building material when you start mixing up materials like this; it might be fine, or it might not. The chemistry of a mixture is quite often not as straightforward as the properties of the mixture being the average of the properties of the ingredients. That said, there are definitely similar hacks that have been around long enough to suggest this might be ok, such as mixing a bit of PVA into quick setting muds to improve adhesion to old plaster substrates.

[@whitezzzzzzzzz]

Ben, you rock! You made me feel so much better over my less than perfect veneer work.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

My pleasure!

[@marklee81]

I've never messed with plaster, but whenever I'm drywalling, I remind myself that I can fix any mistakes later.

[@rgfs71]

Dude! My neck and shoulders hurt just watching you work that ceiling 😳

[@jilliansturm8669]

Boarder and taper formerly from Vancouver who is attempting to restore a historic 1867 house in Saint John. Thank you for all your videos on plaster and lath, but especially this one. I appreciate how you explain things and your humility. I'm just about to start the ceiling and walls in our gutted kitchen and will be learning about restoring the plaster crown. Keep doing you. It's endearing.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you!

[@ianmurchie1567]

Plaster is a hard thing to do. I only played with it in taping school and My results where...well...lacking shall We say. I felt My shoulders ache watching this one 😢. Great work as usual Ben. Sit back and enjoy the fruit of Your labour 😊🖒👊🍻🇨🇦

[@ds61821]

I worked at a University and saw a very large wall and maybe 20 feet tall being plastered. I thought it was drywall but the contractor corrected me saying, "if only." He said his main work is applying plaster. I was impressed by the result when I saw it later. I have a guest bathroom to work on. It's gutted and now the drywall issues need to be resolved. I'll definitely revisit your drywall videos.

[@ShawnM-xj6zf]

Good job !! Looks like that is a pain. Love the videos !! Thank you !!

[@urbanlucky98]

Another simple way to not have the lines drag into the plaster is to bend some corners, I'm from the Netherlands, where we plaster whole houses (either 'stuc' or 'plaster', stuc being 1+- inch thick, plaster is the end step for a smooth wall) and we use like a 10-20inch putty/plaster 'knife' it's like a single blade, which we bend the corners on, otherwise you always get lines. The Dutch term is: spackmes (spack knife), great tool for doing a scim/thin coat of plaster

[@gregnixon5770]

That looks like an enormous amount of work

[@apalogiesg5973]

Hey Ben, have you tried using skim blades? I feel like they would a lot doing plaster. For sure it’s great for drywall finishing

[@craiglemp1618]

Exhausting to watch I can only imagine how worn out you were. I do a ton of smooth wall / putty coat. Drywall and it wears me out. This was intense. Calm music or not I could feel your stress. Thank you for the video and your hard work

[@grahamlangley2388]

Hi Ben, you mention painting the bathroom- anything in particular to be aware of when painting over the veneer? I've seen a wide variety of conflicting recommendations about appropriate primers so I was hoping you'd be able to share what worked for you. Thanks for opening the door to another rabbit hole for me to dive into!

[@Phazetic99]

One thing i do is i spread the mud out on entire surface, then go back to the start and take off excess. What i findnthat jappens is your suction starts on the mid next to the wall. You want that bottom part to get in and then you take off the top, the fat. This will make your suface more straighter as well.

[@als1023]

Making a pool trowel but using a cutoff wheel on a grinder to make 1" or so radius curves on a trowel, will help a lot. The center of the short edge, is still left straight, for a couple of inches. I cut Goldblatt towels for this, they work great. There are interface products that painters use, to cover oil to use latex. The square trowels are used for corners, don't work harder than you have to. Start with a small porject, one you can control the time on. Quickcrete makes an interface to help bond plaster and stucco etc , , if you cannt get Larson's plaster weld.

