What type of Trowel ?

message from Red Devil on 12 May 2004

Hi all

I am about to attempt some plastering for the first time, and I am wondering
which tools to purchase.
The plastering will involve patching up some lath & plaster on the walls and
then skimming the entire wall.

I will also be attempting a ceiling (new plasterboard) if I am successful
with the walls.

The big question is : Are expensive trowels like Marshaltown really worth
the money, or am I just as well off buying from the bottom/middle of the
range ?
I presume that the big factor is the skill of the person using them.

I would be most grateful for any comments on the above

TIA

Con.

mike replied to Red Devil on 13 May 2004

The middle of the range ones have lasted fine for the realatively
small amount of plastering I've done. I started off with a
wooden-handled one but found the ones with rubber grips are more
comfortbale to use over extended periods (and if you're not
particularly profficient, plastering is one of those jobs that can
drag on).

Wickes and B&Q both do sets of rubber-grip trowels at decent prices.

HTH,

Mike

nightjar replied to Red Devil on 12 May 2004

IME the main advantage of buying high quality tools is that they last
longer, so it may not be worth paying the extra over medium quality for
something you are only going to use occasionally. However, I do avoid buying
cheap tools, except for paint brushes, which I treat as disposable items.

For throwing the plaster on, you can use just about anything of the right
size. For smoothing, I have a wooden float that my father made, when I was a
lad, by nailing a block of wood onto the back of a piece of close-grain
white wood. It works better than the plastic float that I bought a few years
ago. Steel floats tend to draw the water to the surface, so avoid using
them, except for a final smooth when you want a really good finish.

Colin Bignell

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