The bucket is essential for the mixing of plaster or dry wall adhesive. Take a bucket which is easy to clean, because clean tools are important if you want to do a plastering job. A featheredge can also be used as a Plasterers Darby and with it you can achieve straight plasterboard application.

Keep the plasterers float clean all the time. Go in for a stainless steel float, because the others rust if they are not looked after. The hawk is always used along with the float. The plaster is generally held on the hawk and then it is transferred to the wall or ceiling by using the float.

Mixing is a very important phase in a plastering job. With the help of a mixer drill the mixing plaster can be made easily, especially if the quantity is large. It is possible to do the mixing with a piece of wood as well, but the mixer will make it easier.

There are different types of plaster available, but basically there are two coats for each plastering job. First of all there is a backing coat which is browning or bonding plaster. Plasterboard is a better choice than backing plaster, especially if it is a DIY project. It is followed by the finishing plaster which is applied on top of the plasterboard. This is applied as a final coat.

It is important to remember that plaster is only suitable for internal use, when there is no damp. And the mixing is important, because the water has to be clean and cold and you should remember to add the plaster to the water and not the water to the plaster.

Plasterboard is the most common material used nowadays for finishing off internal walls and ceilings. It comes in various sizes and thicknesses and has many edge finishes. Use smaller sheets, though they are a bit expensive than the larger ones, but the larger ones become difficult to handle.

There are special tools to help you for cutting the plasterboard. If you want to use the direct bond method it is important to know the correct technique how to apply the plasterboard with that method. This method is often called the dot and dab method. Working with plasterboard for the ceiling is different than working for a wall.

Let us look at the final coat or the top coat of plaster. This is the most important coat and this coat of plaster is called a skim. Skimming requires practice, so go about it slowly and follow instructions carefully. Just follow certain basic rules like ensuring the smoothness of the surface, the cleanliness of your buckets and tools. Use two coats of finishing plaster instead of one and start off with a wall, which is a bit hidden in your house and gives you room to experiment.

There are some other jobs which need to be mentioned under DIY plastering. There are various types of plasters, and one of them is artexing. It is important to practice the artex patterns before experimenting on your wall. Take the easy patterns and learn also how to remove Artex or the textured patterns. Plaster moldings are often used for plastering jobs, but the fit should be right and it is better if it is done by professionals.