Plastering in Bromsgrove

Bromsgrove is a busy Worcestershire market town just south of Birmingham, sitting below the hills with the M5 and M42 on its doorstep. Inside its homes you will find almost every kind of wall and ceiling: old lime plaster and lath in the cottages and town houses off the High Street, picture rails and bay windows in the Victorian and Edwardian streets of Aston Fields, hard plaster and artex in the inter-war and post-war semis of Sidemoor, Charford and Catshill, and plasterboard in the newer homes on the edges of town. RCR Connections Ltd plasters, re-plasters and repairs walls and ceilings in all of them.

We’re Birmingham based, covering the whole of the Midlands, and Bromsgrove is a short trip down the A38 for us. Our team has 62 years of combined experience. This page is about plastering inside the house: walls, ceilings, re-plastering and repairs. For the outside of the house, see our page on rendering in Bromsgrove.

Plastering quotes in Bromsgrove: WhatsApp me on 07453 614095 or message the page. We work Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 1pm, and we’re closed on Sundays.

Plastering, re-plastering and repairs in Bromsgrove

Fresh plaster on walls and ceilings

If your walls are sound but marked, patched or rough, a new finish coat gives you a smooth, flat surface that is ready for paint. We do this most often in Bromsgrove after old paper comes off, after a rewire, or when a room has had years of filler and patches. We cover the floors and furniture, get the surface ready, then put on two thin coats and trowel them smooth.

Re-plastering

When old plaster has blown off the brick, crumbled, gone soft from damp or cracked right through, it is time to start again. We take it back to the brick or block and re-plaster with a backing coat and a finish coat, or fix boards and plaster over them. This is common in the older homes round the town centre and in Aston Fields.

Plaster repairs

Many jobs are smaller. We repair cracks, holes, blown patches, damage after a leak, chases after new wiring and pipes, and broken corners. Repairs are blended in so they don’t show once painted.

Ceilings

From old lath and plaster to plasterboard and artex, we repair ceilings, over-board and plaster them, or take down a failed ceiling and put up new boards.

Plasterboard and dry lining

We board and plaster new stud walls, loft rooms and extensions, and dry line walls where the old plaster is past saving.

Artex covering and coving

We cover artex walls and ceilings with a smooth coat, and fit or repair coving to finish a room.

Bromsgrove homes, inside and out

Old town houses and cottages

The oldest homes in Bromsgrove are round the High Street, Worcester Road, St John Street and the lanes near St John’s Church. Some are timber-framed, many are old brick, and inside they have lime plaster on the walls and lath and plaster ceilings, often with low beams and walls that are far from straight. The town also had many small cottages built for nail makers, who worked at home in small forges. Inside, these cottages have thick old walls, small rooms and plenty of patched plaster.

Victorian and Edwardian Bromsgrove

As the railway and local works grew, so did the town. Aston Fields grew up round the station and the railway works, with brick terraces and villas. Larger Victorian and Edwardian homes went up along the roads leading out of the centre, with high ceilings, bay windows, picture rails, coving and ceiling roses. Their walls are solid brick with lime plaster, and much of it is now tired.

Between the wars

In the 1920s and 1930s, semis spread out along the main roads toward Birmingham, Kidderminster and Redditch. Inside, they have hard wall plaster on brick, through lounges in many cases, and bay windows at the front. After close to a hundred years, cracks, patches and loose areas are common.

After the war

From the 1950s to the 1970s, Bromsgrove grew fast. Large estates were built at Sidemoor, Charford, Catshill and round Lickey End and Marlbrook, many to house families moving out from Birmingham. These homes have plaster on block and brick or plasterboard walls, and nearly all were built with textured ceilings.

Newer Bromsgrove

Since the 1990s, newer homes have gone up round the edges of the town, with large new estates more recently. Since 2018, trains on the Cross City line have run all the way to Bromsgrove, and the town is more popular than ever with people working in Birmingham. Newer homes are mostly plasterboard on dabs or studs, and that is where we fix cracked joins, nail pops and damaged corners.

