Things that you can do yourself.

Remove any blown plaster around that brickwork.

PVA the brickwork with a 25% mix.

Mix up half a bag of backing plaster such as bonding or browning plaster and then apply a thin coat and just before it drys you will need to key the surface ready for the finishing plaster.

I am plastering these days but not quite on that scale, also I have a base of plasterboard already (it's a timber frame house so no internal brick or block). I am using a kit from B&Q (I think Homebase do something similar) which is skim coat, a kit for novices, you roll it on, smooth it, then after an hour you rub it smooth with a very wet sponge sander. The secret is to keep it wet until you're done but I am finding it comes up very smooth and even, although it takes a lot longer in my case so I do one square metre at a time. As I am painting the walls after (apart from the tiled bits) I need it to be close to perfect so it's still very much work in progress!

Cheers Colin i've already been given the job of PVAing it tomorrow, ready for my dad to do the rest. Think i can just about handle that!

Thank you, mine's a timber frame house too, that wall with the brick is an outside wall, all the inside walls are timber latts. I'm painting most of mine too so I think i'll leave the smoothing bits to my dad seeing as he used to do it for a living, he'll do a brill job, i'd just make a mess I think!

[QUOTE=random;1379972]Cheers Colin i've already been given the job of PVAing it tomorrow, ready for my dad to do the rest. Think i can just about handle that! QUOTE]


Are you sure you can manage that?

Don't forget to make sure all the dogs are kept in a different room, because it can be a really messy job, and I would hate to see your lot all glued together.

[quote=Colin;1380005] I think I will be ok with the PVA, after that i'll just go and cut the lawn again as I can do that!

Glued together, glued to the bloomin sofa more like the lazy lot. I wouldn't notice the difference even if they were! Bet they come out and help with the gardening though!