Plastering in Redditch

Redditch is two towns in one. There is the old needle town on the hill, with its Victorian terraces round Church Green, Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross, and there is the new town of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, with its estates set among trees and green space at Matchborough, Winyates, Church Hill, Woodrow, Lodge Park and Oakenshaw. Newer homes have gone up at Brockhill and Webheath since. RCR Connections Ltd plasters, re-plasters and repairs walls and ceilings in homes of every age across the town.

We’re Birmingham based, covering the whole of the Midlands, and Redditch is just down the A441 from 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 Redditch.

Plastering quotes in Redditch: 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 Redditch

New plaster on walls and ceilings

When the walls are sound but tired, a fresh finish coat makes them smooth, flat and ready to paint. This is the job we do most in Redditch, often after paper has been stripped, after a rewire, or when walls and ceilings are covered in years of filler and patches. We cover floors and furniture, prepare the surface, then put on two thin coats and trowel them smooth.

Re-plastering

When old plaster is blown, crumbling, soft from damp or cracked all the way through, it can’t be saved. 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 terraces round the town centre, Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross.

Plaster repairs

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

Ceilings

Ceilings in Redditch homes range from old lath and plaster in Victorian terraces to plasterboard and artex in the new town estates. We repair them, over-board and plaster them, or take down a failed ceiling and put up new boards.

Plasterboard and dry lining

Many Redditch new town homes have plasterboard walls already. We repair and re-plaster them, and we board and plaster new stud walls, loft rooms and extensions.

Artex covering and coving

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

Redditch through the years

Bordesley Abbey

In 1138 Cistercian monks founded Bordesley Abbey in the Arrow valley, just north of the present town centre. The ruins can still be seen today next to the Forge Mill Needle Museum. The town grew up on the hill above.

The needle town

From the 1700s Redditch became the centre of needle making in Britain, and by the 19th century it was making most of the world’s needles, along with fish hooks, springs and, later, motorbikes and cycles at the Royal Enfield works. Forge Mill, by the abbey ruins, was a water-powered mill used to scour needles, and it is now the museum. Workers’ terraces went up round Church Green, Headless Cross, Crabbs Cross, Batchley and along the roads out of town.

Victorian and Edwardian homes

The older homes in Redditch are mostly brick terraces and some larger villas, with solid walls, lime plaster and lath and plaster ceilings. Many have been altered over the years, with walls knocked through, kitchens extended at the back and old plaster patched with whatever was to hand.

The new town

In 1964 Redditch was named a new town, to take people from Birmingham. Over the next twenty years the town grew many times over. New estates were laid out in the east and south, at Woodrow, Matchborough, Winyates, Church Hill, Lodge Park, Greenlands, Oakenshaw and Abbeydale, linked by fast roads and separated by green space. The Kingfisher Shopping Centre opened in the town centre in the 1970s, and Arrow Valley Park and its lake were laid out through the middle of the new town.

The new town homes

Homes built in the new town were made with a mix of methods: brick and block, timber frame, and some system-built types. Inside, many have plasterboard walls rather than wet plaster, and almost all were built with textured ceilings. After forty to sixty years, many are now ready for fresh walls and smooth ceilings.

Newer Redditch

Since the 1990s, newer homes have gone up at Brockhill, Webheath, Walkwood and on the edges of town, with more planned. These are mostly plasterboard on dabs or studs, and they are often where we fix cracked joins and corners.

The homes we plaster most in Redditch

Victorian terraces round the town centre

Church Green, Evesham Road, Mount Pleasant, Unicorn Hill, Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross. Solid brick, old lime plaster, lath ceilings. Re-plastering failed walls, repairing sound ones, and over-boarding or replacing old ceilings.

Inter-war and early post-war homes

Batchley, parts of Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross, and along the main roads into town. Hard plaster on brick, often cracked and patched. Fresh plaster on walls, and ceilings over-boarded where they have cracked.

New town estates

Woodrow, Matchborough, Winyates, Church Hill, Lodge Park, Greenlands, Oakenshaw and Abbeydale. Plasterboard walls, block in some places, and artex ceilings in nearly every room. Covering artex and plastering over tired board walls are the main jobs here.

Timber-framed new town homes

Some new town estates have timber-framed homes. The inner walls are plasterboard on timber studs. They can crack at joins and corners as the frame moves. We tape the joins, repair the cracks and re-plaster.

Newer homes

Brockhill, Webheath, Walkwood and other newer estates. Plasterboard on dabs. Cracks at ceiling joins and corners, and nail pops. We repair, tape and re-plaster.

