Hello chaps and chapettes,

If anybody knows of an english plasterer in France can you please let me know. It for a new build and it's pretty urgent.....

Thanks for any help

Hi, do you mean in your area? I may know of some one (in the Hérault), but that's too far away from you...

Thanks for the reply - all depends on whether or not he's prepared to travel. He can be fed and watered and accomodation can be arranged too. If he's good it shouldn't take him too long especially as I'll have the site prepared for him in advance. I can be in the background and can do the donkey work, ie making up the plaster and cups of tea - all he has to do is spead the stuff on the wall....

PM is being sent!

Just to indicate to everyone that my possible Anglo-French plasterer wouldn't suit as he trained in France.
so it's back to square one for Le Plumber....

Thanks for your help anyway

If hes competant then, in theory, he shouldn't have any trouble with Thistle Multi Finish - if anything its easier to work with, so if hes up for some extra cash the offer still stands. The last time French plasterers used Multifinish though we were renovating appartements and I've never seen such a hash of a job and in the end the walls had to be done in "projeté" to cover up the mess! Complete waste of time and money
French plasterers always question why we do this skimming lark as they are used to the tape and mud and thats another reason why I'd prefer some expat plasterer because I wouldn't have to convince them of what they are doing....

I know a lad who has a couple of guys over this side of the Jura if you are interested? I've passed this thread on to him anyways.

This is a subject that comes up in Spain, a lot. Ex pats looking for a tradesman that they feel comfortable dealing with.

Hi Cuthbert,

That would be perfect, thanks - I'm only a couple of hours away from Geneva, so its not that far at all.

Keep me posted!!

He's on holidays at the mo should be back in a week.

OK Thanks

Its not urgent urgent, but I want to be able organise who does what and when and being a control freak, I like that to be sooner rather than later, lol

Maybe this needs a new thread, I was thinking of retraining in the UK as a plasterer and moving to France, I am now in Sweden but I have lived in France before. I have spent my career in IT but looking for a change...in your experience is it quite easy to pick up work here and there as a plasterer?

Plastering is an art, and I would say that it's not something can be just picked up. Having mates in the trade and as someone who can, albeit very badly, plaster I would look to maybe something different if you were going to do a life direction change, plumbing, electrician etc. I know "le plumber" would disagree, as it needs a proper apprenticeship etc, but an 18 months course over here can set you up well. But doing any formal training in the UK for a life style change, and then expecting to implement it over here, unfortunately wouldn't get you very far in my opinion. You need to do the training here for it to really be of benefit and to allow you to work above the radar.

I certainly don't disagree - I didn't do any apprenticeship, just a 10 month course at the local AFPA. Its like any trade, you only start to learn once you're in a real working environment. I would even go to say that I'm still learning now as they are forever bringing out new stuff and ways of doing things.

However going back to the UK to do a plastering course in order to find a job in France is a complete and utter waste of time, money and effort. The french don't use plasterers anymore. Its all been replaced by Placo drywalls, which is also installed by the painters and decorators - even the joiners are starting to do it so there is no such thing as a plasterer in France anymore. You can still do a course in plastering, but finding a job in pure 100% plastering afterwards is like trying to find a pork chop in Jerusalem.

I would recommend doing a course in electricity - there will always be a demand for a good spark. Not that there isn't a demand in plumbing, but newer techniques/materials means that anybody with half a brain can do their own plumbing. Personally, I think that one day just like plastering is done by painters and joiners, plumbing will be done by electricians.

I know an Aussie plasterer/electrician/carpenter in Lyon. PM me if you want more details. He's great - transformed one of our barns into a fabulous room a few years ago...