Professional Plastering Services in Bedford
& Surrounding Areas

Fresh plaster needs to fully dry out, not just look dry to the touch. As a rough guide, allow about a week per coat in normal conditions — a standard skim coat is often ready in around 5-7 days, longer in cold or damp weather or on larger areas. Painting too soon can trap moisture and cause the finish to blow or discolour. We'll advise on drying time for your job, and a diluted mist coat is usually the safe first coat once it's ready.

Yes — in most cases we can skim straight over sound artex to give a smooth, modern finish, saving the cost and mess of stripping it off first. If the artex is loose, cracked or contains asbestos (common in ceilings from the 1960s-80s), it may need testing and safe removal or encapsulation before we plaster. We'll check the condition during a site visit and advise on the safest, most cost-effective approach.

Skimming is the final smooth, paint-ready layer applied over a surface that's already solid and sound — existing plaster in good condition, blockwork, or plasterboard. Plasterboarding (dry lining) comes first where there isn't a suitable surface to skim onto, such as a new stud wall or a wall stripped back to bare brick: boards are fixed, joints taped and filled, then skimmed over the top. Most redecoration jobs only need skimming; boarding is only needed where the wall underneath isn't ready for it. We'll assess your walls and recommend the right approach.

It depends on the extent and cause of the damage. A small, isolated crack or blown patch can usually be cut out and patched, then blended into the surrounding plaster so it's not visible once painted. If the damage is widespread, caused by damp that's likely to recur, or the existing plaster is generally soft or hollow, it's usually better value to replaster the whole wall rather than patch repeatedly. We'll give you an honest recommendation based on what we find.

Plastering is inevitably a bit dusty and wet since we mix and apply plaster on site, but we keep disruption to a minimum: dust sheets over floors and furniture, protection for doors, windows and fixtures, and a clean-down at the end of each day rather than leaving mess to build up. Rooms generally need to be cleared of furniture, or have it moved to the centre and covered, before we start. We'll talk you through what to prepare before work begins.