Rented homes

Redditch has many rented homes, both private and housing group. Landlords need quick, tidy repairs between tenants. We plan the work to keep rooms out of use for as short a time as we can.

Neighbourhood notes

Town centre and Church Green

The old heart of the needle town. Victorian terraces, shops and flats above. Re-plastering, lath ceilings and repairs.

Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross

South of the centre on the hill. Victorian and inter-war homes, with some newer infill. A real mix of jobs, from full re-plasters to small repairs.

Batchley and Brockhill

North-west of the centre. Post-war homes at Batchley and newer estates at Brockhill. Artex covering, wall plastering and crack repairs.

Webheath

West of the town. A village that has grown, with older cottages and lots of newer homes. Plastering for extensions and loft rooms, and repairs.

Woodrow and Greenlands

South and east, among the first new town estates. Board walls and artex ceilings. Covering artex and plastering over walls.

Matchborough and Winyates

East of the centre. New town estates of the 1970s and 1980s. Through lounges, open plan kitchens and textured ceilings.

Church Hill and Abbeydale

North-east, near Arrow Valley Park. New town homes and flats. Ceilings, walls and repairs.

Lodge Park and Oakenshaw

South and south-east. Later new town estates. Artex covering, plastering after new kitchens and bathrooms, and crack repairs.

Astwood Bank and Feckenham

To the south, two villages with older cottages and newer homes. Lime plaster in the oldest cottages, plasterboard in the newer ones.

Plastering new town homes

New town homes have their own quirks. Many walls are plasterboard fixed to block on dabs of adhesive, or to timber studs. Boards can sound hollow when tapped, but that is normal on dabs and doesn’t always mean a problem. What matters is whether the board is firm and the joins are sound.

On these homes we:

1. Check the boards are firm and fix any that are loose.
2. Tape or mesh cracked joins and corners.
3. Seal the boards so the plaster bonds well.
4. Put on a smooth finish coat across the whole wall, so old joins and patches disappear.

Where a board is badly damaged, we cut it out and fit a new one before plastering.

Artex in Redditch

Artex ceilings were fitted in almost every new town home in Redditch, and in many older homes too. Swirls, stipples and patterns were all popular. Artex put on before the mid-1980s may contain asbestos. Left alone it is safe, but it should not be sanded or scraped. We plaster over it without disturbing it, which is the safe way to get a smooth ceiling. If you want to be sure, it can be tested before we start.

Lath and plaster in the old town

Older homes in the town centre, Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross often still have lath and plaster ceilings. Over time the plaster loses its grip on the laths, and the ceiling sags or cracks. Watch for:

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

Where the ceiling is sound enough, we over-board and plaster it. Where 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.

Common plaster problems in Redditch

Cracked board joins

The most common fault in new town and newer homes. Joins that were not taped well open up as the house moves. We cut them out, tape them and plaster over.

Nail pops

Small round bumps or holes on ceilings where nails have pushed through the plaster. We fix the board and fill and plaster over.

Blown plaster in old homes

Plaster that has come away from the brick sounds hollow. Small areas are cut out and patched. Large areas mean re-plastering.

Damp-damaged plaster

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

Rough walls after stripping paper

Paper often hides poor walls. Once it comes off, a new coat of plaster gives a smooth finish.

Holes and chases

New wiring, sockets, pipes and fixings leave holes and chases. We fill and plaster them so they can’t be seen.

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 are taken 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 stand up to knocks.
• Stop beads give clean edges where plaster meets a frame.
• Scrim tape goes over board joins and cracks so they don’t come back.
• Mesh goes over joins between old and new walls.

New plaster and paint

New plaster has to dry before you paint it. In a warm, airy room, a finish coat usually takes about a week. Thick re-plastering takes longer, and so does plaster in winter. It is dry when the colour is pale and even all over. The first coat should be a mist coat, a thin emulsion that soaks in and seals the plaster. After that, paint as normal.

Extensions, loft rooms and garage conversions

Lots of Redditch homes have been extended at the back, had 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 that suit damp rooms.

Open plan rooms

Many Redditch homes have had walls taken out to make open plan kitchens and living rooms. Where a wall comes out, the ceiling and walls round it need making good, and two old ceilings have to look like one. We plaster the whole ceiling so it looks like it was always one room.

Stairs and landings

Stairwells are the hardest walls to reach and the ones that take the most knocks. We use proper boards and towers on the stairs so the job is safe and the walls come out flat.

Looking after your plaster

• Let new plaster dry fully before painting.
• Use a mist coat first.
• 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?
• 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 Redditch 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, sockets and switches.
• Flat, even ceilings.
• Floors, skirting and frames left clean.