[@chriscleeland5472]

I'm not a pro--just a homeowner of an 1898 house with a lot of plaster-on-brick that occasionally needs repair. This past week I found that I'm a much better plasterer than drywaller. The tool you're missing in your arsenal for finishing is called a "blister brush" or "felt brush". After the final coat has started to set, you have two buckets of water (the "rinse" and the "clean") and dip the "brush" in the clean water, then do broad strokes on the wall with very light pressure using a technique similar to how you use the trowel during application. After a few strokes, rinse the brush in the rinse bucket, then pick up clean water from the clean bucket, then stroke again. Doing this, you can really polish the final coat, and level out a lot of the dips and ridges you got initially when laying out that final coat with the trowel. A trick to help adhesion with the first layer is to actually use some of the pva primer (I use thorobond product here in the US) as part of the liquid when mixing the plaster. In my experience it doesn't change the set or cure time, but does help when trying to key the plaster to a smoother surface. This is the exact blister brush an old-school plasterer recommended to me years back and has served me well: www.krafttool.com/PL224

[@chriscleeland5472]

I came here b/c I had to a patch in a section of wall that a former owner actually used drywall adjacent to plaster. I had such a horrible time with the drywall and ended up using diamond as my skim coat b/c I knew how to work with it. Guess what I got revealed? BUBBLES under one edge's joint tape! I'm now trying to decide whether to address them or leave them--they'll be hidden behind furniture as long as we live in the house :)

[@CHunt-cz1ek]

The mottled appearance resulting from the tooling reminds me of the finish of leather-hard ceramics that have been shaped, trimmed and burnished with metal tools. How different is the plaster in accepting paint, and what is the difference in surface appearance vis a vis drywall compound? Do you ever "work" a skim coat of joint compound, and how does that impact finished surface appearance? Does any of this impact the "level" of finishing, i.e. Level 5? Or is this veering into a discussion of frescoing? Ever seen ceramic glaze applied to fresh plaster and heat cured in place? For ceramics, the amount of "burnishing" has a variety of impact on finished product, i.e salt-glazes look different than underglaze or high-fire glazes on burnished items.

[@JunoBeach1944]

Hey Ben. Love your channel. I am in Coquitlam and have a wall repair need caused by poor drywall installation (new condo 2016). All 4x sheets have developed cracks at the joint. The screws missed or barely touched the metal studs. I would really appreciate your advice/service.🙏

[@benglass2221]

I’ve been watching Kirk giordano plastering for years. I’m not a drywall guy whatsoever. Definitely not a plaster guy for damn sure but man how Kirk makes this stuff look so easy. Kinda how Ben makes drywall look so easy. I can at least do drywall. I’m slow at it but with the invention of skimming blades and drywall sanders it’s defintely made me be able to finish with the best of them. Just not near as fast. I’d be terrified to attempt plaster

[@platonfoucault1087]

Yup, Kirk is just like Ben with drywall and just as relax and a nice guy.

[@jilliansturm8669]

Same. I'm in the trade and love how between Ben, Kurt and others, I learn different ways to tackle something or techniques.

[@daveorsararing2019]

A friend and I just skim coated two very large 13’ tall plaster walls in my 1875 commercial building that were a mess and needed a complete makeover. In indiana there is very little plaster available but I found structolite at a Menards. I had just watched Kirk Giordano from the bay area do a video about the versatility of structolite and how they use it in Mexico and Central America as a one and done. It’s considered a base coat and has perlite which makes it strong and gives it texture. But you have several hours to work with it and I thought it would be less stressful than Diamond. I was right and you can go back over it with a float to clean and wet your trowel and actually get it pretty freakin smooth. I’m very happy with the job and no sanding necessary. If you skim coated with joint compound there would definitely be sanding. Plus it’s rock hard and will last a super long time! You’re right though the application is hard work, but may possibly be faster in the long run. As you get better anyway. It just combines all your work into a short period of time and you don’t have to come back and sand and re-coat. Lots of cleanup but the finished product is awesome. It feels like it’s a forever wall.

[@traillesstravelled7901]

Still have plaster on my hawk from the last time it tried plaster (20+ yes ago) as a reminder of how I had no idea what I was doing.

[@himynameisdavenicetomeetyou]

Growing up, I was very good at ping pong. I remember the first time I played tennis I did virtually everything wrong because my muscle memory would have me trying to swing the racquet like I would in ping pong. Basically, the apparent similarity meant all of my instincts were shit for the new task. It seems this probably felt somewhat similar for you. Good on you for working on a new skill after so many years in the trade though.

[@jerryleejohnsonjr1377]

That panic you felt is what i feel just looking at drywall mud. You are a master!

[@michaelkistner6286]

This looks like a wiping knife project. Can you use a bonding agent in the mix? I've done it with masonary plastering but don't know if it would work with traditional plaster.

