McErlean Plastering has over 30 years of experience in plastering and specialist renders across Northern Ireland and the UK. From private house builds to large scale commercial projects to everything in between our team can supply skilled labour and materials to deliver the highest possible standard of plastering.

From traditional sand and cement plastering and skims to modern through colour and acrylic renders – McErlean Plastering have the experience and skills base to deliver your job on time and to an exceptional standard.
The McErlean Plastering team can cost out and advise on material choices and best practice approach for any plastering contract in the UK and Northern Ireland. We can deliver the most cost-efficient work force and materials to deliver your job on cost and on schedule.

All of our plasterers are fully qualified and CSR registered and we possess all of the relevant employer liability insurance so you can have complete confidence on your project. The McErlean Plastering team can arrange delivery to site of all plastering materials and associated scaffolding and equipment to undertake the full project. Our multi skilled team mean that McErlean Plastering is a one stop shop for your wall covering solutions.

McErlean Plastering has been at the forefront of materials and technologies in the plastering trade and in some instances even going backwards! Our team were some of the first to use the latest in through coloured renders and acrylic renders and we re-skilled in the use of lime renders and its resurgence as a breathable render for modern resource efficient building and energy efficient homes which benefit from its breathable properties. Lime render is also extensively used in the restoration of old buildings.

Our breath and depth of experience extends far beyond new build properties. The knowledgeable team at McErlean Plastering with their excellent technical grounding in the properties and effects of our materials are particularly skilled at restoration and renovation of properties. Our team have applied lime renders and modern plastering techniques to a range of old buildings and historical restorations and we always aim to deliver a seamless finish and a quality and long-lasting plastering solution. Our team frequently undertake stock improvement works for housing associations where modernisation of windows and kitchens require plastering repairs and in fills. All of our work is quality assured and we are insurance approved to carry out water damage repairs and reinstatement of plaster and plasterboard from damage.

The process of machine applied plastering is becoming more popular in today’s contracts with fast track building programmes. This method of plastering reduces the need for lifting equipment to be on site and also reduces the time scaffolding needs to be erected, therefore letting following trades on site sooner. The speed of this process reduces the overall time it takes to complete a contract and also reduces ancillary costs of the contract.

McErlean Plastering uses machine applied plastering on projects which will benefit from this type of plastering system. All of our skilled team have had specialist training to give McErlean Plastering the leading edge and increase our range of products and services offered to our customers when planning their new projects.

Applying plaster by machine requires careful pre-planning so the process will go smoothly. McErlean Plastering will place our plaster adjacent to the mixer and have sufficient hose attached to the pump to allow quick and easy pumping of plaster from the mixer to the surfaces to be plastered. Hose lengths should be relatively straight and no longer than necessary.

During pumping applications, the nozzle man holds the nozzle approximately 12 in. from the surface. Plaster is applied to the desired, or slightly greater thickness. 

Machine plaster application eliminates lap and joint marks, produces a more uniform appearance in colour and texture, and produces, in colour finish coats, deeper, darker, and more uniform colours than can be obtained by hand application. This technique is used extensively with through colour render systems to achieve a uniform finish.

The same flattening, floating and finishing procedures used after hand application are used after machine application. 

Manufacturers of plastering machines publish instructions regarding their use, care and maintenance and McErlean Plastering are extensively experienced in their use and individual techniques to the best results from the materials and machine used. Our fleet features a range of machines from small electric based systems to large scale diesel driven self powered machines to ensure we have complete versatility on site to undertake any chosen job.

The additional cost of the extra machinery on site is offset by the vastly reduced application times and therefore the much-reduced need for scaffolding on site. This method has become a byword with our closest customers to reclaim back previously lost time schedules on jobs and allow for the effective handover of projects on time.

The progress of modern rendering has changed dramatically over the last decade due to the number of products being brought to the market by industry leading suppliers such as K Rend and Weber. A wide range of colours and textures can be used to create a vast array of architectural effects. Working with our different suppliers, McErlean Plastering can achieve whatever renders suit building requirements. We can offer a wide range of render finishes including,

•Traditional sand and cement render,
•A wide range of pebble dashed finish,
•Re- enforced mesh embedded pre bagged smooth render.
•All types of thru-coloured scraped surface render including K Rend & Webber.
•Acrylic thin coat lightweight render systems, by K- rend, Mapei, Fassa and Webber.
•External insulation and render systems.
Render board and lightweight render to metsec systems

By far the largest volume of work undertaken by McErlean Plastering on both domestic and commercial sites is traditional sand and cement plastering. Used in both internal and external applications it is robust and hardwearing and delivers a predictable and cost-effective wall surface covering. Our team prepare the surfaces to accept the render and then deliver and mix the relevant materials on site. Sand and cement can be easily formed to create a variety of surface finishes and accenting architectural details and banding. Traditionally this will then be finished by adding a finishing coat such as painting. The materials are basic and readily available anywhere and are straightforward to work with.

Still a very popular choice for McErlean Plastering customers – mostly in the private housing or self-build market. The wet, traditionally cement based, mortar is applied to the wall by hand or machine with pebbles/chippings thrown onto the wet surface to achieve a textured finish in range of colours and effects from the more traditional white limestone pebble dash or marble chips, to the extensive range of colours supplied By Irwin Aggerates. http://irwin-aggregates.com/

When it comes to the different types of pebble dash that are used, there are a few. In recent times the practice of pebble dashing has fallen out of favour a little but the range of options available are still very good. Traditionally the main choices are:

Pebble Dash: This is a traditional render that is applied using a flicking method layering up until the desired effect is achieved. While the render is still wet pebbles are thrown into it and then pressed lightly into the render

Wet Dash: Also known as roughcast. The chippings are mixed into the final coat of the mortar which is then cast or sprayed on to the wall.

Tyrolean Render: Tyrolean render is applied using a Tyrolean Gun to build up several layers. This is a cement based textured render which is ideal for covering old or poor brickwork.

As the name suggests these are renders which can be polymer or acrylic based in nature and feature a decorative colour throughout the product which offers an attractive weatherproofing finish and also reduces the maintenance significantly. The product chosen will largely determine its properties but examples of through coloured renders can be flexible and waterproof and a large quantity of these materials lend themselves to machine application which greatly reduces time on site. We work regularly with suppliers such as K Rend, Weber, Mapei and Sto and are at the forefront of the new materials coming to market. Call our team to discuss your project to find the best product for your needs.