Wall Plastering in Gorinchem and the Wider Region

Wall plastering makes a wall smooth and level, without the gaps, hairline cracks or seams that catch the light the moment it hits at an angle. I finish the whole surface, straighten the corners, and hand you a wall that’s ready for paint or wallpaper. Sterk Stukadoor means “strong plasterer” in Dutch, it’s my own one-person business here in Gorinchem. Osman, that’s me, the plasterer behind it.

I plaster on every surface you’ll find in a Dutch home: brick, sand-lime block, concrete and plasterboard. An older wall needs different preparation to a new plasterboard partition, but the goal stays the same: a flat surface that feels smooth under your hand.

The reason to have a wall plastered differs by situation. Sometimes old wallpaper or a cracked layer of plaster comes off, and the wall underneath needs a full redo. Sometimes a wall was never finished properly, and you want that sorted before you paint. And sometimes it’s simply part of a renovation: a new partition wall that needs to feel as smooth as the rest of the house. Reviews are in Dutch, from Werkspot; I’ve left them exactly as customers wrote them.

Eline in Gorinchem had her living room, bedrooms and hallway plastered in one go:

“De woonkamer en slaapkamers gestuct, totaal 120m2. Heel fijn en makkelijk contact gehad met Osman. Komt afspraken na en dacht goed mee gedurende het traject. En bovenal, ontzettend mooi, strak en netjes gestuct :).” Source: Eline, Gorinchem (Werkspot review)

Paint-ready or wallpaper-ready plaster

The difference sits in the finish. Paint-ready plaster is smooth enough to paint directly, with a texture you won’t see once a coat of paint is on. Wallpaper-ready plaster goes a step further: that wall has to be completely flat, because thin wallpaper shows every little unevenness underneath it.

Which one you need depends on what goes on the wall after me. Painting it? Paint-ready is enough, and the job goes quicker. Wallpapering it, especially with a thinner or glossy roll? You’ll want wallpaper-ready, or you’ll see exactly where the wall wasn’t quite straight. I always ask beforehand, so I apply the final layer with the right finish and you’re not faced with surprises once it’s up.

Bathroom wall plastering

Yes, I plaster bathroom walls too. It’s usually a wall or a partition wall, right before the tiler takes over. The surface in a bathroom is often a little different to the rest of the house: think gypsum blocks or a new partition wall that needs straightening before the plaster goes on. I factor that into the preparation, so the wall ends up not just smooth but properly flat for whatever comes next.

In Goirle, that meant a partition wall in the bathroom, and it was urgent:

“Wat een topvakman! Gisteren een spoedklus geplaatst en binnen een half uur reageerde Osman al. De communicatie was duidelijk, afspraken meteen gemaakt en vandaag kwam hij precies op tijd. Hij heeft ons enorm uit de brand geholpen, want zonder zijn strakke stucwerk had de tegelzetter niet verder gekund. Dankzij Osman kon alles op tijd doorgaan en daar zijn we ontzettend blij mee. Het resultaat is supernetjes, strak en verzorgd. Wij raden Osman absoluut aan aan iedereen die een betrouwbare en vakkundige stukadoor zoekt!” Source: Werkspot user, Goirle (Werkspot review)

And in Strijen, it was the bathroom walls themselves:

“Super strak en snel! Voor een volgende klus neem ik zeker weer contact op.” Source: Charelle, Strijen (Werkspot review)

New build or an older wall

Most jobs I do are in an existing home: a wall due a new layer, or a partition wall going up during a renovation that needs plastering. I also work in new build homes now and then, for a room or an attic that still needs plastering before the rest of the finishing starts.

The main difference is the surface underneath. An existing wall sometimes has an old layer of plaster or wallpaper to strip first, and occasionally an old crack I factor into the preparation. A new build wall is usually flatter and more even, so the first coat goes on quicker. Getting it paint-ready or wallpaper-ready is the same work either way.

