Gorgeous! Architect Steven Holl was able to bring plasterers out of retirement to produce this same burnished plaster finish in the interiors of his Bloch addition to the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City. It's a lost art in most places. I hope they're taking on apprentices and teaching them what they know. We need to preserve these traditional techniques! Kudos to the owners.
we've tried to self teac ventian plaster - we are finally getting decent result but not even close to what some the work ive seen by pro plaster teams. I wish i had time to spend a year apprenticing
I even go back to using rock lath, Structolite and lime finish. No one left here to do it now for some time. I am so glad to see real quality come back in to these walls and ceilings. Great job.
Really top-notch explanations. Love to see you talking details - that's where it matters - and where 99% of the other 'building' channels gloss over. This channel deserves way more subscribers.
Been a builder a aboiut 15 years and in business 10, the finishing the ceilings first thing was one of those moments in my career. I pride myself on always watching and learning from others and as we all know the further along you get in your career the fewer of these moments you have but man, this is a great one.
@@ignaciogamez8394 I would recommend. I used it in some historic renovations in Barrio Viejo and Sam Hughes and new builds of custom Santa Fe style homes. It would depend on cost for me though. More labor intensive from what I remenber, but it gives that flat wall finish that I have not seen repeated with the Gypsum products.
Ignacio Gamez I live in the U.K. and for us it provides better insulation and soundproof so I would recommend it especially since I know Tucson can get very hot
@@mortensendesign918 It's not more labor intensive as far as cost goes. Yes, physically it's more labor intensive and you need to work quickly. Because of the speed it is FAR less time and FAR less mess than drywall.
Thanks, I"m looking to replaster my wall and was going to take out all the lath and re-lath, now looking into all the sheetrock options. Could not find Rock board or blue board near me but imperial board, I found, oy
In Canada, blueboard is fairly common, rather than having casing and jamb extensions we note our plans to have a "Drywall Return" most of the time a bullnose corner is used
Love plaster over drywall I do both but prefer plaster. Don’t do as much as I used to so when I get a chance I’m all about it in fact just landed a full house interior rescrub in Eugene Or where we have fair amount of plaster.
Plaster/kalcote is somewhat common in the Midwest USA too. Though the rough sand finish is more common. Costs more for smooth walls. A lot less callbacks on plaster. And it's tough.
I don't know if you get the same boards we do in the UK, but onside has paper for plastering the other side has paper for tape and joining, (most people ignore it and plaster either side and it's fine)
We have been doing imperial board and two coat veneer plaster, from Maryland to Adirondacks, to Maine coast to Connecticut to Vermont, New York City. Right now I am doing a 15600 sqft compound in Montauk long island.
This is exactly how we do it in the U.K. I cannot see why many more houses in America don’t have plastered walls because one you’ve put jointing compound in the joins and over the screw heads you might as well just plaster the wall and when you do plaster you don’t have to tape over the screws (some people say that the screw heads will pop the plaster but I have never ran into that issue because if you secure the plasterboard properly you shouldn’t have that issue) and also you are less likely to damage the wall I mean unless you throw something heavy at the wall you won’t have holes in your wall and plaster can provide better insulation, sound proofing and better fire proofing so in all fairness the only benefit to just straight up drywall is that it’s a little bit cheaper
I'm fixing, replacing my plaster walls, and although it's a bit more tedious and costly, I am an artist by nature. I love the texture and then --- lime paint. heaven
I was taught in the 1980s in Washington DC that the industry generic term for “blueboard” is “veneer plaster base”. All gypsum board manufacturers have their versions.
The best 9 minutes I've ever seen. I live in Florida and it's a nightmare down here. I wish more people did blue board and plaster, no door mouldings and crisp edges.
This is not just a Massachusetts thing. This is probably more of a New England thing as they do the same in Rhode Island. I wish they would do this everywhere because up here in Quebec they are doing drywall. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would do drywall compared to plaster. In my mind it is a lost art and it is a real shame. Drywall is liking giving out participation trophies. If you know how to sand, you can make a drywall joint look good. Doing a plaster skim coat however, is a completely different story.
