Plasterer in Sheldon

Sheldon lies on Birmingham’s eastern edge, along the Coventry Road between Yardley and the airport. For centuries it was a small Warwickshire parish of farms around St Giles’ Church; today it’s a suburb of 1930s semis, post-war estates and newer homes, with Sheldon Country Park and the runway right next door. Birmingham based, covering the whole of the Midlands, RCR Connections Ltd sends plasterers all over Sheldon, Sheldon Heath, Lyndon Green, Garretts Green and Tile Cross.

This page covers Sheldon’s history, the three main eras of its housing, plastering homes close to the airport, a guide to the plaster types we use and what each one is for, a ceiling-by-ceiling repair guide and a detailed look at how we skim a room.

From country parish to city suburb

The parish

The Victoria County History of Warwickshire describes the old parish as bounded on the north by the River Cole and on the east mostly by the Kingshurst and Hatchford brooks. The church and village lay in the south of the parish, linked by small roads to the road from Coventry to Birmingham, which entered the parish at Hatchford Bridge. The Birmingham to Rugby railway crossed the parish, and on the western boundary stood the rectangular earthwork known as Kent’s Moat.

St Giles’ Church

According to the same history, St Giles’ nave, with its fine roof, dates from about 1330, and the north aisle was added a little later. The west tower was added in 1461 and is dated by an inscription, and the nave was lengthened at the same time. The south porch is early 16th century. The chancel and north aisle were rebuilt in 1867.

The Old Rectory

Old Rectory Farm, now inside Sheldon Country Park, is listed grade II. Historic England’s listing describes it as essentially 18th century in appearance, timber-framed with rendered brick and a tiled roof, two storeys with two gabled bays. Clergyman Thomas Bray lived there; Birmingham City Council gives his dates as 1690 to 1721, while the listing says 1690 to 1729.

Old farms and Sheldon Hall

Writing in 1947, the county history noted that Mackadown Farm had walls of cemented brickwork, probably 18th century, with a 17th-century timber-framed barn by the roadside, and that another farmhouse nearby kept some 17th-century timber framing. Sheldon Hall, about two miles north of the church, was described as a long, shallow house of red and black brick with stone dressings from the first half of the 16th century, with cross-wings whose walls were roughcast. Those descriptions are a reminder that brick, lime, timber and render have been used side by side in this parish for hundreds of years.

Joining Birmingham

The county history records that under the Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield Order of 1931, most of Sheldon was transferred to the City of Birmingham. What remained was divided between Coleshill and Solihull, and the civil parish ceased to exist. Rapid housebuilding followed, both before and after the Second World War.

Sheldon Country Park

The council describes the park as “countryside in the city”, with grassland, wetland, old hedgerows and mature woodland right beside the airport. Old Rectory Farm, a former dairy farm, has been restored as a free demonstration farm run by the park rangers. Westley Brook and Hatchford Brook wind through the park, and there’s a viewing point over the runway.

Sheldon’s three housing eras

Era one: 1930s semis

After 1931, private builders lined the Coventry Road and the roads off it with semis and short terraces. These have bay windows, hipped roofs, coving and picture rails, with early gypsum or lime-gypsum plaster on brick. Typical work: cracked ceilings, tired walls under old paper, damp in bays and rear walls, textured ceilings, and making good after knock-throughs and extensions.

Era two: post-war estates

Large estates went up in the 1950s, 60s and 70s at Sheldon Heath, Garretts Green and Tile Cross, with houses, maisonettes and flats. Construction varied: many are brick and block, while some estates used non-traditional methods with concrete panels or frames. Plasterboard ceilings are common. Typical work: cracked board joints, popped nail heads, condensation and mould on cold walls, and updating walls that have been patched many times.

Era three: newer homes

More recent infill homes and small developments have block walls with plasterboard stuck on with adhesive, and board ceilings. Typical work: hollow or loose boards, cracks along joints, and making good after alterations.

Planning and listed buildings

St Giles’ Church and the Old Rectory are listed, and work to listed buildings needs listed building consent. The land next to the churchyard, with its avenue of lime trees, lies in a small conservation area. For an ordinary house in Sheldon, plastering inside needs no permission. Building regulations come in for loft conversions, extensions, removing chimney breasts and insulating walls.

