Dry Lining Vs Wet Plaster – Which Is Best?

When it comes to getting that professional finish on your interior walls, it’s essential to go for the materials that give you the appearance and functionality you need, at the right price.

You’re basically faced with the choice between wet plaster and dry lining. Of course the decision will come down to a few different factors, like the price, soundproofing, ease of application, and the location of the work. Let’s go through a few general factors that will help you in most situations to make the right call.

Breaking Down The Options

Now, obviously, dry lining is faster. Getting a piece of plasterboard in place speeds things up, and you avoid the problem of cracks and surface issues that can be a challenge with wet plaster.

Wet plaster still has a lot of benefits though. Whether you go for gypsum that’s trowelled onto blockwork, or cement – both of which need to be finished with a skim of gypsum) – the cost is about the same. It’s an especially good choice for tricky areas, but it does need some degree of skill.

And there’s also the option for using traditional materials like lime or clay, which costs more but may work for you if you like a finish that’s in keeping with natural renovations.

Speed And Price Are Factors

If you go for plasterboard, you can tape over joins, or alternatively, add a skim layer of plaster over the whole surface. The dry lining can be joined to the wall with adhesive, or screwed onto timber frames. Fixings such as heating and shelves aren’t always a simple job with dry-lining, whereas a plastered wall makes this a much simpler job.

So basically, the costs aren’t that much different between wet plaster and dry lining, but the time difference and hence the labour costs are much higher for wet plaster. Depending on the time of year, waiting for the freshly plastered wall to dry can also take a few days wait.

If you’re in a rush, you prefer to save on labour costs, and if you’re not overly concerned about fixtures on this wall, then you may be better off considering dry lining.

Summary

We can provide all the dry lining tools you’ll need to complete the job too, from the simpler things like hammers and hawks through to the more specialist tools like drills, vacuums and sanders.

If you’re unsure about the exact tools you’ll need for job, just let us know and we’ll be happy to help. You can call us on 08456 254 321 or we also have a live chat option on our website.

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