Looks like a first class plaster job. Can I ask what you used to do this with? I saw that you had bags of plaster finish that you mixed with water. Was this a one coat finish using Diamond by chance? Thanks
Beautiful work, however I've watched the video twice now and still haven't heard the reason you use Blueboard and Plaster except that it's something you only do in Massachusetts.
I've never seen plaster applied in the US. I thought you guys just mud the joints, sand and then paint? By the way, this is the only way we do it in the UK
I am a platerer in the UK mainly lime in heritage but have worked on plenty of modern methods. I found dry lining used much in commercial jobs and London also where Knauff are based around Kent. Finish plaster is used allot north London and where British Gypsum are based. in real a big crossover and many new plasters on the market now.
Generally; in lower cost housing we do just Tape, mud and sand the screw dimples and joints but in higher end housing we will Float the entire surface after initial taping and mud has dried and had a light sand. We will carefully float the entire surface, with a wide stiff blade, then use a longer sanding board to wear down high spots. I have only rehabbed 7 homes, but have never seen drywall mud left unpainted.
@@mikegrady8931 I'd heard this, that painting plasterboard is starting to take off in the UK. Imo a plastered wall just feels a lot better. Plastering in the UK it's neither cheap nor expensive, I guess because it's common it's not a rare specialism like in the US
@NS Builders, great work and I really like this channel. However, I'm sorry but I'm a teacher and I have to do this: "The adjective 'simplistic' is a pejorative word meaning overly simplified-that is, characterized by extreme and often misleading simplicity." I would suggest "minimalist", "clean" (often overused), "modernist", "minimal", "austere", or just "simple"! I tell my students that they can insult someone calling their design ideas or concepts "simplistic." I know. Teachers. ; )
Nice to see plaster work. Its old school. The hole point of plaster work is to put up the traditional architectural details usually associated with plaster. Like The ceiling / light medallions. And the traditional crown moldings made from plaster. It will be intersting to see the finished product because it looks very sterile and lifeless without trim work at this time.
As a high end Electrician..... Why would you build to that awesome high level in finish in overall work and especially all that work for ceilings, but than install the cheapest LED wafer cans possible. there are so many better options
The UK is home to the BEST Plasterers in the world. Its all we do. Whos got time to tape and joint and sand. I will say though. Those guys over there in the East Coast of the states are damn good. US UK forever.
That drywall work seems like what we used to call thin wall? I'm big on trim work, so I could never go back to the 1970s hotel look. I can admire the clean lines and corners of the walls. Nice work.
I am sure this kind of plastering can be called marbling or veneer plaster it is mixed from a powder - plaster of Paris. Great prep work and use of a laser - a lot of attention to detail though for example shadow lines and how the wall wraps around the door all of which will never be noticed in due time - best thing in this video is the gorgeous lady - WoW what a stunner. Cheers.
Interesting fact, every house in the UK is finished like this. We never paint onto drywall. Plastering is a dedicated trade in the UK. I.e he's a plasterer
As a educated drywall finisher ...and someone in the know.....plaster is the twice the price, and is a different animal. Level 5 drywall( covering the complete wall) can achieve the best finish possible. The only difference is that there is no sanding in plaster. But with the new technology in drywall ( dustless drywall sanders) this has been eliminated up to 75 percent.
Ive been a real plasterer for over thirty years and plaster isn't twice the price of drywall. Drywall is a cheaper product,plaster,when done correctly is far superior. The reason why drywall even exists is because almost anybody can do it.
yup, we use this in the UK and 2-6 years in the house will have massive long cracks along the walls, especially around windows or in corners. But very easy to fix with filler and by that time the house is due a new coat of paint.
@@tomcongdon7410 That sounds like a whole heap of unnecessary maintenance work. It's one thing to repaint your roof, but completely different ball game when you're talking fixing cracks in a 250+ sqm house after only 5 years. The more i think about it the more it starts to look like a complete nightmare for the homeowner.
