Carpentry is a very broad profession and the work a carpenter carries out on a daily basis, can be quite varied. This Is especially true if they are a general carpenter. In this role, they will deal with all aspects of first and second fix carpentry.
Despite carpentry covering lots of different jobs, they generally don’t do plastering. This is a job that is done by a plasterer.
When it comes to skimming plaster, most carpenters won’t have the skill and experience to do a top-quality job. Just like any other trade, a professional plasterer will go through a full apprenticeship. This will include several years of on-the-job training to hone their skill.
Obviously, there will be outliers and some carpenters may be reasonably proficient when it comes to smaller plastering jobs and patching small areas.
It will often make sense that a carpenter can make minor plastering repairs. There are many carpentry jobs where plaster can get damaged. This is especially true if something needs ripping out or replacing.
When this happens, being able to patch up is useful, as hiring a professional plasterer for minor repairs would be an expensive option.
A carpenter that works for themself in people’s homes, will be more likely to carry out these small jobs. Whereas a carpenter working on building sites, is unlikely to ever do any plastering. In this environment, there will usually be plasterers onsite at some point to take care of all these jobs.
Plastering related jobs a carpenter may do
One job a carpenter may do that is related to plastering is installing plasterboards. Whilst this is still considered a plastering job. It is less reliant on plastering skills, and it often follows carpentry work, such as building stud walls.
In many cases, it will make sense for a carpenter to install plasterboards. The job requires measuring and cutting boards to fit. This is followed by installation, where the boards are usually screwed in place.
Measuring, cutting, and fixing, are certainly carpentry skills, so it is not uncommon for a carpenter to build stud walls, add insulation, add door casings and then install plasterboards.
By doing this, the plasterers can simply come in, prep the board joints, and skim the surface. In many cases this can streamline the process and it may be a better use of the plasterers time to concentrate on the most skilled part of their job.
Can carpenters do drylining?
Dry lining is a form of plastering that doesn’t require the boards to be skimmed with plaster. Instead the boards have a tapered edge and only the joint is filled. The joint is then sanded to achieve a smooth seamless finish.
This is a popular method outside the UK, in places like the US, Canada, and Australia. In these countries, it is far less common for a plasterer to skim the entire surface.
Whilst a plaster finish is more common in the UK, dry lining is still an option. It can be a cost-effective solution in many instances. The main reason for this, is you don’t need to pay a plasterer to skim. Instead, you can tape and fill the joints, then sand the filler to achieve a smooth surface.
Whilst a well skimmed wall will give a slightly better finish. It is possible to achieve a pretty close standard, by taping and jointing dry lining boards.
A carpenter can easily do dry lining, and this would save money, as they won’t need to hire a plasterer. For jobs with less budget, or when trying to maximise profit, it can make sense to choose this option.
Once the walls are painted, it is quite difficult for the untrained eye to tell the difference.
Conclusion
Plastering is not a carpentry job. When it comes to spreading any type of wet plaster, such as bonding, browning, hardwall or finishing plaster, a professional plasterer will achieve the best possible finish.
With that said, a carpenter is more than capable of installing plasterboards, and carrying out more simple jobs such as dry lining. Also, they will usually have enough skill to patch up plaster and make minor repairs, to old or damaged plaster.