For Jan in Goirle, it was a complex renovation with a sloped wall:

“Een echte vakman! Osman werkt zeer netjes, is stipt op tijd en komt zijn afspraken altijd na. De communicatie verliep uitstekend, ondanks dat hij iets minder Nederlands spreekt – dit vormde absoluut geen enkele belemmering. Onze stucklus was behoorlijk complex (waaronder een volledige schuine wand van 4,2 meter hoog en 11 meter lang), maar het resultaat is werkelijk prachtig en tot in de kleinste details strak afgewerkt. Bovendien liet hij alles na afloop keurig opgeruimd achter. Wij zijn ontzettend blij met het eindresultaat en zouden Osman zonder twijfel opnieuw inhuren. Een absolute aanrader!” Source: Jan, Goirle (Werkspot review)

And for Tamara and Tugli in Gorinchem, it was the attic of their new build home:

“Osman heeft hard gewerkt in ons nieuwbouw huis! De muren zien er super strak uit. Osman spreekt nog niet heel goed Nederlands, maar daar heeft hij een speciale app voor. Zo hebben we toch op een fijne manier kunnen communiceren. Hij komt zijn afspraken na en doet wat hij zegt! Wij zijn heel blij met Osman! Groetjes, Tamara en Tugli” Source: Tamara Meissl, Gorinchem (Werkspot review)

Plasterboard, brick or an older wall

Not every wall is the same, and that decides where I start. Plasterboard is smooth and even, so the plaster coat goes on quickly. A brick or sand-lime block wall is rougher and pulls the moisture out of the plaster faster, so I prime it first, so the layer bonds properly and doesn’t dry out too quickly.

If a wall is still at the rough base coat stage, an uneven under-layer with no finish at all, I level that base first before working towards the smooth finish coat. An old, coarse wall sometimes needs an extra layer for the same reason. What a wall needs, I see or feel the moment I stand in front of it, or judge on the photos you send beforehand.

Finishing a wall, coat by coat

Finishing a wall is more than running one layer over it. I start by preparing the surface: dust and loose bits off, and a primer where it’s needed, so the plaster bonds properly and doesn’t dry out too quickly in the wall. Then comes the layer that flattens the wall, and only after that the finish coat that gives the wall its smooth, even look.

Each layer needs to be dry enough before the next one goes on. Skip that, and you’ll see it later as a hairline crack or an uneven patch. I check the result in raking light, so even small imperfections show up before the wall is ready for paint or wallpaper. That’s what’s behind it when a customer calls a wall “strak” and “glad”, smooth and even, in a review: it sits in that last check, not just in the layer itself.

Plaster drying time

Plaster needs to dry before you can move on, and that takes a bit of patience. The thicker the layer and the damper the room, the longer it takes. I tell you beforehand when the wall is ready to paint or wallpaper, so you don’t book the painter or decorator too early and end up with stains or hairline cracks because the wall was still wet underneath.

Working in a bathroom or another damp room, I factor that in too. A wall that looks dry on the surface isn’t always finished on the inside.

How I plaster a wall

I work in a fixed order, so the result is just as smooth everywhere:

1. Photos first. You send me a few photos of the wall or the room, with an idea of the surface and what you want: paint-ready or wallpaper-ready.
2. Check the surface. Plasterboard, brick, an old layer of plaster, and whether there’s any damp underneath.
3. Prepare. Loose bits off, a primer where it’s needed, and the floor and furniture covered.
4. Apply the plaster. The layer goes on and I work it smooth, corner by corner, until the whole wall feels even.
5. Drying. How long that takes depends on the thickness of the layer and how damp the room is, which I judge on site.
6. Clean up. I tidy up properly before I leave, including the floor and the skirting boards underneath.

For a bigger room or several rooms at once, I bring a colleague or two along, so everything’s done in one go and you’re not left with a half-finished room.

Where I plaster walls

I plaster walls in Gorinchem, but also across the wider region: the Alblasserwaard, Land van Altena, Vijfheerenlanden, the Drechtsteden area, and south of Utrecht. Need the ceiling done in the same room? Have a look at ceiling plastering. Got a crack or a hole in an existing wall you’d rather have repaired than replastered altogether? Plaster repair is often the quicker, better fit. Or see what I do for the rest of the work I take on.

Want your walls plastered? Send a few photos of the room, and I’ll think it through with you.