The homes we plaster most in Bromsgrove

Cottages and old town houses

Round the High Street, Worcester Road, St John Street and the old lanes. Lime plaster, lath ceilings, timber beams and uneven walls. Careful repairs and re-plastering, and advice on which walls need lime.

Victorian terraces and villas

Aston Fields, the roads near the station and the streets leading out of the centre. Solid brick, lime plaster, high ceilings and features. Re-plastering blown walls, repairing ceilings and keeping the features you want.

Inter-war semis

Along the Birmingham Road, Kidderminster Road, Stratford Road and the roads into Catshill and Lickey End. Hard plaster on brick, bay windows and through lounges. Fresh plaster on walls, and ceilings over-boarded where they have cracked.

Post-war estates

Sidemoor, Charford, Catshill, Marlbrook and parts of Lickey End. Board and plaster walls, artex ceilings. Covering artex, plastering after a rewire or new kitchen, and repairs.

Newer homes

Newer estates round the town. Plasterboard on dabs, cracked joins, nail pops and knocked corners. We repair, tape and re-plaster.

Larger homes in the villages

Barnt Green, Blackwell, Finstall, Bournheath and Romsley have many larger detached homes, some old and some modern. Big rooms, high ceilings and long stairwells. We plan these jobs with care so the finish is even across big areas.

Neighbourhood notes

Town centre and St John’s

The old core along the High Street, with shops, flats above and old town houses. Lime plaster, lath ceilings, repairs and careful re-plastering.

Aston Fields and Stoke Heath

South of the centre, round the station. Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas, with newer homes nearby. Old ceilings, high walls and features.

Sidemoor

North-west of the centre. Inter-war and post-war homes. Artex covering, wall plastering and repairs.

Charford

South-west of the centre. A large post-war estate with some newer homes. Plastering after kitchens and bathrooms, and artex covering.

Catshill and Marlbrook

North of the town toward the M5. Post-war and later homes, with some older cottages. Through lounges, ceilings and repairs.

Lickey End and Finstall

North-east and east. A mix of inter-war, post-war and newer homes, many larger. Extensions, loft rooms and bigger rooms.

Stoke Prior and the villages

South, toward the canal and the salt works country. Older cottages, farmhouses and newer homes. Lime plaster in the oldest, plasterboard in the newest.

Barnt Green and Blackwell

North-east, below the hills. Larger homes, many from the early 20th century, with big rooms and fine ceilings.

Lime plaster in old Bromsgrove homes

Before the 1930s, most homes in Bromsgrove were plastered with lime. Lime plaster is soft, flexible and lets the solid walls behind it breathe. It can last for a very long time if it stays dry, but it is often damaged by leaks, by hard gypsum or cement patches, and by modern paints and vinyl papers that trap damp in the wall.

We always look at what is there first. Sound lime plaster can often be kept and repaired. Where it has blown or gone soft, it needs to come off. On old solid walls, and most of all in the oldest cottages and timber-framed homes, a lime or breathable plaster is often the right choice, as hard modern plaster can trap damp. We will talk you through it and tell you honestly when a wall needs a lime specialist.

Lath and plaster ceilings

Many older Bromsgrove homes still have lath and plaster ceilings: thin wooden strips with lime plaster pushed through and over them. With age, the plaster loses its grip on the laths and the ceiling starts to sag or crack. Signs to look out for:

• A ceiling that dips in the middle or bulges.
• Long cracks running along the line of the joists.
• Bits of plaster on the floor, or a hollow sound when tapped.

If the ceiling is sound enough, we over-board and plaster it. If it is too far gone, we take it down and put up new boards. Taking a ceiling down is dusty work, so we seal the room and protect the rest of the house. In some old homes, a fine old ceiling with a rose or cornice is worth saving, and we will tell you if we think so.

Timber beams and old walls

Old cottages and town houses often have beams in the ceilings and timber in the walls. Plaster next to old timber needs care. Hard plaster pushed up to a beam cracks as the timber moves, and can trap damp against it. We leave a clean, neat line at the beam, or use a softer plaster, so the timber is not harmed and the line stays tidy.

Common plaster problems in Bromsgrove

Blown plaster

Tap the wall. A hollow sound means the plaster has lost its grip on the brick. Small areas are cut out and patched. Large areas mean re-plastering.