Rooms we plaster most

• Living rooms and open plan rooms: walls after paper comes off, artex ceilings.
• Bedrooms: cracked ceilings, nail pops 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.

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.

In the old town, the choice depends on the wall and whether there has been damp. In the new town, the walls are often board already, so a finish coat over the top is usually all that is needed.

Cold walls and black mould

Some older homes and some new town homes have cold walls, most of all on corners and in rooms that face north. 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.

Damp walls and new plaster

If a wall in an older home has had a damp course put in, the plaster on it usually needs to be replaced, 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.

Chimney breasts and fireplaces

Older homes in the town centre and Headless Cross have chimney breasts in most rooms. The plaster round old fireplaces is often cracked or stained. 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.

Plastering after a leak

A leak from a bathroom or tank above can soak a ceiling. Once the leak is fixed and the area has dried, 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.

Flats and maisonettes

The new town has many flats and maisonettes, some in blocks with shared stairs. Getting materials in and rubbish out needs planning. We protect shared halls and stairs and keep the job tidy. If you rent from a housing group, check with them before any work.

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.

Questions we often get in Redditch

Can you plaster over my new town walls?

Yes. If the boards are firm, we tape the joins, seal the boards and put a smooth finish coat over the whole wall.

Can you cover my artex ceiling?

Yes. We plaster over it without disturbing it.

My ceiling has lots of small cracks and bumps. What are they?

Usually cracked board joins and nail pops. We fix the boards, tape the joins and plaster over.

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 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 Redditch, 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. Send us photos and we will tell you which rooms will make the biggest difference.

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, brighter and newer. 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.

Uneven walls in the old town

Walls in the older terraces round Church Green and Headless Cross are rarely straight. Many lean, bow or dip, and corners are seldom square. We can make them much flatter, but on very old walls we will talk with you first about how far to go. A wall that gently follows the line of the house can look better than one forced dead flat, and it is quicker and less upheaval.

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.

Coving, picture rails and features

Victorian homes in the old town may still have picture rails, ceiling roses and coving. New town homes often have plain coving added later. If you want to keep features, we plaster neatly up to them. If they are coming off, we fill and plaster the line they leave. We can fit new coving to finish a room, or repair cracked lengths.

Hallways in new town homes

Many new town homes have long, narrow halls and open stairs with board walls that take a lot of knocks from bikes, prams and moving furniture. Dents and holes build up over the years. We repair damaged boards, fit angle beads to the corners so they stand up to knocks, and put a smooth finish coat over the whole hall so it looks like new.

Ceilings in new town homes

New town ceilings are almost all plasterboard, often with a textured finish. Over time joins crack, nails pop and patches from old leaks or light fittings show through. Rather than patching bit by bit, we usually tape the joins, fix any loose boards and put a smooth coat across the whole ceiling, so it looks fresh and even.

Plastering round new windows and doors

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

Working round family life

Most of our Redditch 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, keep paths through the house clear, and tell you each day what is happening next. If you work from home, we can do the rooms furthest from your desk while you work.

Picking the right time

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

Plaster in timber-framed homes

Timber-framed homes move a little more than brick and block homes, most of all when the heating goes on in autumn and off in spring. Joins in the boards can open as the frame dries and settles. When we plaster these walls, we make sure every board is firmly fixed, tape every join and corner, and use a finish that copes well with slight movement. That way, the cracks are far less likely to come back.

Rented homes between tenants

When a tenant moves out, there are often holes from fixings, marks where furniture stood and cracks that have been left for years. We can repair and plaster the worst walls and ceilings quickly, so the decorator can follow on and the home is ready for the next tenant. For housing groups, we work to their rules on access and paperwork.

Shops and flats in the town centre

The old streets round Church Green and Alcester Street have shops and offices with flats above, many in Victorian buildings. Upper rooms often have old lath ceilings and patched walls. We plan the work round the business below and keep dust and noise down as far as we can.

Arrow Valley and the green spaces

The new town was planned round green space, with Arrow Valley Park running through the middle. Many homes back onto trees and grass. That is lovely to live with, but rooms on the shady side can feel cold and damp in winter. Good airflow helps new plaster dry evenly and keeps walls fresh once it is done.

Areas we cover around Redditch

We plaster homes across the whole town, including the town centre, Headless Cross, Crabbs Cross, Batchley, Brockhill, Webheath, Walkwood, Woodrow, Greenlands, Matchborough, Winyates, Church Hill, Abbeydale, Lodge Park and Oakenshaw, along with Astwood Bank, Feckenham and the villages round Redditch.

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

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

Get a plastering quote in Redditch

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 Redditch · Plastering areas · Areas we cover