Plastering in Pasir Ris New Town

Plastering is usually priced per square metre or per room. A skim coat over existing sound walls is the cheapest job; full re-plastering (hacking off old plaster and applying new base and finish coats) costs two to three times more, and exterior rendering is priced separately.

No — plaster over damp fails within months. The moisture source (rising damp, leaking gutter, condensation) must be fixed first, then damaged plaster cut back and replaced, sometimes with a salt-resistant renovation plaster. Any plasterer who skips the cause is selling you a repeat job.

Rendering is exterior plastering with cement- or silicone-based mixes to protect and finish outside walls; plastering refers to interior walls with gypsum or cement finishes. Many plasterers do both, but exterior render is priced and scheduled differently (weather-dependent).

It is one of the messiest trades — expect splatter, dust and high humidity. Empty the room if possible, or centre furniture under sheeting. Floors should be fully covered. Ask whether the quote includes protecting surfaces and cleaning up.

Fine crazing usually means the plaster dried too fast (heat, draughts) and is cosmetic — fill and paint. Straight-line cracks along boards or above doors indicate movement at joints. Wide or recurring cracks are worth a builder's inspection before redecorating.

Spalling is concrete cover breaking off ceilings as embedded steel rusts — common in older Singapore flats' bathrooms. Proper repair treats and seals the rebar and patches with mortar; plastering over it hides active corrosion that will pop the new finish off.