Usually it takes up to 7 days depending on weather conditions. When it turns from dark brown to light pink.

You need to apply something called a mist coat. Use any light coloured matt emulsion paint, mix it to a ratio of roughly 60% paint to 40% water. The plaster should just be visible through the mist coat. After this you can apply 2 coats of paint of your chosen colour.

You need to remove all the paper before any plastering work. The plaster will not adhere to the paper.

The best options are either stripping the ceiling and re-plastering it or if the ceiling is in a bad condition, it may be quicker to overboard the ceiling and skim.

On the odd occasion you might be able to use a bit of filler to smooth out the wall, but generally speaking it will need re-plastering to achieve a beautiful finish.

To achieve the perfect finish, the radiators should be removed. If removing the radiator isn’t an option, I am able to skim around it.

Artex can be covered either with plasterboard and skim or a combination of bonding and skim can be used to achieve a perfect flat finish.

Render shouldn’t really be applied in temperatures below 5 degrees C. It can cause problems if frost develops in it.

Plastering tends to be one of the messier trades, but I always take my time preparing the floor with carpet protector and dust sheets. You’ll be left with a beautifully skimmed and tidy room.

Good plasterers are very rarely cheap, because good plastering is all about good preparation and expertise. Anything can be plastered and look alright at first - but it’s all about how long it’s going to last. Preparation is essential to good work. I would go over every square centimetre of wall and ceiling and assess what needs to be done. Once that is carried out, everything else should fall into place.