I cannot speak to veneer systems but true plastered walls and ceilings are very maintenance free. I have seen houses over 50 years old that still are crack free. I am talking rock lath, Structolite, lime as the plaster system. Some of these were remodels in houses built a hundred years ago. Very beautiful and stunning ceilings as well. I will post some photos here when I get a chance. Seen nothing like it then or now.
Jeff Holland not saying that, it’s just the majority of US uses drywall and we often get the question why we use blue board, it’s just what we do here. And from my peers seems to be more relevant here in MA. Thanks for feedback 🤙🏻
As a plasterer in Pittsburgh in prefer a 2 kote/coat system...a base and veneer plaster system! Not fond of this 1 kote/coat approach. Done it before and Doesn’t feel as durable. Plaster adds a level of integrity to a structure not to mention its better in my opinion then just finished drywall! Your not doing cornice with joint compound!
Rhode island and Connecticut also use blue and plaster not just Massachusetts but then again most people don't know where Rhode island is or that its even a state
Been doing this method in the U.K. for 50 years you Americans need to catch up it’s nothing fancy or special it’s just plaster easy to do and cost practically nothing to do as well
Of course we do drywall in MA. It's kind of divided. The Eastern half of the state is usually blue board, and veneer. The western half is drywall typically. I like both. If of course it is done properly. I've seen some plaster jobs that you could tell they weren't very good, and I've seen some that were incredible. Same goes for the drywall. Drywall return windows remind me of a shitty duplex tho. Gotta have nice trim and base. Great video 👍
@@kchilz32 People here in east MA sure have money to spend on blueboard and plaster. It's a better product than drywall, so, why not? We work in million+ dollar homes. Customers pay anywhere from $95-135 per sheet.
I worked in nyc for decades and the use of plaster was quite common. Blue board is essentially drywall- just a different outer skin which chemically bonds with plaster. I have seen many plasterers use Diamond veneer plaster to get the mirror finish. Diamond 'veneer' plaster does not require to be mixed with lime. Beautiful finish!
jordan9318 I think it’s the same. What he’s saying is this is only done in his state here in the US. The rest of us have homes finished with, drywall. Some call it Sheetrock. It’s a fire-retardant board that they spray a finish on. Typically an “orange peel” finish here in the Sunbelt (Southwestern US) but “skip trowel” is becoming more prevalent in the newer homes. The plaster is more expensive and usually saves for more luxurious custom homes rather than the tract-houses most of us purchase. From what I’m reading, y’all in the U.K. typically do plaster so that may be why you seem confused as to what’s so different about this. Lol
Adding blocking to the ceiling joists and strapping was a huge waste of time. I would have sistered 2x6 to the joist to level ceiling. Much faster and you are not fastening strapping to the end grain of a block. Just construction criticism. 😉 You and your crew do amazing finish work. Some of the steps are very overkill. But after 35 years of doing interior finish I’ve learned a few things from your videos. If I was 20 years younger I’d love to work with your crew.
Thanks John! Appreciate you saying that. I like it when people provide an alternative solution instead of just saying I would have done it different. Sharing perspectives and methods is what moves the craft forward.
@@NSBuilders I appreciate the fact you can accept criticism without being combative. Shows your level of professionalism is higher then most I deal with. In my opinion the trades are dying a slow death. Too many subs these days do not take pride in the work they do. I talk to subs all the time that take shortcuts and just do shoddy work because “it’s all gonna be covered in the end”. Just wondering how you deal with this type of sub. It’s hard to get people to work these days and even harder to get them to do things with intention and pride. Your attention to detail is amazing. Doing things right the first time is so critical. I always tell people if something starts fucked up, it stays fucked up. Don’t fuck up. Lol. I could go on but I’m sure you’ve seen it all as well. If your ever in need of a project super with 37 years in the business I’m interested in working with you. All the best my friend.
Came here to make (mostly) the same comment. Sistering some straight 2x6s would take 2 guys less than a day and am confident would produce a better result. Not only that, but the ceiling on this project is VERY low and is 3/4" lower by hanging 1x vs sistering 2x6s. And yes, I also agree that NS Builders generally does some very impressive work.
