The reality of a builder’s finish – where the work really begins

Room mid renovation with plastered walls and paint-splattered bench — (Image credit: Leah Hodson)

Home decorator and content creator Leah Hodson is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on overhauling a home with clever DIY and decorating tricks. See the rest of her articles here.

Renovations are costly, but there are ways to save, such as opting for a builder’s finish and doing the decorating yourself. Our small 2.5m x 2m extension build ended up being a full downstairs renovation. After 12 long weeks of building work, I’m so excited to announce that we are finally at the decorating stage!

I love decorating and DIY, so now my work really begins! If you’d like to save on decorating and tackle it yourself too, you may be wondering what comes first after plastering?

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Firstly, you can’t actually paint straight onto fresh plaster. It needs to be sealed, either by mist coating or by using a primer. Mist coating is when you paint the wall with a watered down paint solution, typically a 50/50 water based paint to water solution, to seal in the porous plaster. This prevents the plaster from flaking and also primes the surface so that the paint you use on the walls doesn’t start peeling.

It’s a very messy job as you’re essentially painting a watery solution with a roller, so go slow to prevent it from splattering everywhere!

Can of Zinsser Gardz and Zinsser Peel Stop

As an alternative, my favourite way to seal porous plaster is by using Zinsser Gardz. It does cost a little more, but I’ve found that it makes painting a lot easier after as I only need one coat of Gardz.

This time around I have many rooms that will need painting so I’ll be doing a mist coat instead. Depending on how porous the walls are, 2-3 coats might be needed to properly seal the plaster. When the mist coat is dry, fill in any holes for a smooth finish.

Stepladder in room with walls mid-renovation

When we first moved in, I noticed that the walls weren’t mist coated – this resulted in peeling paint and flakey plaster falling off the walls. I then spent days peeling off paint in some rooms, with the plaster coming off with the paint in some cases, resulting in the walls being uneven and bumpy. No one wants this as a finished result, so you could always hire a plasterer to skim the walls…

However, there is a DIY solution for this too! I previously used Dalapro Roll Nova, a ready mixed filler solution, to skim the walls myself. 18 months later and the wall looks great if I say so myself!

It was easy to use – I simply worked in sections, rolling the paste onto the walls with a standard paint roller, then using a skimming tool to even out the paste making it flat and even throughout the wall.

Bags of insulation in room with wood panels leaning against plastered walls

The messiest part was the sanding which followed, creating a lot of fine dust that went everywhere. Nevertheless, the finish was worth it and only cost under £50 for the material and tools! I then sealed it with Zinsser Gardz to make sure the surface was primed and ready for painting.

Pro-tip: If your walls are peeling but not leaving a bumpy finish – lucky you! The solution is easy, simply use Zinsser Peel Stop to prevent any more flaking.

Cot in room with bare walls and sun streaming through blinds creating pattern on wall

Prep work is essential even if it feels like futile work. Taking the time to properly mist coat or prime the walls before painting is essential to prevent flaking plaster and peeling paint, which often takes longer and costs more to remedy.

So, if you have chosen to do your own decorating after plastering, don’t forget to mist coat! Your future self will thank you for taking the time and effort to do so, and the oh-so-smooth finish will be worth your time and effort!

Leah is a home interiors enthusiast, DIY devotee, and self-confessed lover of all things beige (but you can never call the beige that she does boring!). Her popular Instagram account, The Stanley Diary, has over 10,000 followers, who want to be inspired by her affordable home renovations.

With a background that includes a brief summer internship writing wedding features (long before she got married herself), her real passion lies in interiors. Leah love creating spaces that feel warm, cosy, and full of character. Over the past five years, since getting the keys to her first home, she’s been living and breathing interiors, armed with a power tool in one hand and a Pinterest board in the other.