Free, no-obligation quote in Sheldon: WhatsApp me on 07453 614095 with a few photos, or send us a message.

Living under the flight path

Aircraft noise

Homes in east Sheldon sit close to Birmingham Airport, and aircraft noise is part of daily life. Windows let most sound in, but ceilings and roofs matter too, especially in bedrooms under the roof.

Quieter ceilings

When a bedroom ceiling is being replaced, we can fit acoustic insulation between the joists, then fix two layers of dense board, sometimes on resilient bars that separate the board from the joists. The result is noticeably quieter. In loft conversions, the sloping ceilings and dormer cheeks can be built up in the same way.

Quieter walls

Lining the wall facing the airport with dense board on a separate frame, with insulation behind, cuts noise and heat loss together. Keep sockets and holes in that wall to a minimum.

Check for grants

From time to time, airports run noise insulation schemes for homes in certain areas. Ask the airport whether your home is eligible before planning work.

Plaster types and what they’re for

Multi-finish

The everyday finishing plaster for skimming most backgrounds, including old plaster and board. Applied in two thin coats and trowelled smooth.

Board finish

A finishing plaster designed specifically for plasterboard, giving a smooth surface over new boards.

Bonding coat

A backing plaster for low-suction surfaces such as concrete, engineering brick or painted walls, applied before the finish.

Hardwall

A tough backing plaster for high-suction masonry like common brick and blocks. Quick to set and resistant to knocks.

One-coat plaster

A backing and finish in one, useful for patches and smaller areas.

Renovating plaster

A backing plaster for walls that have had damp, designed to hold back salts while allowing the wall to dry. Often specified after a new damp course is installed.

Lime plaster

Breathable and flexible. The right choice for old solid walls and timber-framed buildings like the Old Rectory, where moisture needs to escape.

Plasterboard types

• Standard board for most walls and ceilings.
• Moisture-resistant board for bathrooms and kitchens.
• Fire-rated board for escape routes, garages and between flats.
• Acoustic board for quieter rooms.
• Insulated board for cold walls.

A ceiling-by-ceiling repair guide

Lath and plaster ceilings

Common in the older semis. If the plaster is firmly keyed to the laths with only hairline cracks, a skim may do. If it sags, bulges or has lost its grip, either line it with fresh board fixed into the joists or strip it out and start again.

Early plasterboard ceilings

Thin boards from the 1930s to 1950s may have cracked along their joints. We cut out cracks, tape them and skim.

Textured ceilings

Common across Sheldon. Coatings applied before 2000 can contain asbestos, so test before disturbing. Skim over firm texture, or overboard.

Ceilings with water damage

Find and fix the leak, then remove sodden boards or plaster. Once the joists have dried, new boards go up and are skimmed.

Ceilings under lofts

Ceilings below lofts can crack when people walk on the joists or store heavy items. Boarding the loft floor properly protects the ceiling below.

Ceilings in post-war flats

Concrete ceilings in some flats may have a thin skim that’s flaking. We prepare with a bonding agent and re-skim.

How we skim a room, step by step

1. We move what’s left in the room to the middle, cover it, and lay protection over the floor and the route in from the door.
2. Sockets and switches are loosened by your electrician, and we mask them.
3. Loose paper, flaking paint and loose plaster come off. Holes and cracks are filled and taped.
4. Corners get beads where needed for crisp edges.
5. The wall or ceiling is primed with a bonding agent so the new plaster grips and doesn’t dry too fast.
6. A first thin coat of finish goes on, flattened with the trowel.
7. While the first coat is still soft, a second thin coat goes on.
8. As the plaster firms up, we trowel it several times, with a little water, to a smooth, polished finish.
9. Edges are cleaned around windows, doors and skirting.
10. We tidy up, remove the protection and leave the room ready to dry.

Damp in Sheldon homes

1930s houses

Low-level damp is usually traced to a patio, path or flower bed sitting above the damp course outside. Bays may let water in through roofs and sills. Sort the source, give the brick time to dry, and only then re-plaster.

