Plastering in Kidderminster

Kidderminster is the carpet town. For more than two hundred years its looms turned out carpets that went all over the world, and the tall brick mills still stand by the River Stour and the canal. Round them grew the homes: Victorian terraces in Broadwaters, Horsefair and off the Bewdley Road, big villas on the hill at Blakebrook, inter-war semis in Franche and Habberley, post-war estates at Offmore and Birchen Coppice, and the large private estates of Spennells and Comberton. Many still have their first plaster, and a lot of it is cracked, blown or patched.

RCR Connections Ltd plasters, re-plasters and repairs walls and ceilings in homes right across Kidderminster and the Wyre Forest. We’re Birmingham based, covering the whole of the Midlands, and the A456 brings us to Kidderminster quickly. 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 Kidderminster.

Plastering quotes in Kidderminster: 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 Kidderminster

Plastering walls and ceilings

A new coat of finish plaster over sound walls gives you a smooth, flat face ready for paint. It is the job we do most in Kidderminster: after a rewire, when old paper comes off and the walls are rough, or when a room has been patched too many times. We cover floors and furniture, prepare the walls, fix loose areas, then put on the new coat and trowel it smooth.

Re-plastering

When the old plaster is blown, cracked right through, crumbling or soft from damp, going over it won’t last. We take it back to the brick or block and re-plaster with a backing coat and a finish coat, or board the wall and plaster over. Re-plastering is common in the older terraces round Broadwaters, Horsefair and the Stourport Road.

Plaster repairs

Not every job is a whole room. We repair cracks, holes, blown patches, damage after a leak, chases left by electricians and plumbers, and broken corners, and blend them in so they don’t show once painted.

Ceilings

Lath and plaster ceilings sag and crack with age, and some come down. We over-board and plaster, take down failed ceilings and put up new boards, or repair a small area. We also cover artex with a fresh, smooth coat.

Plasterboard and dry lining

For new walls, stud walls, loft rooms and extensions we fit plasterboard and plaster it, or dry line walls where the old plaster has failed.

Coving

We fit coving to finish a room, and repair old coving that has cracked or come away.

Kidderminster through the years

A market town on the Stour

Kidderminster grew up where an old road crossed the River Stour. St Mary and All Saints Church on the hill above the river goes back to the Middle Ages. In the 1600s the town was known for its cloth, and the preacher Richard Baxter served here, and his statue still stands in the town.

The carpet town

Carpet weaving began in the 1700s, and by the 1800s Kidderminster was one of the great carpet towns of the world. Brintons, Tomkinson and Adam, Victoria Carpets and many others built huge mills along the Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, which opened in 1771. Thousands of families worked in the trade, and street after street of brick terraces went up for them. Rowland Hill, who brought in the penny post, was born in the town in 1795.

Victorian and Edwardian homes

Broadwaters, Horsefair, the streets off the Stourport Road, the Bewdley Road and the Chester Road, and the roads round Aggborough are full of Victorian and Edwardian terraces. Bigger villas went up on the higher ground at Blakebrook and along the Comberton Road for the mill owners and managers. These homes were built with solid brick walls, lime plaster and lath ceilings.

Between the wars

In the 1920s and 1930s, semis and council homes went up in Franche, Habberley, Foley Park and along the main roads out of town. Most had hard wall plaster on brick and lath and plaster or early board ceilings, and they are now close to a hundred years old.

After the war

After 1945 the town grew fast. Overspill estates for families from Birmingham went up at Offmore, Birchen Coppice and Habberley, and from the late 1960s the big private estates of Spennells and Comberton spread over the farmland to the east. Many of these homes still have their first plaster and artex ceilings. The carpet trade shrank, and many mills were pulled down or turned into shops, flats and offices. The Severn Valley Railway runs steam trains from its station next to the main line, and Kidderminster Harriers play at Aggborough.

The homes we plaster most in Kidderminster

Mill workers’ terraces

Broadwaters, Horsefair, the streets off the Stourport Road and round Aggborough. Solid brick walls with old lime plaster, often blown in places and patched many times. Lath ceilings that sag or crack. We re-plaster walls where the old plaster has failed, repair what is sound, and over-board or replace old ceilings.

Villas on the hill

Blakebrook, the Comberton Road and the roads above the town centre. Big rooms, high ceilings, cornices, picture rails and bay windows. We take care to keep the features you want, and to get high ceilings flat and true.

1920s and 1930s homes

Franche, Habberley, Foley Park and along the main roads out of town. Hard plaster on brick, cracked and patched after years of rewiring, heating and new windows. Bay windows and curved walls need a careful hand.

