Plasterer

As a plasterer, you'll focus on getting walls and ceilings in homes and other buildings perfect. You could work on small jobs, repairs and restoration in people’s homes. Other jobs could be at big commercial developments such as schools or hospitals.

You'll prepare surfaces for decoration, making sure they're smooth and even. It's rewarding to see your work make a real difference to a building's appearance. You might even specialise in decorative plasterwork, adding intricate designs to grand interiors.

As part of a small team, you’ll work on one of these processes:

• solid plastering – applying wet finishes to surfaces and putting protective coverings such as pebble-dashing on external walls

• fibrous plastering – creating ornamental plasterwork, such as ceiling roses, cornices, and architraves, using a mixture of plaster and short fibres shaped with moulds and casts

• dry lining – fixing internal plasterboard or wallboard partitions by fastening them together on a timber or metal frame ready for decorating

Your tasks might include:

• preparing surfaces by cleaning and repairing

• mixing plaster to the right consistency

• applying coats of plaster to walls and ceilings

• smoothing and finishing surfaces

• fitting plasterboards

• removing old plaster

Green job        

In this job you could be doing work to help the environment. You could:     

• use natural, eco-friendly, low-carbon plasters 

• install insulation to improve energy efficiency

• use materials that can be recycled or reused to reduce waste 

Find out more about green jobs.