Plasterers are skilled workers who perform a variety of tasks in the construction industry, including surface preparation, material application, and surface finishing. Plasterer jobs can be found all over the world, but in most cases, plasterers install and finish drywall, or plasterboard. Pool plastering and stucco masonry are two other jobs. Decorative plastering and historic restoration are two specialties of some plasterers.
Plasterer jobs typically entail applying plaster to interior walls in order to create a unique and long-lasting wall surface. Every home had plastered walls and ceilings before the invention of wallboard in the early 1900s, using a technique known as lath and plaster. People nowadays prefer wallboard because of its low cost and ease of installation. Plasterers, also known as drywallers, are professionals who install drywall and finish it by taping and mudding the seams. Mudding is a process in which a worker applies plaster to the seams and nail holes to create a smooth, blemish-free finish.
Plasterers in some parts of the world don’t just mud the seams and nail holes, but instead apply a thin layer of plaster to the entire wall. This method is generally more expensive to apply, but it produces a very nice result. Experienced plasterers recommend becoming an apprentice to a master plasterer who specializes in the technique if someone wants to learn it. To obtain an apprenticeship, a person must frequently travel to a country where the practice is more common, such as Ireland.
The technique of applying a layer of textured plaster to the wall is another interior specialty plasterer job. This application usually necessitates the use of specialty products, which must be mixed and applied expertly by a skilled plasterer. Casting and applying ornamental embellishments, such as molding and cornices, is another decorative plaster application. The ornaments must be cast and then applied by a plasterer using a special plaster and fiber mixture. The plasterer usually casts small pieces in a workshop and transports them to the job site, but larger pieces are usually cast on the job site.
Plasterers apply stucco, also known as cement plaster, to the exteriors of buildings. Typically, stucco masons are plasterers who apply stucco. Cleaning and preparing surfaces, installing guide wires to ensure proper plaster depth, and applying stucco over a reinforcing mesh are all tasks performed by stucco plasterers. A skilled worker thoroughly mixes the mortar and plaster before properly applying it.
Jobs as a stucco plasterer can be found in both new and existing structures. Trained plasterers who can repair damaged stucco or apply stucco to a new addition are in high demand. Frequently, homeowners want the stucco pattern on the new addition to match the existing part. Plasterers who are skilled at making castings may find work in decorative stucco embellishments, similar to interior work.
Pool plastering and historical restoration are two other specialty plasterer jobs. When a plasterer wants to specialize in one of these techniques, he or she often works as an apprentice for a master plasterer in that craft. Some plasterers train to apply and restore stucco to tall structures. Depending on local and regional laws and regulations, this work usually necessitates industrial rope access certification. These jobs frequently necessitate a plasterer who is skilled in both restoration and rope access.