Craft plasterer - Craft fibrous plasterer

This occupation is found in the construction sector on a wide range of projects including new build, refurbishment of existing buildings, heritage buildings and external rendering projects. They are also often found in the creative industries producing and installing bespoke mouldings for film sets. Projects vary in size, scale, and duration, ranging from creation of specialist features, restoration of heritage and listed buildings, carrying out small repairs to a wall or ceiling to working on new build housing and large-scale commercial projects. Craft plasterers are masters in their field and when they have gained sufficient onsite experience they often provide technical leadership and supervision of the work to others. Employers and contractors of craft plasterers vary in size from small local family companies to major commercial contractors and some could specialise in one aspect of the occupation in particular. For example, plasterers could specialise in heritage work only working with organisations like National Trust and English Heritage. They become dedicated to the care, repair, conservation and restoration of old houses, churches and historic monuments and use traditional methods and materials such as lime plastering or rendering to restore ornamental plasterwork or plaster finishes to achieve authenticity.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to complete work of a complex work to both fibrous and solid plastering which can include such things as arches and decorative work. Craft plasterers with sufficient experience can plan and organise the work on site, both for themselves and others and also verify the quality of the work done within their team. They are also technical experts in their team, providing direction and advice to others and advise on work approach and problem solving. They are responsible for ensuring the plastering element of the construction programme is delivered to specification, time and in a safe and sustainable manner. Craft plasterers work both indoors and outdoors on construction sites including often working at height.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with their immediate team and often the site management team. They also liaise with other construction trades such as site carpenters, dry liners and bricklayers who could work for their own organisation or another contractor. As the technical lead for plastering they are also expected to communicate with other construction professionals for example the site manager and in the case of smaller specialist projects, the client and architect.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for ensuring the products or finishes they and their team create are of a high quality and meet standards, specifications and design plans. They are expected to do this with due regard to all safety aspects involved with working on a construction site, ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others at all times. With sustainable construction at the forefront of all projects, it is expected they would also give consideration to and advise others on the environment and the sustainability of materials, waste awareness and recycling. Solid plastering involves applying a range of plastering systems on to different background surfaces using traditional and modern materials. Background surfaces can include plain walls, walls with openings and returns, ceilings, partitions, beams and piers that are attached or independent of walls. Solid plastering work includes preparing solid backgrounds by hand and mechanical means and installing sheet materials such as expanded metal lath, rib lath, various types of beads and reinforcements for the application of one, two or three coat plastering or rendering systems. A solid plasterer would mainly be installing products on site. Fibrous plastering involves creating plaster components with either a modern contemporary design or with an ornamental enrichment to a classical design. These components could include in-situ, arches, decorative features, lighting troughs, beam and column casings, ceiling roses, complete ceilings, enriched cornices, panel mouldings and many others. They are produced using plaster that is reinforced with hessian canvas and timber laths (fibrous) or artificial fibres (glass fibre reinforced gypsum). A fibrous plasterer would produce work in a workshop in addition to installing products on site. External rendering involves using manual and mechanical methods to apply render based products to both homes and commercial buildings. It is a popular method for finishing the outside of buildings, that comes with a plethora of finishes, colours, decorative finishes and textures.