Post-war overspill estates

Offmore, Birchen Coppice and parts of Habberley. Many still have their first plaster and artex ceilings. Covering artex, plastering walls after a rewire or new kitchen, and repairs.

1970s and 1980s estates

Spennells and Comberton, and the newer streets in Franche. Cavity walls, plaster on block or board, and textured ceilings. Plastering over tired walls and covering artex are the main jobs.

Newer homes and mill flats

New homes on old mill sites by the river and the canal, and flats in converted mills. Plasterboard walls that crack at joins and corners, and tall walls in old mill rooms. We repair cracks, tape joins and re-plaster where needed.

Neighbourhood notes

Town centre

Shops, offices and flats round Worcester Street, Oxford Street and Vicar Street, and old mills turned into homes. Repairs in flats, offices and older buildings.

Broadwaters and Horsefair

North of the centre. Busy streets of Victorian terraces. Old lime plaster, blown walls and lath ceilings. Full re-plasters and repairs.

Blakebrook and the Bewdley Road

West of the centre, on the hill. Larger Victorian homes and villas. High ceilings, cornices and careful work on old walls.

Franche and Habberley

North-west of the town. Inter-war and post-war homes and newer streets. Ceilings, artex covering and walls after new kitchens.

Offmore and Comberton

East of the centre. Post-war homes and larger 1970s estates. A mix of artex covering, plastering after rewires and repairs.

Spennells

South-east. A big estate of 1970s and later homes. Plastering over tired walls, covering artex, and new rooms in lofts and garages.

Foley Park, Hoobrook and Aggborough

South of the centre, toward Stourport. Inter-war homes, older terraces and newer streets. A real mix of jobs.

Wolverley, Cookley and the villages

North of the town. Older cottages, some built into the red sandstone, and newer homes. Careful repairs and re-plastering.

Lime plaster in old Kidderminster homes

The town’s older terraces and villas were plastered with lime. Lime is soft and lets a solid wall breathe. It can last a very long time if the wall stays dry, but leaks, hard cement patches, and plastic paints and vinyl papers that trap damp all damage it.

We look at what is on the wall first. Sound lime plaster can often be kept and repaired. Where it has blown or gone soft, we take it off and re-plaster. On solid walls that have had damp, we pick a plaster that suits the wall, and we will tell you if a lime plaster is the better choice.

Sandstone walls and damp

Kidderminster sits on soft red sandstone, and in places, most of all toward Wolverley, Cookley and the Stour valley, homes are built against or into the rock. Some older homes have cellars cut into it. Sandstone holds water, and walls built against it often stay damp. New plaster on a wet wall won’t last. We look at why the wall is damp first, tell you what we see, and plaster with materials that suit the wall once the cause has been dealt with.

Mill flats and tall rooms

Several of the old carpet mills have been turned into flats. They have tall ceilings, big windows and walls that mix old brick with new boards and block. Each part needs the right backing, and joins between old and new need tape or mesh so they don’t crack. Tall walls need proper towers or platforms. We plan the job so the finish is even all over.

Plastering after damp work

Many Kidderminster homes have had damp work over the years. After a damp course or new drainage, the walls need re-plastering with the right plaster. We will ask what was done and by whom, so we pick the right plaster for it. If the cause of the damp hasn’t been dealt with, we will say so before we plaster.

Chimney breasts and old fireplaces

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

Cornices and ceiling roses

The villas at Blakebrook and on the Comberton Road often have old cornices and ceiling roses. Many are cracked or clogged with paint. We plaster ceilings up to them with care, and can repair small damaged runs. Where a full cornice needs to be remade, we will tell you and suggest a specialist if needed.

Bay windows and curved walls

Inter-war semis in Franche and Foley Park and the villas on the hill often have big bay windows. The walls and ceilings in the bay have tricky angles and curves. We keep them true and get crisp lines where the bay meets the room.

Plastering for new kitchens

When a new kitchen goes in, old tiles and units come off and the walls behind are often rough and uneven. We plaster them flat so the new units sit well and the tiles or paint look right. We fit in with your kitchen fitter so the walls are ready and dry in time.

Plastering after a leak

A burst pipe or a leak from above can soak a ceiling and walls. Once the leak is fixed and things have dried out, we take off the damaged plaster and repair or replace it. A sagging, wet ceiling needs care. If you see one, keep out of the room and turn off the water.