[@andrewschafer8986]

Wood float, Rosen paper. You do it 🤘 remember back to learning drywall it was the same stress. More practice more better :)

[@tymofiizakharkevych]

Good job 👍

[@zacdrilling4554]

Thanks Ben love your videos

[@willd0g]

As an Aussie viewer i’m so confused now between drywall and plaster. I thought all this time the term drywall was interchangeable with plaster here in Oz

[@manstersr]

I have a small repair where a bathroom ceiling had an area around the A/C vent crumble from condensation constantly keeping it moist. I just want to patch it and move on. This was way too much info for me. I suppose it is a good one for someone that knows something about drywall or plaster finishing. Also, for the beginner you might want to explain some of the terms you use that a drywaller may be familiar with, like double up. I had a feeling of what it means but not sure. I'd say this is a good video for someone that's familiar, even a little, with doing drywall or plaster. You introduced a different product and methods for the average drywaller. I guess you'd call it a master class. I'd like to see you do a small repair on 50's sand texture, metal lathe plaster that may have moisture damage like mine. Actually, in the old houses I've lived in, the kitchen and bathroom ceilings didn't get the sand texture, they're always smooth. I assume for easier cleaning.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Search plaster repair. I have lots.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

This video was not a beginner tutorial.

[@AshleyMeek-x5l]

So when is the version with the death metal coming out? Respect for trying something new! Turned out cool

[@vancouvercarpenter]

😂 would be funny to do one with stressful music.

[@Someguy1357]

What's the mian benefit of plastering the walls vs finishing with drywall mud? I have an old house with lathe and plaster walls.

[@ThePlockets]

If you are only talking about the finish coat, the main benefit is that plaster resists water damage, and actually recovers from being soaked through, assuming you find and repair the leak in a reasonable amount of time. Drywall mud turns back into mud if it gets soaked through for long enough, and can actually start to just slide/sag/bubble off the wall if it isn't dried back out in time (taking any paint on top of it along for the ride). Quick setting type muds behave more like plaster, although not quite as durable. If you are talking about plaster/lath vs drywall as a wall system, plaster has even more advantages (doesn't mold, more resistant to fire, slight bit better insulation), but also more expenses and labor.

[@Someguy1357]

@@ThePlockets Thank you for the helpful information sir!

[@Uskov_Oleg]

❤Hallo there from Russia! Love your videos and really enjoyed by this one! We use big sponge with water to make plaster walls smooth. But mostly after first coat of plaster to make wall flat we use mud to make it smooth. Sorry for my english i try my best.🫣

[@sandyschultz-steele4610]

What was the coverage of the Prim Grip? I need to skim coat a kitchen ceiling and walls in 1929 house with oil painted surfaces. Do you think 2 coats are necessary? I'll be using the same Diamond finishing plaster. I WAS going to you use PVA (already bought it) so THANK YOU for this video saves me time and mess!!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Don’t know what the coverage was. It went pretty far. Only took one coat.

[@thetdiguy3140]

I have a bag of that Dimond finish. Can it be used for tapping or filling holes like hot mud?

[@chriscolameco6850]

Isn’t hot mud (20-90) just plaster of Paris mixed with glue and binders? You can do all the same stuff with it (water troweling, double up, ect) Apparently 5 minute is literally just gypsum dust. Like 5 minute is what’s in between the drywall sheets

[@trappedshadow]

Awesome video, Ben!!! Maybe Venetian plaster in the future?

[@peltona]

Great job and my gosh so much labor! . That mud looked hopelessly slippery. What advantage does plaster have over drywall, especially smooth, when painted? Would it not have been cheaper to demo, drywall and tape and mud to prep for paint? I've demoed enough lathe and plaster to know that isn't efficient either. So many nails and dust. Much respect for you and those that do this type of work.

[@ThePlockets]

As far as I can tell, there is one main disadvantage of plaster vs drywall as a wall system, and that is how difficult it is to do well (which also makes it expensive), as Ben demonstrated for us here. ;) As a building material, plaster is much more durable, doesn't grow mold, is more resistant to fire, insulates a bit better, and perhaps most importantly, it can withstand quite a bit of water before it fails, unlike drywall which basically loses all integrity and can be poked through with a stiff finger if it ever gets soaked through. But the added expense and labor are the main reasons plaster fell out of favor for drywall, and now it is difficult to even find decent plasterers in most parts of the US outside of large metro areas with lots of old construction.

