Skimming gives tired, cracked or patchy walls a smooth, fresh finish ready for paint, but prices can vary a lot from one quote to the next. Here is what you can realistically expect to pay in Liverpool, what drives the cost up or down, and how to tell whether a quote is fair.
Most plasterers around Liverpool price skimming by the job rather than by the square metre, but it helps to know roughly where you stand. As a rough guide, assuming the walls and ceiling are in reasonable condition, you can expect something like this:
A plasterer's day rate in Merseyside usually sits somewhere between £180 and £260, and an experienced plasterer can skim a standard bedroom in one to one and a half days. Materials are normally included, as the multi-finish plaster and PVA are only a small part of the cost compared with labour.
The biggest factor is the state of the walls before anyone picks up a trowel. A skim coat is only 2 to 3mm thick, so it needs a sound surface underneath. If the plasterer has to fix problems first, the price goes up.
You can often keep costs down by clearing the room yourself, taking down curtain poles and shelves, and stripping any wallpaper before the plasterer arrives.
The kind of house you live in makes a big difference. Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Anfield, Walton, Everton, Wavertree and Toxteth often still have their original lime plaster and lath and plaster ceilings. Skimming straight over weak lime can lead to cracking and poor adhesion, so a good plasterer will check it first and may suggest overboarding a ceiling instead of skimming it.
Postwar and 1960s to 1970s semis in areas such as Huyton, Kirkby, Maghull and West Derby often have Artex ceilings. Artex applied before 2000 can contain asbestos, so it is worth getting a sample tested before any sanding or scraping. Skimming over it without disturbing it is usually fine, but a test gives you peace of mind. Newer homes and flats around the waterfront and the Baltic Triangle usually have plasterboard walls that skim quickly, which tends to bring the price towards the lower end.
Get two or three quotes and check they all cover the same work. A cheap price that leaves out preparation, corner beads or making good around sockets can end up costing more once the job starts. It is worth asking:
Fresh plaster has to dry fully before you decorate. That is usually around a week in a warm room, and longer in winter or in older houses with thick solid walls. Put on a mist coat of watered down emulsion first and avoid vinyl paint on new plaster.