Debris Removal: Clear all floors of debris left by the hanging crew to ensure a smooth surface for papering and to eliminate tripping hazards.
Floor Protection: Cover subflooring plywood with tar or brown paper to prevent plaster stains and damage.
Utilities Setup: Organize and run all necessary hoses, extension cords, and job lighting.
Wall & Surface Pre-Finishing
Seam & Gap Sealing: Apply mesh tape to all seams and any oversized gaps around outlets caused by roto-zip errors.
Wallboard Repair: Gouge out "bubbles" caused by broken sheetrock, then bridge the holes with mesh tape.
Hardware Inspection: Remove any loose screws left by the hanging crew that missed the underlying frame.
Masking & Protection
Fixture Coverage: Shield all windows, doors, and frames with plastic sheeting and masking tape to minimize cleanup.
Plumbing & Electrical: Securely cover all installed plumbing fixtures, wall plugs, bathtubs, and showers.
The Mixing Process
Station Setup: Construct a mixing table using folding legs and a square board, protected by a plastic sheet where the plaster will be centered.
Water Calibration: Fill the mixing barrel with water based on the bag count (approx. 5 gallons per 50lb bag). An experienced plasterer will estimate water levels based on the number of sheets to be covered.
Blending: Intermittently run the mixing drill while adding bags. Add water slowly until the consistency is homogeneous.
"Cutting In": Use a margin trowel to scrape unmixed clumps from the barrel walls during the mix to ensure a smooth product.
Cleanup & Final Hand-Off
Barrel Maintenance: Clean the mixing barrel thoroughly outdoors with a hose after every mix. Leftover plaster can contaminate future batches and cause "rocks" that ruin the wall finish.
Next-Mix Readiness: Immediately coordinate with the crew on the bag count and the next room location for the upcoming mix.
Final Site Polish: Roll up and dispose of all floor protection.
Clear plaster from outlet holes using a drywall hammer.
Remove all masking tape and plastic.
Perform a final sweep of any stray plaster splatters.