[@ballgms308]

Messing with this plaster is one thing that’s not as simple as watching a few vids. In my area there’s these swirls that are unique and I couldn’t find any info on it. Diamond is unique, mix it for less or more than 3-5 minutes and it sets up rock hard. Plaster/concrete weld works just fine with 1 coat. That first mix is too loose. Had no choice but to learn 5 yrs ago and had to call around everywhere. Plaster you don’t worry about being too smooth at first. Can wet it down at the end and trowel it smooth once it sets up

[@Lakanen263]

Thanks for the video.

[@tegimr]

Gives me the courage to try again.... thanks.

[@jedgeled759]

ive fooled with diamond a few times,,,i always threw a couple handfuls of play sand in my mix and the sand would keep me sorta smooth but i always sweated the job the whole time,,,,i always prayed i could brush a pattern into it to cover up all my bad spots but thats look is goin by the wayside

[@meancuisine8]

Word! I seen some of those Cats slop that shit on like it's no big deal, for them it isn't I'm sure... Great content Ben!

[@752brickie]

You should be walking backwards on stilts pulling a 6' browning rod to straighten the ceilings with Structo lite or gypso lite depending on the manufacturer. Then running your finish over the basecoat requires the real hustle when you are running smooth plaster. I would rather use the two coat system over the diamond. Just takes a lot of practice and having good advice from a craftsman. Also try a smaller trowel . Mine are tapered from wear which helps a lot when running on.

[@BeEasyKlockwork]

Been thinking of plastering but by watching this and seeing how different it was I might re think it. Have you ever done stoco on cinderblock?

[@John_Lete]

Bro, what a workout plaster looks to be compared to drywall mud...was feeling tired for you with all the movements...yea, there is no way I would want to have a home with plaster walls. From my point of view drywall rules and have done much drywall as a DIY. God bless you for being you in the videos, showing us the good and hard times on the projects you do. May Jesus continually bless you with His strength, mentally and phyically and day to day and His embrace be upon all your loved ones day to day. 🤍

[@yurijanssen2148]

They do loads and loads of plaster (stucco?, not sure how different it must be but it looks about the same process) here in the Netherlands. Its hard work for sure, requires good timing, a good eye and some stamina/physique haha. Its the one thing i decided not to try doing myself in my new house, its just too intimidating. Finished work looks great!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thanks!

[@jessicamena8545]

The Vancouver Plasterer. Lol. You’ve been talking about stepping up your plaster game for a while. Nice to see you trying something new. KZbin makes everything look easy. Just wondering, if you did a tight skim (sanding coat) over it with regular drywall mud, would it bubble?

[@vancouvercarpenter]

It didn't

[@djdes_u]

How do I seal the friable edge? I don't want the powder from the electric conduit cutout to get anywhere, what do I use to make that edge smooth? Spackle? Drywall tape?

[@maxamillionschnell]

as a diy'er getting ready to try veneering, this is not the video I wanted to see pop up in my feed!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

😂 I mean give it whirl just don't expect it to be easy.

[@maxamillionschnell]

@@vancouvercarpenter hah thanks! I am planning on testing out "modern plaster" also which is 1 part slightly thin diamond, and 1 part premixed joint compound, which while not quite plaster is supposed to be easier, is still applied like plaster veneer, is a good match to old plaster, and has good adhesion.

[@LeeDrummond-pu9sv]

It’s different than drywall because it’s a totally different compound 😉, same as me I can flatten anything without out with drywall compound, the beading isn’t hard and nor is jointing the tapes once you’ve got practice. But for instance in the uk multi finish plaster I wouldn’t be able to use that without practice because the compound is different has different setting times etc, As far as I know vaneer plaster is harder to apply.

[@TomCarberry413]

One small observation. Having watched a number of Kirk Giordano plastering videos, his mix seems thicker and less runny than the one your started with. (Also he has helpers who do the mixing, which cuts down on the personal mess). Everything seems hard the first try, so don't give up.

[@donaldcurtis9229]

Has a retired Mason the more you do it the better you get

[@rhkips]

Honestly, this is what it's like for me doing drywall mud. Panic, confusion, uncertainty, doesn't look good, unfamiliar motions, stepping in my bucket... "I don't have time for this!!" really hit home. I just spent this weekend getting my ass absolutely kicked by what I feel should have been an easy project, and it's left me devastated and walking away for a few weeks to figure out if I can even save this disaster I've created. So what are the advantages to plaster versus drywall and mud? Why/when would you choose one over the other?

