To fancy doing a course to become a plasterer?

[JulietBravoJuliet]

I need a new job; a career. I want to work for myself, but have never known really what I want to do. I enjoy decorating, DIY etc., and have noticed a plastering school in a town local to me which runs 5 day plastering courses. I actually really, really fancy having a go at this, but my dad has just laughed and declared it a ridiculous idea!

Is it? I think I'd really enjoy it, and, thinking about it seriously, there must be a call for female plasterers; I would imagine some people would feel more comfortable having a woman in their house doing work, especially the elderly and lone women.

AIBU to seriously consider this?

And you could always set yourself up doing that awful fake brick effect render on people's houses!

I said it was possibly a dying trade as I see a lot of plasterers who are a struggling to make a decent living and are retraining so they can do other things as well. They give the fact that many new buildings are fabricated as an explanation.

It is an amazingly skilled job! It will take a lot longer than 5 days to get good, but hey - it's a start!

Things to think about: it's really physical - bashing off old plaster is hard work, as is heaving around heavy bags of dry plaster, and big trays of the wet stuff up ladders. It's (obviously) really dirty work too.

A lot of tradespeople work in groups, each recommending others. Are you willing to network in, even if it means possibly putting up with some of the usual crap women get in male-dominated work places?

Are you willing to do an apprenticeship at lower wages to learn more?

What about related businesses? External wall insulation is coming on fast as more and more people get it fitted and has a rendering/plastering element within it.

My husband teaches plastering. It's two years to be qualified enough for site work. It's absolutely not a dying trade either.

Oh but ime plasterers often end up with long term injuries.

The ad says you use trowels, not penises so obviously you should be fine on this course.

Is it fuck a dying trade. In newbuilds they may spit rooms out fully-formed but what about when they redecorate? Or there's damp, or some idiot puts Artex on the ceiling and it all needs to come down?

And what about all those older properties that need updating? Our house is 300 years old in places and we are in the process of gutting and refinishing every single room. Lots of plastering involved there.

Another angle you could look at, OP (depending on your area) is specialising in restoration plasterwork, learning about traditional materials eg wattle and daub, lime plaster. You can then charge extra to work on people's listed properties

Omg you totally do use your Willy to plaster the tricky bits

Funky

I'm pondering now... something about flanges and blocked drains...

Thanks for all the responses, I think I may just give it a go in the new year :)

One of the best plasterers in my area is a woman.

I've done a bit of plastering myself and, while I would never do an entire wall or anything, I did find it a lot easier than I thought it would be. There was something very familiar about it, as though it pulled on skills I had acquired from somewhere else ... maybe icing cakes or something. [confusing]

Ime, outside London and the South East, there is a real dearth of tradesmen for domestic-type jobs. When I needed a tiler, I rang everyone I could find and only one chap got back to me. Finding a plasterer for a full wall was a nightmare until I managed to get a contact through a builder I know. Same went for the plumber, the electrician, the gas engineer ...

And I would not say it is a dying trade. Anyone that buys a non-new-build house can find they need a plasterer if they just want to take out a built-in wardrobe, knock out a fireplace, or fit a new bathroom.

Go for it Juliet! It's good money

It's physically very demanding sweaty work. You have to complete your bit of plastering before it 'sets' so there is no rest.

Being tall would surely be an advantage so you can do a wall in one without climbing up and down ladders.

My step brother did a short course in plastering (think it was shorter than 5 days). He is very good but slow. I think it is a 'quick to learn, lifetime to master' trade.

Do it. Think of the transferable skills. You'll be a dab hand at flat-icing Christmas cakes!

I'm training to be a joiner.

I went from a desk job to this. It's brilliant. Learning a trade feels awesome. Like your Dad, my family thought I was mad.

I'm currently making some furniture for my house. I hope never to be in an office again.