Post-war homes

Condensation is the main problem, especially in homes with cold walls or poor ventilation. Extractor fans, steady heating and insulated lining boards on the coldest walls help.

Near the brooks

Homes close to Westley Brook, Hatchford Brook or the River Cole can have wetter ground. Check drainage and gutters, and keep ground levels below the damp course.

Knock-throughs and extensions

Many Sheldon semis have had their front and back rooms opened up, or a kitchen extension built at the back. After the builder fits the beam, we box it in and skim it, patch the ceiling and floor lines, and skim the old rear wall now inside the extension.

Loft conversions

Loft rooms are common in Sheldon’s semis. We board and skim the sloping ceilings, dormer walls and stud partitions, and fit fire-rated boards where building control asks for them. Ceilings below often crack during the conversion, so we leave time to repair them.

Insulating cold walls

Solid or poorly insulated walls lose heat. Insulated board, fixed to the inside and then skimmed, makes rooms warmer and reduces mould. It reduces the room size a little and means moving sockets and skirting.

Non-traditional post-war houses

Some of the estates built after the war used systems of precast concrete panels or steel and concrete frames instead of brickwork. Inside, these homes often have cold walls that suffer badly from condensation. Before major work, a specialist survey of the structure is worth having, particularly if you’re buying or remortgaging, since lenders can be cautious about some systems. Once the structure is sound, dry lining the inside of outer walls with insulated board and skimming over it makes a big difference to warmth and mould.

Maisonettes and council leaseholders

Many of the flats and maisonettes on Sheldon’s post-war estates are owned by leaseholders who bought from the council, which remains the freeholder. Leaseholders can usually plaster inside their own home freely, but structural changes, such as removing walls, need the freeholder’s consent. Ceilings and walls between flats may need to keep their fire resistance, so tell us if a wall or ceiling separates you from a neighbour.

Turning the garage into a room

Garages beside the semis, and some in post-war blocks, are often converted into a study or bedroom. Garage walls are usually thin and cold, the floor is lower than the house and the roof may be uninsulated. After the builder has laid a new floor and filled the opening, insulated boards on the walls and a well-insulated ceiling, all skimmed, turn it into a warm room. Building regulations apply, so building control will check insulation, ventilation and fire safety.

Taking out a chimney breast

Removing a chimney breast frees up space for a kitchen or bedroom, but the remaining chimney above must be properly supported, usually with a steel beam or brackets, and building control must be informed. If the stack is shared with next door, a party wall notice may be needed. Once the structure is sorted, we plaster the wall flat, patch the ceiling and floor edges, and once painted, nobody would guess a fireplace stood there.

Kitchens and bathrooms

When a kitchen or bathroom is refitted, the walls behind the old units and tiles are often damaged. We repair or re-plaster them ahead of the fitters arriving. In showers and around baths, cement board or a tile backer board gives the best base for tiles. Elsewhere, a skim gives a smooth surface for paint. Extractor fans should vent outside to stop condensation forming on fresh plaster.

Stairs and landings

Stairwells are usually the tallest walls in a house and take knocks from moving furniture. We set up a safe working platform over the stairs and plaster from top to bottom, leaving the stairs usable each evening. Cracks above doors and along the stair line are common and are cut out and taped before skimming.

Coving and picture rails

Inter-war rooms usually had a simple coving and a picture rail. If yours have been removed, we can fit new coving and reinstate a picture rail at the right height. Coving also hides the joint between wall and ceiling, which is where hairline cracks often appear.

Fixing heavy items

Plasterboard walls need the right fixings for televisions, shelves and wall cupboards. Light items can go on hollow-wall plugs, but heavy loads need timber or metal supports fixed between the studs before the board goes up. Tell us where these will go before we start.

Patch or skim?

A few small holes or cracks can be patched and blended in. But where a wall has lots of patches, uneven old plaster or paper damage, a skim over the whole wall gives a much better finish and takes little more time.

After a rewire

Rewiring leaves chases for new cables, holes for sockets and switches, and often damaged plaster round the old fittings. We fill and skim these so the repairs don’t show. If the rewire comes before a full redecoration, it’s often worth skimming whole rooms.