Cracks

Fine cracks round doors, windows and ceilings are common in old homes and in newer homes with plasterboard. We open them up, fill them, use tape or mesh where needed and plaster over.

Damp-damaged plaster

Plaster that has been wet for a long time goes soft and powdery, and stains come through the paint. The cause must be found and fixed first. Then we take off the bad plaster and re-plaster.

Rough walls after stripping paper

Old paper often hides rough, patched walls. Once it comes off, a new coat of plaster gives a smooth wall ready for paint.

Holes and chases after a rewire

New cables, sockets and pipes leave chases and holes. We fill and plaster them so they disappear.

Artex ceilings

Textured ceilings date a room. We cover them with a smooth coat.

Artex in Bromsgrove homes

Artex was very popular from the 1960s to the 1980s, and you will find it in post-war homes across Sidemoor, Charford and Catshill and in many older homes too. Artex put on before the mid-1980s may contain asbestos. It is safe if it is left alone, but it should not be sanded or scraped. We plaster over it without disturbing it, which is the safe way to get a smooth finish. If you want to be sure, it can be tested before we start.

Getting the room ready

1. You clear what you can. We help with heavy items.
2. Floors, doors and anything left in the room are covered.
3. Sockets and switches are loosened or covered.
4. Loose plaster, paper and old filler come off.
5. Cracks are opened up and filled, and beads go on at corners.
6. Bonding or sealing coats go on where needed.
7. The finish plaster goes on in two thin coats and is trowelled smooth.
8. We clean up and leave the room tidy.

Beads, tape and corners

• Angle beads give strong, straight corners that resist knocks.
• Stop beads give clean edges where plaster meets a frame or beam.
• Scrim tape goes over board joins and cracks to stop them coming back.
• Mesh goes over joins between old and new walls.

New plaster and paint

New plaster needs to dry before it is painted. In a warm, airy room, a finish coat often takes about a week. Thicker re-plastering takes longer, and so does lime. When it is pale and even in colour all over, it is usually dry. The first coat should be a mist coat, a watered-down emulsion that soaks in and seals the plaster. On lime plaster, use a breathable paint.

Extensions, loft rooms and garage conversions

Bromsgrove homes are often extended at the back, have the garage turned into a room or the loft opened up. We board and plaster the walls and ceilings, working with your builder or on our own, and leave them ready to decorate.

Kitchens and bathrooms

When old units or tiles come off, the wall behind is often damaged. We repair or re-plaster it ready for new tiles or paint. In bathrooms we use boards and plaster suited to damp rooms.

Through lounges and open plan rooms

Many Bromsgrove semis have had the front and back rooms knocked into one, and many newer homes have open plan kitchens. Where a wall comes out, the join often cracks and two old ceilings may not meet well. We level and plaster the whole ceiling so it looks like one room.

Stairs and landings

Stairwells are the hardest walls in the house to reach, and in the bigger homes round Barnt Green and Finstall they can be very tall. We use proper boards and towers on the stairs so the work is safe and the walls end up flat.

Bay windows and curved walls

Inter-war semis and Victorian villas in Bromsgrove often have big bays. The walls and ceilings in a bay have tricky angles. We take care to keep them true and get crisp lines where the bay meets the room.

Picture rails, ceiling roses and coving

Older homes often still have picture rails, ceiling roses, cornices and coving. If you want to keep them, we plaster neatly up to them. If they are coming off, we fill and plaster the line they leave. Cracked coving can be repaired or replaced to match.

Chimney breasts and fireplaces

Older homes have chimney breasts in most rooms. The plaster round old fireplaces is often cracked, stained or patched. When a fire is opened up or a log burner fitted, the wall needs making good. We plaster round new openings and over closed ones so the wall looks right.

Damp walls and new plaster

If a wall in an older home has had a damp course put in, the plaster usually needs replacing, and the backing coat matters. We will ask what was done to the wall so we pick the right plaster. If the cause of the damp is still there, we will say so before we plaster, as new plaster on a wet wall won’t last.