Garages, utility rooms and outbuildings

Garage conversions and utility rooms need their walls and ceilings boarded and plastered. Bare block walls can be plastered direct or dry lined. We will talk you through which suits your room best.

How a Kidderminster plastering job runs

First contact

You WhatsApp me photos of each room and the walls and ceilings you want done, with your postcode. A short video walking through helps even more.

The visit

For bigger jobs we come out, tap the walls for hollow areas, look at the ceilings, and talk through what you want and when.

The quote

You get a clear written quote that says which rooms, which walls and ceilings, whether we are plastering over or taking back, and how long it should take.

On the day

We arrive at 7am, cover the floors and furniture, and set up a clean work area. Old plaster comes off where needed, beads go on the corners, and the new coat goes on.

Finishing up

We clean up, take the rubbish away, and tell you how long to leave the walls before you paint.

What goes on your walls

• Finish plaster is the thin top coat that gives the smooth face.
• Backing coats build up the wall when old plaster comes off. Some suit hard brick, some soft brick or block.
• Lime plaster suits some old solid walls where the wall needs to breathe.
• Plasterboard comes in standard, moisture-resistant and fire-rated types.
• Beads and tape give straight corners and stop cracks at joins.

Artex: what you should know

Many Kidderminster homes built before the 1990s, most of all on the post-war and 1970s estates, have artex on the ceilings. Old artex can contain a small amount of asbestos. It is safe while it is left alone, which is why we plaster over it rather than scrape or sand it. If you want it taken off, it should be tested first.

Bathrooms and shower rooms

Old plaster round baths and showers is often soft, stained or blown. We take off what has failed, use moisture-resistant boards where needed, and plaster the rest so your tiler or decorator has a flat, sound wall. An extractor fan that works makes a big difference.

Stairwells and tall walls

Stairwells take a lot of knocks and are hard to reach, and the villas on the hill have very tall ones. We use proper stair platforms to reach safely, and plaster the full height in one go so there are no joins halfway up.

Questions we often get in Kidderminster

Can you plaster over my old walls?

If the old plaster is sound, yes. If it is blown, cracked through or damp, it needs to come off first. We tap every wall before we decide.

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

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

Can you cover my artex ceiling?

Yes. We plaster over artex without disturbing it.

How soon can I paint?

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

The year in plastering

Plastering is an inside job, so we work all year round. In winter, new plaster takes longer to dry, so keep the heating on low and a window open a little. Homes near the Stour and the canal can be damp in winter, so drying times there can be longer. In summer, sunny rooms can dry plaster too fast, so we may keep the blinds down while we work.

If you have just moved in

If you have just bought a home in Kidderminster, the walls and ceilings are best sorted before you decorate, lay new carpets or move furniture in. In a carpet town, it is worth getting the plastering done before the new carpet goes down. We can plaster several rooms in one go so you are ready to paint.

Plaster or dry lining?

• Wet plaster goes straight onto brick or block in a backing coat, then a finish coat. It is hard and solid, and good on walls that take knocks. It takes longer to dry.
• Dry lining means fixing plasterboard to the wall, then a finish coat. It dries quicker and suits walls that are very uneven or where old plaster has failed badly.

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

Uneven walls in old houses

Walls in older Kidderminster homes are rarely straight. They lean, bow and dip, and the corners are not square. We can make them much flatter, but on very old walls we will talk to you first about how far to go. Sometimes a wall that follows the line of the house looks better than one forced flat.

Cold walls and black mould

Solid brick walls in older homes are colder than cavity walls. In winter, damp air from cooking, washing and drying clothes settles on them, and black mould can grow in corners and behind furniture. New plaster won’t cure that on its own. Good airflow, extractor fans and keeping furniture a little off the wall all help. We will give you honest advice on what is plaster and what is air.

Flats above shops

The town centre and the local parades in Franche, Offmore and Spennells have flats above shops. They often have old ceilings and walls that need care. We plan the work round the shop below and keep dust and noise down.

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.

Before you sell

Buyers notice cracked ceilings and patched walls. A fresh coat of plaster and a coat of paint make a home look clean and well kept for photos and viewings. Send us photos and we will tell you which rooms will make the most difference.

Rooms we plaster most

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

Dust and mess

We cover floors, stairs and furniture, seal doors where needed, and carry rubbish out as we go. When a ceiling has to come down, we close the room off and protect the rest of the house. At the end of the day the room is swept and tidy.

Loft rooms and extensions

Many families in Spennells, Comberton and Franche add space rather than move. Loft rooms and single-storey extensions at the back all need boards fixed and plastered. We work with your builder and fit in at the right stage, after the electrics and pipes and before the decorator.