Life at home during the work

Staying at home through the work is normal. We sequence rooms so you always have a kitchen and bathroom available, seal doorways to keep dust in, and keep tools out of reach of children and pets. If you work from home, tell us which rooms you need and when.

Which cracks are normal?

Fine cracks in new plaster as it dries, hairline cracks at the joint between ceiling and wall, and small cracks above doors are common and harmless. Cracks wider than a few millimetres, cracks angling away from window and door corners, or ones that widen month by month deserve a professional opinion first.

Working through winter

Plastering goes on all year, but in winter plaster takes longer to dry, and fresh plaster must not freeze. We keep the room above freezing and avoid working in unheated rooms on frosty days. In very cold weather, background heating and good ventilation help plaster dry evenly.

DIY plastering mistakes

• Mixing too much plaster at once, so it starts setting before it’s on the wall.
• Skimming over dusty or painted surfaces without a bonding agent, so the plaster doesn’t grip.
• Applying one thick coat of finish instead of two thin ones.
• Over-trowelling with too much water, leaving a weak, dusty surface.
• Painting before the plaster has dried.
• Forgetting beads on corners, which then chip easily.

If a DIY job hasn’t gone to plan, we can usually put it right.

What we bring

We bring dust sheets and floor protection, buckets and paddle mixers, trowels and floats of different sizes, hop-ups and platforms, beads and scrim, bonding agents, and the right plaster for the job. On bigger jobs, we bring towers for high ceilings and stairwells, and a vacuum for clearing dust.

Waste and recycling

Old plaster and offcuts of plasterboard are bagged and removed. Gypsum waste shouldn’t be mixed with general rubbish because it can produce harmful gases in landfill, so we keep it separate and dispose of it properly.

Adapting a home for later life

Sheldon has many long-standing residents, and homes often need adapting as people get older. A bathroom turned into a step-free wet room needs a fully waterproofed floor and walls, with tile backer boards and a tanking system, so we board the walls and leave them ready for the tiler. Grab rails need solid fixings, so on stud walls we fit timber supports behind the board at the right heights. Making door openings wider so a wheelchair or frame fits through leaves new reveals and patches to plaster. Stairlift rails fix to the stairs rather than the wall, but the wall alongside may need repair afterwards. Councils sometimes help with adaptations, so ask your local authority about grants.

Extra space for family

Some families build a ground-floor bedroom and shower room for an older relative, or a self-contained annexe in a converted garage. These rooms need the same care as any extension: insulated walls, fire-safe ceilings where needed and moisture-resistant boards in the shower room. We plaster them to a finish that’s ready for decoration as soon as it’s dry.

Bay windows in the 1930s semis

Sheldon’s bay-fronted semis often have a crack running up the inside of the bay, where it joins the main front wall. The bay’s foundations and walls are lighter than the rest of the house, and slight movement over the years opens a line in the plaster. Once we’ve checked the bay roof and sills for leaks, the crack is cut out, bridged with scrim tape and the bay skimmed. Thin insulated boards in the bay reveals help cut the condensation that often forms around old bay windows.

The box room and the landing

The small front bedroom over the hall is often the coldest room in a 1930s semi, because it has two outside walls and sits over an unheated porch. Lining the outside wall with insulated board helps, and so does insulating the porch ceiling below. On the landing, the loft hatch is a common source of cold draughts and cracked plaster; a new insulated hatch with a neat plastered frame cures both.

Below the staircase

The space beneath the stairs often has rough, unfinished walls and the underside of the stair treads exposed. Boarding and skimming it turns it into usable space, whether for storage, a utility area or a small WC. If the stairs are an escape route, the underside may need fire-rated board.

Loft insulation and the ceiling below

Topping up loft insulation keeps upstairs rooms warmer, but take care not to overload old ceilings. Boards laid on the loft floor should sit on raised supports so the insulation isn’t squashed, and heavy items shouldn’t be stored over old lath ceilings. If insulation work cracks your ceilings, we can repair them.

Problems in newer homes

In homes with plasterboard stuck to block walls on dabs of adhesive, boards can come loose, sound hollow or crack at the joints. Shelves fixed with ordinary plugs can pull out of these boards. We re-fix loose boards with mechanical fixings, tape and fill cracked joints and skim. For heavy items, we advise on fixings that pass through the board into the block behind.