Cold walls and black mould

Solid walls in older homes, and north-facing rooms in all homes, can be cold in winter. Damp air from cooking, washing and drying clothes settles on them, and black mould can grow. New plaster alone won’t cure it. Good airflow, extractor fans and keeping furniture a little off the wall all help. We will tell you honestly what is plaster and what is air.

Plaster or dry lining?

• Wet plaster goes onto brick or block in a backing coat, then a finish coat. Hard and solid, but slower to dry.
• Dry lining means fixing plasterboard to the wall, then a finish coat. Quicker to dry and good on very uneven walls.

On old solid walls, the right choice depends on the state of the wall and whether there has been damp. We will look and tell you what suits it best.

Uneven walls in old homes

Walls in Bromsgrove’s oldest homes are seldom straight. They lean, bow and dip. We can make them much flatter, but on very old walls we will talk with you about how far to go. A wall that gently follows the line of an old cottage often looks better than one forced flat.

Plastering after a leak

A leak from a bathroom, a tank or the roof can soak a ceiling. Once it is fixed and dried out, we take off the damaged plaster and repair or replace it. If you see a ceiling sagging with water, keep out of the room and turn off the water.

Looking after your plaster

• Let new plaster dry fully before painting.
• Use a mist coat first, or a breathable paint on lime.
• Keep rooms aired, most of all kitchens and bathrooms.
• Deal with leaks quickly.
• Use the right fixings for shelves and TVs on plasterboard.

What to ask a plasterer

• Will you go over the old plaster or take it off?
• Is my wall lime, and does it need lime?
• How will you protect my floors and furniture?
• Will you use beads on the corners?
• How long will it take to dry?
• Can I see rooms you have finished?

How a Bromsgrove job runs

Photos

WhatsApp me photos of the room, the walls and ceilings, and your postcode.

Visit

We look at the walls, tap for hollow areas and talk through what you want.

Quote

A clear written quote setting out the work and how long it should take.

The work

Room protected, walls prepared, plaster on, room cleaned.

Walk round

We check every wall and ceiling with you before we leave.

Working safely and tidily

Dust sheets and floor protection on every job. Proper steps, boards and towers. Dust kept to the room we are in as far as we can. Rubbish taken away and the room left clean.

What a good finish looks like

• Flat, smooth walls with no trowel marks.
• Straight, sharp corners.
• Clean lines round frames, beams, sockets and switches.
• Flat, even ceilings.
• Floors, skirting and frames left clean.

Rooms we plaster most

• Living rooms and through lounges: walls after paper comes off, cracked or artex ceilings.
• Bedrooms: sagging ceilings and tired walls.
• Kitchens: walls after old units and tiles come off.
• Bathrooms: walls and ceilings in damp rooms.
• Halls, stairs and landings: walls that take knocks, and tall stairwells.
• Extensions and loft rooms: new boards and block, plastered ready for paint.

Shops and flats on the High Street

The High Street has shops, cafes and offices with flats and rooms above, many in old buildings. Upper rooms often have old lath ceilings and patched lime walls. We plan the work round the business below and keep dust and noise down.

Rented homes and landlords

Bromsgrove has plenty of rented homes, from flats in the centre to family homes on the estates. Landlords need quick, tidy repairs between tenants. We plan the work so rooms are out of use for as short a time as we can.

Old wiring, pipes and plaster

If you are having a rewire or new heating, have it done before we plaster. Chasing cables into new plaster means patching it again. We are happy to fit our work round your electrician and plumber.

Working round family life

Most of our Bromsgrove jobs are in homes where people are living. We plan the order of rooms so you always have a kitchen, a bathroom and somewhere to sleep, and tell you each day what is happening next.

Questions we often get in Bromsgrove

My cottage has old lime plaster. Can you plaster over it?

Sometimes. If the lime is sound, it can often be repaired in lime. Putting hard modern plaster on old lime walls can trap damp, so we will look first and give you an honest view.

Can you cover my artex ceiling?

Yes. We plaster over it without disturbing it.

My ceiling is cracked all over. Does it have to come down?

Not always. Often we can over-board it and plaster. If it is sagging badly, it may need to come down.

How soon can I paint?

Usually about a week for a finish coat in a warm, airy room. Longer for thick re-plastering, for lime, or in winter.