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I’ll make a video about the pros and cons

[@nilsjespersen7497]

Same question running through my head as I watched your challenge here. Applaud your tenacity and application of skill. Well done!

[@joepierson3859]

No sanding with plaster, harder finish, drys fast.

[@brianteunessen85]

Don't feel bad , I've been finishing drywall for 28 years and i find it humbling when i do plaster as well. I do think we should these sorts of things when we can though because it makes us better craftsman afterwards. I figure there is mo set way to do as long as the final product is smooth

[@angrysloth1]

If I may point you to 'on the trowel ' Great advice etc🤗

[@bubbavox]

best struggle ASMR channel

[@youtrades]

Lol- plaster is a completely different animal!!! I was humbled hardcore by an experienced plasterer, who used to do hospitals bank in the day. I thought it would be similar...

[@user-cf1se1kk5x]

Saw a guy do VP a while back; he did it WAY different than you. He had a small trowel with rounded edges and worked the wall in circular motions.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Sounds like Venetian plaster not veneer plaster.

[@TheOfficialDjProduct]

@@vancouvercarpenter Hey Ben. This had me thinking of Venetian plaster as it's something I always wanted to do. I'm guessing though my area (western somewhat mid-western part of the US) is similar to yours, where it's basically unheard of. I think a place in California does classes, and a few on the East coast. Otherwise you'd have to go to Europe. Have you ever considered doing a Venetian plaster video? I've thought of building a fake wall outside with a couple of 8 footers and trying it, but I'd much prefer doing a class first.

[@corannedohler4410]

You might have to take a vacation to California and learn from the Mexicans there. Definitely a higher end and more scuff resistant finish. Starting off with a new blue board substrate might help as well. Keep up the great work. All the best.

[@YesSirPi314]

There’s a new additives to drywall makes more like plaster wonder muddskip wonder if any one has expert with this. Thinking of using it for skimming

[@realmms]

I have textures plaster ceiling that cracked along the seam lines of the wooden roofing sheets on my roof . Any ideas on how to fix it? The roof unfortunately was not maintained and when I bought the house many of wooden sheets had to be replaced due to rot, the banging and vibration cracked the plaster on the interior of the house. I am just living with it.

[@pcno2832]

I fixed an 8 foot crack in my living room (caused by 21' ceiling joists; all my neighbors have similar cracks) by drilling a hole every foot or so and injecting a big wad of expanding foam. That kept the two sides from shifting, so I could cover the crack with fiberglass and joint filler. It hasn't cracked again after about 15 years.

[@vincenzodavey6914]

Recently got into microcement on a remodel and since then I’ve been on a plastering journey. I have been doing the old double back technique with hot mud on large skim coat jobs and it’s awesome when I get into burnishing ,it comes out like glass. No sandpaper at all😎 I see drywalling in a whole new light compared to old school plastering. I now find drywall is simply production work.

[@vincenzodavey6914]

I find with the double back a Nela flex trowel is awesome.

[@Anytus2007]

I felt the time pressure radiating from the entire video. Certainly felt the same thing myself while doing tile work: you have mud in the bucket and on the wall this is slowly getting hard, and the whole time you're farting around trying to get some complicated, crowded section perfect, everything else is going off past the point of workability. I am sure that any professional plasterer would laugh at this, but because all my trowel skills come from tile work, I'd be tempted to try using a notched trowel on the first coat (like a scratch coat) to get a more consistent depth and then knock the ridges down or "brown" over it to get things flat. Does the plaster have the body for that? Or if you try to notched trowel it everything falls into a goopy mess?

[@vancouvercarpenter]

There are plaster base coats that would do the same thing but better like structolite

[@Matt-my7pz]

Did the plaster ancient use square edged trowels Ben? Inside corners for plaster always seem so radiused too, they were not consistent or sharp angles. I know the darby was a thing too but that seems like it might cause mote hair loss first go-around.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

They use the inside corner trowel

[@SteveM0732]

What was the reason for plaster? Needed to cover up a bunch of roughness from wallpaper? I've got some walls where wallpaper was removed and I'm a bit concerned that I can't just paint over the residue or it will look exactly like what it is. Maybe plaster is a solution?

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Plaster was for fun.