Is traditional plastering a dying trade?

Before asking if traditional plastering is dying out, it’s worth asking what actually is it?

The modern systems we see today are mostly gypsum based products such as multi-finish, plasterboard and backing plasters. These materials are quicker and more efficient to use. They’re good, they’re fast, and you get taught how to use them early on. Dot and dab over brickwork, two-coat skim over board, scrim tape the edges. Lay it on with your trowel, flatten it with a speedskim, pull it in, finish with a flexi... onto the next. Boom! you’re on your way to the pub, or whatever you do after a day’s graft. (Face plant into bed, usually.)

But what happens when you walk into an 18th century property that’s back to brick, and you can tell the apprentices built the inside of those stone walls? It looks more like a cobbled road the council hasn’t got round to fixing yet. There’s random timber beams, uneven stonework and maybe even an old newspaper from the 1940s stuffed into a gap somewhere.

Yeah... i know its tempting but dont unload your plasterboard sheets just yet.

Forget the speedskim. Dust off the spot board you barely use, get your featheredge out, and pick up a wooden float. That job needs lime-based products and knowledge of traditional methods.

That’s where traditional plastering still matters.

Plastering is a craft that has been passed down from generation to generation. I learned my trade from my dad, my dad learned his trade from his dad, and so on.

Coming from Yorkshire, growing up around Hebden Bridge and the beautiful stone walls that shape so much of our landscape, I’ve seen firsthand how older buildings need traditional, breathable materials to perform properly. Modern materials like plasterboard and multi-finish plaster often counteract the natural breathability and durability these properties were built for.

Using the wrong materials on older buildings can cause damp, cracking, and long-term damage, which is why skilled knowledge of traditional methods remains so crucial.

The issue isn’t that traditional plastering is disappearing it’s that fewer tradespeople are learning it, at least from my experience. As older plasterers retire, decades of knowledge and craftsmanship are being lost. Whether that’s down to competition, demand, or simply the way the trade has changed, who knows?

At Northern Rose Plastering, I believe traditional plastering still has an important place in the trade. Whether it’s restoring old walls, matching existing finishes, or using the right materials for the job, preserving these skills matters.

Traditional plastering isn’t dying, it’s becoming more specialised. And as long as we have traditional buildings standing, we’ll need traditional plasterers. That makes these skills more valuable than ever.