Landlords and rented homes

Kidderminster has a steady rental market, from terraces near the centre and the station to family homes on the estates. Landlords tend to want work done quickly between tenants, with photos of what was done. We plaster and repair rooms on a tight timescale so the home can be painted and let again.

Stourport, Bewdley and the Wyre Forest

We also plaster homes in Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley. Stourport grew up round its canal basins in the late 1700s and has Georgian and Victorian homes near the river, with newer estates round them. Bewdley is an old river town with many listed homes, timber frames and thick old walls, where lime plaster and a gentle hand matter. In both towns, homes near the Severn can be damp after floods, and we only plaster once walls have dried out.

Working with other trades

Most plastering jobs sit in the middle of a bigger plan. The electrician and plumber finish first, then we plaster, then the decorator, carpet fitter and kitchen fitter follow on. We are happy to talk to your other trades so the timing works.

Questions to ask any plasterer

• Will you plaster over the old walls or take them back?
• What plaster will you use, and why?
• How will you protect my floors and furniture?
• Who will do the work, and how long have they been plastering?
• How long before I can paint?
• Can I see finished jobs?

We are glad to answer all of these before you decide.

Painting new plaster

New plaster needs to dry right through before you paint. It will change from dark pink to an even pale pink when it is ready. The first coat should be a mist coat, a thinned-down emulsion that soaks in and seals the plaster. Avoid vinyl or wipe-clean paints for the first coat, as they can peel.

Why plastering makes such a difference

Smooth, flat walls make a room look bigger and brighter, and paint goes on easier and lasts longer. Cracks and patches disappear. In a mill worker’s terrace with small rooms, new plaster and a light colour can make the downstairs feel twice the size. In a villa on the hill, a sound, flat ceiling lets the old cornice and rose stand out the way they were meant to.

Picking the right time

Because plastering is inside work, the weather doesn’t stop us. Most people like to have it done in one block, room by room, so they only live with the mess once. If you have a lot of rooms to do, we work round you so you always have somewhere to sit and sleep. If you are having a new kitchen, bathroom or carpets, we fit in before them.

Halls and stairs in terraced homes

In the terraces of Broadwaters and Horsefair, the front door often opens straight into the front room or onto a narrow hall with steep stairs. Those walls take knocks every day, and the plaster at the foot of the stairs and round the door frames is often broken. We fit new corner beads, take back loose plaster, and plaster the hall, stairs and landing in one go so the finish runs through.

Flats and maisonettes

Kidderminster has many low-rise blocks of flats and maisonettes on the post-war estates and near the centre. Getting materials in and rubbish out takes planning, and the work has to fit round neighbours. We protect stairs and shared halls, and keep the job tidy. If you rent from a housing group, check with them before any work starts.

Garden rooms and home offices

More people now work from home, and many have built a garden room or turned a box room into an office. Garden rooms need the right boards and plaster inside to give a smooth, solid finish. Box rooms in older homes often have the worst walls in the house. We plaster both so they are ready to paint and use.

Old shops and chapels turned into homes

Round the town centre and along the old roads into it, some shops, chapels and small works have been turned into homes. Their walls are often a mix of old brick, newer block and boards, with tall rooms and odd corners. Each part needs the right backing, and joins between old and new need tape or mesh so they don’t crack. We look at each wall and plan the job so the finish is even all over.

Plaster and the old canal-side homes

Homes along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, and near the Stour as it runs through the town, sit in damp air for much of the year. Walls on the canal side can stay cool and damp, and plaster on them can stain or blow. We check the walls for damp before we start, use plasters that suit them, and tell you plainly if there is a problem outside, such as a leaking gutter or failed render, that needs fixing first.

Small jobs welcome

Not every job is a full room. 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.

Areas we cover around Kidderminster

We plaster homes across the town and the Wyre Forest, including the town centre, Broadwaters, Horsefair, Blakebrook, Franche, Habberley, Offmore, Comberton, Spennells, Birchen Coppice, Foley Park, Hoobrook and Aggborough, and on to Wolverley, Cookley, Blakedown, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley.

Nearby pages include rendering in Kidderminster, plastering in Stourbridge, plastering in Kinver, plastering in Worcester, rendering in Hagley and rendering in Droitwich Spa. See every town on our plastering areas page.

Nearby, we also cover plastering in Kingswinford.

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

Get a plastering quote in Kidderminster

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 Kidderminster · Plastering areas · Areas we cover