#75 Historical Plasterer with Kieran Reid from KR Plasterer

Our 75th SHOW!!!

What a treat we have today, we are going to be talking about the origin of plaster work, real lime based plaster.

We begin with our 75th GIVEAWAY contest rules, we have 8 questions, answer any 3 correctly and the first 10 listeners to do so will receive a The Construction Life PRIZE. Good Luck everyone.

Back in the day Plasterers and Masons and even Roofers would work hand in hand and it wasn’t unheard of for these trades to cross the work line. It was Kieran’s Mom that persuaded him to give Plastering Apprentice a shot and if It didn’t work out he could always fall back on his physiotherapy studies. Original plaster work isn’t just for the wealthy, clients that are aware of sustainable building are asking for Kieran’s services, the market is growing in Toronto. It all begins with wire mesh installed tight from one side to the other.

Plaster is pure lime and sand, that is what and why it is as strong as it is. You have to screen the sand; it is brick sand but there is a special technique to achieving the perfect sand to lime mix. The graduals of the sand are the binding element of the mix, you need the correct size and shape. So many positives attached to plasters, such as better sound absorbing properties, and he fire rating is far superior than drywall, there are health benefits too, lime is a living material and it is always cleaning your air and making your home healthier. At around $18 a square you never see any butt joints, no nail pops, better sound, stronger and longer lasting, that is the beauty of plaster.

So many custom made jigs made from zinc instead of sheet metal to rebuild older work and introduce new work and new techniques. Talking about all of those special details from, dentils, flowers, eggs and darts, cow tongues, all the fancy stuff that you see in those beautiful crowns. Kieran walks us through the many key steps to building plaster crown. There are different kinds of lime to use for different stages and steps of the process.

Dealing with key tools, techniques, plunge mixing, humidity and more, there are so many variables when it comes to this trade. Kieran taught a class at Willowbank School and the kids in his class were embracing his knowledge and wanted to learn his techniques, Kieran actually wants more people to get into his trade, we really need to keep this one alive. Kieran even shares his favorite crown, a nice gold one with lots of jewels. We discuss Respect The Next Trade and this statement and fast becoming a movement is adding to the construction industry. And yes you can use plaster to build baseboards, wainscoting and more, the technique and material is super hard and durable, this leads us to In-situ, which translates to On Site. Kieran shares a number of terms related to plaster work, great info.

Don’t forget we have Construction History from Manny at the beginning of the show, Building Code Talk with Manny at the midpoint and Green Book Talk with Carlito at the near end.

Thank You Kieran so much for joining the show and sharing so much great insight about plaster, real plaster work and more on this beautiful skill. Check out Kieran @kr_plasterer word of mouth is the best way to find him and his skills.

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