First-time buyers

Many first homes in Sheldon are older semis and ex-council houses that need some work. Prioritise anything safety-related, such as loose ceilings, then damp, then the rooms you use most. Doing plastering before you move in, while rooms are empty, is quicker and less disruptive. We’ll give you a clear written quote so you can plan.

Greener choices

There are ways to make plastering work more sustainable. Lime plasters use less energy to produce than cement, and they suit old walls. Many plasterboards now contain recycled gypsum. Insulated boards and acoustic linings make homes easier to heat and quieter to live in. Repairing sound plaster rather than stripping it saves waste.

How long jobs take

As a rough guide, skimming a typical bedroom takes about a day, and a full re-plaster of a room, including stripping and backing coats, takes two to three days. A ceiling replacement often takes a day plus a day to skim. Lofts and extensions vary with size. Drying time comes on top of this before you can decorate. We’ll give you a timetable for your job when we quote.

Insurance claims after a leak

A burst pipe, leaking tank or overflowing bath can bring down a ceiling in minutes. Turn off the water, keep everyone out of the room, and take photos before anything is cleared away. Most home insurance covers escape of water, and the insurer may send a loss adjuster. If it helps your claim, we’ll write up what’s damaged and what the fix involves. Ceilings and walls must dry out fully before re-plastering, and that can take weeks; a drying company may be brought in for bad cases.

After fire or smoke

Even a small kitchen fire can leave smoke staining that bleeds through paint. Badly damaged plaster is stripped and replaced; lightly stained walls can be sealed with a stain-blocking primer before skimming. Check with your insurer first, as with a leak.

Getting ready to sell

Before you put your house on the market, fresh plaster can make a real difference to how rooms look in photos and viewings. Concentrate on the main living rooms, the hall and stairs, and any ceilings with obvious cracks or stains. Buyers’ surveyors will note damp patches and cracks, so it’s worth dealing with the causes as well as the plaster.

Arches and curves

Some 1930s homes have arched openings between hall and lounge, or curved walls in the bay. Arches are formed with flexible metal arch beads and plastered to a smooth curve. If you want to square off an old arch, or add one to a new opening, we can do either.

Porches and conservatory walls

Porches added to semis are often single-skin brick with little insulation. Lining the walls with insulated board and skimming makes them warmer and stops condensation. Where a conservatory is being replaced with a solid-roofed room, the old outside wall of the house becomes an inside wall and usually needs re-plastering.

Questions to ask any plasterer

• What plaster and board will you use, and why?
• How will you protect floors and furniture?
• Will you deal with the cause of any damp first?
• How long will the job take, and how long to dry?
• Who removes the waste?
• Can I see photos of similar work?

Good tradespeople will answer happily. We’re always happy to explain what we’re doing and why.

Hallways and first impressions

The hall takes more wear than any other part of the house: bikes, pushchairs, shopping and muddy boots all scrape the walls. Metal corner beads on every external angle stop chips, and a durable finish with hard-wearing paint keeps it looking good. If radiators or meters are being moved, do that first so we can plaster round the new positions in one go.

Downlights in ceilings

Recessed spotlights are popular in kitchens and bathrooms. Every hole cut in a ceiling weakens its fire resistance, so where the room above is a bedroom, or the ceiling is part of a protected escape route, fire-rated downlights should be used. Holes should be cut cleanly and kept clear of joists. If you’re planning spotlights, the electrician should mark positions before we skim so cables can go in first.

Ventilation matters

Fresh plaster dries best with steady air movement, and finished rooms stay mould-free with good ventilation. Keep trickle vents in windows open, use extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms, and avoid drying washing on radiators where possible. If your home has had new windows and draught-proofing, it may now need more ventilation than before.

Tenants of the council or a housing association

If you rent from the council or a housing association, you usually need written permission before making changes, including plastering beyond simple redecoration. Repairs to damp and failing plaster are normally the landlord’s job, so report them first. If permission is given for improvements, we’re happy to work to the landlord’s requirements.