And on the off chance anyone reads this and is curious re: tips for creating a flat ceiling: 1. You use a laser to find the lowest existing joist and to hang ledgers on the walls perpendicular to the joists at that level. 2. Ledgers can be anything "perfectly flat" (good pvc trim, then sides of OSB sheets, or strips of OSB if you can rip them straight on a table saw, etc.) 3. If you have a relatively narrow room you can just drop the sisters on each side of the ledger, if you're dealing with 14? 16? ft+, you use two lengths of 2x6 per joist, hang one side on the ledger and use the laser to get the other side level. But you only need to do this every 6 or 7 joists. After you have two pieces sistered 6 joists apart, one guy can hokd an 8ft level between them effectively making a ledger for the joists between. 4. Get straight 2x6s. And since no 2x6s are perfectly straight, sort them by straightness so that the straightest pieces go against the walls parallel to the joists, and the least straight end up in the middle of tthe room (crowned side up of course).
White setting,not that hard todo and it’s not that exspensive todo either,I guess just depends on the world you are,lime putty and hardwall mix together 👌just don’t get it in your eyes😂
Blue board does count as drywall. The blue/purple has the moisture resistant paper on it. The title is misleading. It made me think of lath and plaster.
The blueboard paper is not moisture resistant , just the opposite, paper absorbs moisture and plaster into it. Burnishing the plaster is actually not a good idea. It looks impressive but you want the primer paint to "key into" new plaster surface. Burnishing blocks a good bond with the primer. Yes most of the plasterers do it this way , looks great until you get all the lighting hooked up , walls are painted and realize a lot of seams show . Need more effort on hiding / leveling at blueboard seams than making it shiny.
I'd rather have well done drywall than a bad plastering job. I've spoken to contractors who like plaster because it lets them get in and out on the same day, but if someone doesn't have the skill to plaster, it's much easier to do a good job of drywalling. I don't buy the notion that 1/8" of plaster over 1/2" of drywall is going to be any stronger than 5/8" drywall, but the surface seems more resistant to some kinds of abrasion (not to mention that nice mirror finish). On the other hand, if the building is subject to a lot of settling or vibration, taped drywall is a lot less prone to cracking.
You guys seem to do a lot of nice work, but that low ceiling is a joke. You could have done LESS work and had a flat ceiling that was at least an inch higher and more solid. You probably could have had a ceiling 1 1/2" - 2" higher with the same amount of time/cost as what you did to make that cave ceiling. And for the cost of a very small percentage of the total project, you probably could have had a ceiling ~4" higher than what you ended up with. I mean, that $200,000 wine cellar is cool and all, but it's important to get the basics right first...
I've been in the business for over 30 years, so I remember plasterers...It looks a lot easier now with the plaster board...They're essentially doing a skim coat......Meh. The old school with lathe, brown coat and plaster coat was very time consuming...These guys aren't even using Darbys... :)...But; Give me drywall ANYTIME!
Been in construction for 15yrs and I'm with you. I'll take drywall anytime. But I'm sure there are benefits to plaster that drywall just doesn't offer.
@@jackwardley3626 You don't need one on a skim coat...It's not thick enough and it's going on a flat surface. A monkey can run a trowel or knife on a flat surface. Just sayin...
Not tryna hate, but this looks like basic drywall with a "skim coat"... I believe authentic plaster is built up on wood lathe and is hard as concrete... blueboard is drywall... then they are skim coating it... if you headbutt a wall in this house your head will go through the wall... If you headbutt a real plastered wall you will go the the hospital and the wall will look perfect still...
Very true. Modern interior 3 coat plaster uses gypsum plaster over expanded metal lath and is much stronger and more durable than drywall. Another major selling point is that, unlike drywall and blue board, traditional plaster will not deteriorate after short-term exposure to water and, due to the lime content of the plaster is resistant to mold growth.
I was going to point that out.Thanks for bringing that up.As a plasterer for 30 yrs my experience with 3 coat system has onlyever been in historical renovations
