If you live in an older property, whilst it can be full of character, it can mean that some things are less than perfect... walls being one of them!

Older style properties, especially those built in the Victorian times or earlier, can have uneven walls and if you're looking to makeover the property or do some DIY, then dealing with these walls is something that can't be avoided.

So what do you do?

Simply painting over them won't solve the problem - the wall might look better but it will still be wonky!

Unless you're an experienced DIYer that's comfortable with the drastic measures these things can require such as plastering, skimming or dry walling your walls may need, then this could mean the time has come to call in the professionals!

Steve Hills Handyman and Maintenance is your local handyman who can take on these jobs on your behalf.

Steve will come over and assess the state of your walls and based on what he finds, he might make one of the following suggestions:

Plastering: this really is a skilled job, and one that Steve would always recommend leaving to the professionals! You'll need specialist tools such as trowels and whisks (not the common kitchen whisk!). This job requires mixing up the plaster correctly to a smooth creamy consistency, and then applying the plaster with a firm pressure evenly over the wall. You'll need to trowel it to a smooth matt finish. 

You cannot paint directly onto the wall, you do need to leave it a decent amount of time to dry. It will change colour from a deep pinky colour to a much paler pink. When you do paint onto it, you'll need to seal it first and then use a watered down emulsion.

Skimming: if you don't need to start plastering from scratch then you could possibly get away with a top coat of skimming. This will just take the edge off wonky walls and smooth them out. Again this is as skilled as plastering so getting the experts involved is thoroughly recommended.

Just bear in mind that sometimes having old walls re-skimmed can turn out to be a false economy;. You could find the walls are fine for a year or two but then cracks start to develop. You could end up wishing you had it all fully replastered in the first place!

Drywalling: drywalling, or as it's more commonly called plasterboarding, involves hanging a gypsum plasterboard onto the wall as a replacement wall surface. This is a great way to cover the surface quickly without having to wait for plaster to dry out so that it can be painted on. It means paint can go directly onto the plasterboard as soon as it's screwed onto the wall.

Drywalling can be a great option for increasing the soundproof nature of your walls (depending on the type of plasterboard you use) but it can be prone to problems with damp and mould if there's any risk of moisture in the room so do beware.

Fo any or all of the above, Steve is your man!

As a City and Guilds trained professional with over 25 years experience, Steve Hills can offer high quality plastering and screeding at great value for money.

Give Steve a call on 020 8650 2592 for all your plastering needs today!