Utility rooms and back kitchens

Many homes have a small back room or lean-to used for a washing machine and dryer. These spaces are prone to condensation, so moisture-resistant board, a vented dryer or a condenser model, and a fan all help. Where the back room is single-skin brick, insulated lining makes it more usable year-round.

No job too small

We’re happy to take on single ceilings, a patch where a boiler has been moved, or a skim of one wall after a fireplace has been taken out. Small jobs can often be fitted in between bigger ones, so send us the details.

Older buildings in the old village

Around the church and along the older lanes, a few buildings survive from long before the suburbs arrived, and they need a gentler approach than modern houses. Solid brick or timber-framed walls like these were built to breathe, with lime mortar and lime plaster that let moisture in and out. Gypsum plaster, cement render and plastic paints trap that moisture, which leads to damp and decay. On walls like these, we repair with lime, match the old surface rather than flattening it, and use breathable paints. If the building is listed, any change to historic fabric needs listed building consent, so speak to the council before work starts.

Stopping cracks coming back

Cracks return when the cause hasn’t been fixed. Before we fill, we look at why: drying shrinkage, loose boards, movement at joints between old and new work, or a leak. Joints between different materials get scrim or mesh, loose boards get screwed back, and new extensions get time to settle before decoration.

Room preparation

• Empty shelves and cupboards, and move bulky furniture well clear of the walls.
• Take down pictures, mirrors and curtains.
• Have an electrician loosen sockets and switches.
• Mark where buried pipes or wires run, if you know.
• Let us know about parking near your home.

Drying and painting

New plaster needs time to dry; thin skims are quicker than backing coats. Ventilate and heat the room gently. When it’s pale and even, seal it with a thinned, inexpensive matt emulsion as a first coat. Vinyl or wipeable paints are best left until later coats, since they don’t soak in and can flake. In kitchens and bathrooms, finish with a paint made for steamy rooms. Our drying time article explains more.

Rendering

Outside work is also part of what we do, from K-Rend monocouche to silicone and traditional sand and cement. Visit rendering in Yardley, rendering in Birmingham and K-Rend monocouche.

How to book

1. Send a few photos and rough measurements over WhatsApp (07453 614095).
2. You’ll get a ballpark reply, and we’ll come and look at larger jobs.
3. We agree a date.
4. We plaster, tidy up and leave drying advice.

Areas near Sheldon

We plaster across Sheldon, Sheldon Heath, Lyndon Green, Garretts Green, Tile Cross, Marston Green and Yardley. See plastering in Marston Green, plastering in Chelmsley Wood, plastering in Acocks Green, plastering in Olton, our main plasterer in Birmingham page, and the full coverage list.

Sheldon homes we plaster

Sheldon is mostly interwar and post-war housing along the Coventry Road, with estates stretching out to Tile Cross and Garretts Green. Here’s where we work most, the homes you’ll find there and the plastering jobs that come up.

• Sheldon along the Coventry Road. 1930s semis and shops with flats over. Through lounges, bay windows and ceilings.
• Gilbertstone. Interwar homes. Artex ceilings covered and rooms replastered after a rewire.
• Lyndon Green. 1930s semis. Kitchen extensions and garage conversions.
• Sheldon Heath. Post-war homes. Textured ceilings and patch repairs.
• Garretts Green. Post-war council estates. Repairs between tenants and full room replasters.
• Tile Cross. 1950s and 1960s homes. Ceilings after leaks and damp-damaged plaster.
• Radleys. Post-war estate homes. Loft rooms and cracked plasterboard.

Whatever the house, RCR Connections Ltd puts 62 years of combined experience into it. We’re Birmingham based, covering the whole of the Midlands, and we work Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 1pm. WhatsApp me on 07453 614095 or message the page with photos of the room and your road or postcode in Sheldon.

Outside, we also fit K-Rend monocouche and silicone render for homes around Sheldon, see rendering in Yardley. Just east, we’re also the plasterer in Marston Green.

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

Contact

The team has 62 years of combined experience. Our WhatsApp is 07453 614095 and our email rcrconnectionsltd@gmail.com, or you can fill in the contact page. We answer WhatsApp messages between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 7am and 1pm on Saturdays.

More from RCR Connections Ltd: Rendering Contractors in Birmingham · All plastering and rendering services · Areas we cover