The year in plastering

Plastering is inside work, so we do it all year. In winter, new plaster takes longer to dry, so keep the heating low and a window open a little. In summer, sunny rooms can dry plaster too fast, so we may keep blinds down while we work.

If you have just moved in

If you have just bought a home in Bromsgrove, have the walls and ceilings sorted before you decorate, lay new carpets or move furniture in. We can plaster several rooms in one go so you are ready to paint.

Before you sell

Buyers notice cracked ceilings, artex and patched walls. Fresh plaster and paint can make a home look clean and well kept for photos and viewings.

Small jobs welcome

A patch after a leak, a crack over a door, a hole where a fireplace came out or a wall chased for new sockets are all jobs we are happy to do. Send us a photo and we will tell you what is needed.

Why plastering makes such a difference

Smooth, flat walls and ceilings make a room feel bigger and brighter. Paint goes on more easily and lasts longer. Cracks, patches and old textures disappear. For a tired room, it is one of the best changes you can make.

Big rooms and high ceilings

Larger homes round Barnt Green, Blackwell and Finstall, and the Victorian villas near the centre, often have big rooms and high ceilings. A large ceiling has to be plastered in one go, with enough hands on it, so there are no joins or drying lines. We plan these jobs with the right size team and proper boards, so the whole surface is flat and even from wall to wall.

Dust and mess

Plastering can be messy if it is not done with care. We cover floors, stairs and furniture, seal doorways where needed and carry rubbish out as we go. If a ceiling has to come down, we close the room off and protect the rest of the house. At the end of each day the room is swept and tidy.

Plastering round new windows and doors

When new windows, patio doors or bifolds go in, the plaster round them is often broken. We make good the reveals, fit beads for straight edges and plaster so the new frames sit cleanly in the wall.

Hallways and busy walls

Halls and stairs take the most knocks from bags, bikes, prams and moving furniture. Dents and holes build up over the years. We repair the damage, fit angle beads to corners so they stand up to knocks, and put a smooth finish over the whole wall.

Homes below the hills

Homes on the higher ground toward the hills and round Catshill and Marlbrook get more wind and colder weather than the town centre. Rooms on the exposed side can feel cold, and new plaster dries more slowly there in winter. We plan the order of rooms with that in mind and give you clear advice on drying times before you paint.

Picking the right time

Because plastering is inside work, the weather doesn’t stop us. Most people like several rooms done in one block, so they only live with the mess once. Plan it after any rewiring or plumbing, and before you decorate or lay new carpets.

Nail makers’ cottages inside

The small cottages once lived in by Bromsgrove’s nail makers have thick old walls, small rooms, low ceilings and plenty of old repairs. Walls are often a mix of old brick, later brick and patches of gypsum and cement. Each patch dries and holds paint in a different way. We take out the hard, loose patches, repair the sound old plaster and bring the whole wall to one even finish, using lime or a breathable plaster where the wall needs it.

Areas we cover around Bromsgrove

We plaster homes across the whole town, including the town centre, Aston Fields, Stoke Heath, Sidemoor, Charford, Catshill, Marlbrook, Lickey End and Finstall, along with Stoke Prior, Barnt Green, Blackwell, Bournheath, Fairfield, Romsley and the villages round Bromsgrove.

Nearby pages include rendering in Bromsgrove, plastering in Barnt Green, plastering in Alvechurch, plastering in Redditch, plastering in Wythall, plastering in Northfield, plastering in Stourbridge and plastering in Worcester. See every town on our plastering areas page.

More services: Plastering repairs · Plastering and coving · Plastering extensions and lofts.

Get a plastering quote in Bromsgrove

WhatsApp me on 07453 614095 or message the page. Send pictures or videos via WhatsApp for a quick response, a free quote and advice. Send a photo of each wall and ceiling and your postcode.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm, Saturday 7am to 1pm, Sunday closed.

You can also email rcrconnectionsltd@gmail.com or use our contact page. See finished jobs on our projects page.

More from RCR Connections Ltd: All plastering and rendering services · Rendering in Bromsgrove · Plastering areas · Areas we cover