Making good

It depends.

First off I never describe it as making good, that can hold you liable in the eyes of the customer ref the finished result.

If a trade such as a plasterer is already on site or due to attend then I encourage the customer to get them to undertake it.

Otherwise I explain that I will fill leaving a finishing coat required.

Alternatively I will offer to fill to an "Electricians Standard NOT a Plasterers Standard" and say that it will look like an Electrician has done it not a Plasterer and it will need sanding down/touching up prior decorating.

If they opt for that alternative then I will remove paper if possible without disturbing the plaster underneath (often not possible) prior chase.

Use one coat plaster these days (I used to use bonding plaster then finishing plaster years ago).

Let it start to go off then float up.

(B & Q used to stock one brand called Blue Hawk which gave good results and some builders merchants stocked other brands which were nearly as good, sadly it all seems less quality these days though).

This stuff tends to make the chase a bridge of strength helping to join the existing plaster keeping it in place.

If its not safe to peel back paper around the chase prior floating up I explain to the customer that my bridge of skim will leave meat on the chase once paper is removed and will definately require a good sanding prior decorating.

I`ve been back to jobs 10,15,20 years after my rewires and they still have not redecorated a lot of it because it blends reasonably well - The one coat is white as often is the surrounding wallpaper and just a quick lick of paint or replacing the existing piece of wallpaper if you`ve had the option of safely removing it prior chase.

Always give the customer the alternative options but I`d never leave the customer with completly unfilled live chases.


I did once return to a rewire a few months after I completed it and it was one where I dad not option but to chase and plaster with all the paper on

and explained (several times) that once the paper was removed it would need a good sanding because the chases were proud.

She had redecorated and what a mess! The chases stood out like a sore thumb. She informed me that XXXXX had decorated and I knew him, he used to boast "I am the cheapest decorator in XXXXXX (Local Town)". He had stripped the paper, not sanded down, not put lining paper on it, then used the cheapest, thinnest wallpaper you`d ever seen.

She stated "He said it was your fault because you had not sanded down when you plastered"  I asked if she had relayed my comments about sanding before decorating and she said "He says it is your responsibillity not his!". Can`t win!

It depends.

First off I never describe it as making good, that can hold you liable in the eyes of the customer ref the finished result.

If a trade such as a plasterer is already on site or due to attend then I encourage the customer to get them to undertake it.

Otherwise I explain that I will fill leaving a finishing coat required.

Alternatively I will offer to fill to an "Electricians Standard NOT a Plasterers Standard" and say that it will look like an Electrician has done it not a Plasterer and it will need sanding down/touching up prior decorating.

If they opt for that alternative then I will remove paper if possible without disturbing the plaster underneath (often not possible) prior chase.

Use one coat plaster these days (I used to use bonding plaster then finishing plaster years ago).

Let it start to go off then float up.

(B & Q used to stock one brand called Blue Hawk which gave good results and some builders merchants stocked other brands which were nearly as good, sadly it all seems less quality these days though).

This stuff tends to make the chase a bridge of strength helping to join the existing plaster keeping it in place.

If its not safe to peel back paper around the chase prior floating up I explain to the customer that my bridge of skim will leave meat on the chase once paper is removed and will definately require a good sanding prior decorating.

I`ve been back to jobs 10,15,20 years after my rewires and they still have not redecorated a lot of it because it blends reasonably well - The one coat is white as often is the surrounding wallpaper and just a quick lick of paint or replacing the existing piece of wallpaper if you`ve had the option of safely removing it prior chase.

Always give the customer the alternative options but I`d never leave the customer with completly unfilled live chases.


I did once return to a rewire a few months after I completed it and it was one where I dad not option but to chase and plaster with all the paper on

and explained (several times) that once the paper was removed it would need a good sanding because the chases were proud.

She had redecorated and what a mess! The chases stood out like a sore thumb. She informed me that XXXXX had decorated and I knew him, he used to boast "I am the cheapest decorator in XXXXXX (Local Town)". He had stripped the paper, not sanded down, not put lining paper on it, then used the cheapest, thinnest wallpaper you`d ever seen.

She stated "He said it was your fault because you had not sanded down when you plastered"  I asked if she had relayed my comments about sanding before decorating and she said "He says it is your responsibillity not his!". Can`t win!