What made you start your own business?
I decided to start my own business in 2003 after working in London every day for 6 years. The long hours and the travelling was a good reason but also the independence of being my own boss.

How long have you been plastering?
I actually started plastering in 1995 when my mum and dad built a house and couldn’t find a plasterer, I did a weeks course down in Devon and really enjoyed it. Before that I’d been working for the family print business.

Is plastering your main business?
It was up until 2009, then me and my wife moved to Cyprus where we lived for two years and I worked for a developer who built tailored houses, there I did plastering, painting and rendering. It was the rendering I really enjoyed. We came back in 2012 and started the business again, it was the rendering side which really took off and since then I’ve pretty much been rendering every day.

Do you still plaster?
I do, and to be honest it’s a lot easier than rendering but I really enjoy working outside and transforming people’s houses to look brand new.

When plastering work comes in I’ll do it or I have a small team that can take it on, but I’m mainly known for rendering now.

What are the different types of render?
Traditionally it would have been lime render or sand and cement. Nowadays we use pre bagged renders which are heavily lime and cement based with a small amount of sand. It comes in a 25kg bag and you mix in a bucket with a drill and a few litres of water. Gone are the days of taking a cement mixer everywhere. The bagged renders dry a lot slower than traditional sand and cement render which makes it easier to work with and also reduces the risk of shrinkage and cracking.

What is silicone render?
Silicone render or acrylic render is a thin coat render that’s troweled on or as we do, spray applied.

It’s basically a high grade siloxane paint with marble chipping for texture, from 1mm to 3mm grain depending on the customer’s preference. There are hundreds of colours to choose from and the beauty of it is you don’t need to paint your house for a good 10/15 years if maintained.

How do you apply the silicone render?
About ten years ago I decided to buy a machine as the jobs were getting bigger and bigger. It was the best money ever spent.

What I can spray in a day would take a week to apply by hand. Not only saving on labour costs but also waste and mess.

How long does it take to learn plastering?
A long time! I used to work at a training centre teaching plastering and rendering and I think a lot of it depends on the individual. Some people, after 3 weeks with me could produce some really nice work on smaller walls and ceilings, A lot didn’t!

What does plastering involve?
Solid plastering covers all aspects of producing backing coats to plaster onto i.e. bonding or sand and cement. Installing plasterboard. Coving and screeding floors. All plasterers should be competent in all of these areas.

Do you have any qualifications?
I’m NVQ3 qualified in solid plastering and whilst working at the college I achieved my QCF A1 assessors qualification, which basically means I can assess people taking their NVQ1 and 2, their introduction into solid plastering. I also hold a CSCS Blue skilled trades card.

What difficulties do you face as a plasterer?
The main problem is the background you’re plastering onto. If it’s a Sheen or lead paint then certain primers have to be applied for a key, the hardest background to plaster over is where there has been wallpaper, the glue residue left over really interferes with the adhesion of the plaster and can cause problems with the finish when troweling.

Do you only work in south Woodham?
I wish!! I did years ago, I don’t think there’s a single road in Woodham that I haven’t worked in but now I cover all of Essex and more recently North Kent.

What is the longest time it’s taken you to do a job?
I renovated an appartment block on Southend seafront, that took 6 months. 6 stories high on a scaffold isn’t for the faint hearted!

For more information call Anthony on 07867 305864 or visit his website, southwoodhamplastering.co.uk