# Forum Home Renovation Tiling  Advise on the best person for the job

## dongi

Hi everyone,
I have a 1920's weatherboard house that I have had restumped. As a result the already cracked lathen plaster walls have cracked to the point where I don't think it's worth patching.(and it's cold in winter and hot in summer and I'm dreaming of insulation!). So who do I call to rip out the old plaster (I'm willing to help but have no skills as yet), insulate the walls, put all the arcitraves and skirts back on so I'm good to just paint it and enjoy. Does a plasterer do all this? Would I also need a carpenter? Also thinking a rewire is the go and am assuming the correct time will be before new plaster goes in?
I'll open it up to the forum and see what answers you can give me.
Thanks Donna
P.S. Love your work :Smilie:

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## PlasterPro

some plasterers will do all the strip out work for you, and charge you for it. you could always hire someone just to do the stip out if you can guide them in so much as telling them what you need done.if you can manage a few trades no reason why you can`t self manage the project yourself. below is a rough flow chart  
stip out 
get any new wireing done, 
insulate now,
then call in a plasterer,
sparkie comes back to fit off wires 
call carpenter, skirts, doors and arcitraves now
paint
crack a coldie hopefully a job well done   
good luck :Biggrin:

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## autogenous

Get a couple of quotes for plastering refit and while they are there ask what they require you to do to get rid of the old. You'll need some skip bins and plenty of drop sheets.
There maybe people who specialise in stripping out. A plasterer may know people who can do it for you. Getting someone inexperienced off the street under contract do it for you is inadvisable.There's more to it than just labouring. They can really damage the house. 
Some things are just cheaper to get done than DYI especially once you start buying and hiring tools. The factor for the inexperienced is they injure themselves.  
As an example I met a guy not long ago who took long service leave to help his father inlaw to brick up his new house he was owner building. He damaged tendons in his shoulder and can no longer pick up his children. He cant lift his arm above his shoulder.

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## gpkennedy

PlasterPro had the rough timeline correct, but he left out one 1st step, 
"Move Out".
Removing old plaster is a dirty and heavy job.  The plaster itself is very heavy and often suprisingly firmly attached to the celing.  On top of the plaster you will find allsorts of dust, old vermin nests, broken tiles etc.  You will soon get sick of it the mess if you are residing in the house.  You will have to turn off power before removing plaster. 
If you are leaving any cupboards or wardrobes with any utensils/clothes in them, seal these firmly with plastic dropsheets and blue painters tape.
If you are trying to save the skirting boards please spend some time removing them without too much damage.  Start in the midddle of the longest wall. Gently lever the skirting board away from the wall using a broad scraper and a broad chisel. Keep a few chisels handy to use as levers but dont bruse the wood. Gradually work from the middle outwards.  The nails will come away with the skirting board.  In my humble opinion these nails should be ground off using an electric grinder.  If you try to hammer them back through the stirts they will splinter the wood.  Just cut them off and mark the rough location of the nail head with a pencil.
Good luck.

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## seriph1

Yup  -  big and worthwhile job that .... only done it once and am cured. The next time I removed all skirts and arch's and added plasterboard over the entire room. Once I packed out the door jambs, the additional 'thickness' of the entryways looked fine. Not saying you should do that but it worked out on my 1920 place. I also added a painted timber panelling system that I created in the hallway .... period-accurate and really added a nice touch to the space.

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## dongi

Thanks guys. Any input is appreciated and I'm sure as time goes on many more questions will surface. I will get some plasterers in for quotes and see if they have someone to gut out old stuff. I will also have a hunt for a carpenter/handyman to do the arcitraves and skirts for me, and show me how to insulate, and who can also replace weatherboards etc because the house is also desperate for a paint. I will get in the electrician for their quote on rewire and hope I can co-ordinate all these things while working fulltime. 
The bit about moving out. Is that only while taking down old stuff. If the process takes awhile is it safe to live in a house with bare bones and maybe insulation but no plaster?And how long does the power need to be off? Can it be turned back on once the stripping is over?
Thanks again
Donna
P.S. still love your work :Biggrin:

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## seriph1

A friend of mine could advise  -  saw him today actually (loooooooong drive from Kilmore) .... anyway, Noel lives in Portarlington and might be able to call out and have a look at the entire job for you  -  not saying he can, but he might be able to. I do know his work is nothing short of spectacular. let me know your contact details via private message if you'd like him to call.

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## gpkennedy

Hi Donna,
I didn't mean to spook you about moving out.  However if you are doing a whole house replacement of the plaster it is a really messy job.  Especially if you intend to remove the old plaster.  Removal of old plaster is necessary if you want to install insulation and do a rewire.
You need to plan carefully about such a big job.
I suggest that you take your time to walk through each room and make a detailed plan for each room. 
Some issues.
Does the room have old plaster to be replaced?
Does room  have inbuilt cupboards or tiling which will will need to be replaced if you replace plaster?
Are architraves & skirting worth saving?
Do you have any need for new powerpoints/phone/cable/light in this room?
George

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