A plasterer would be nice...

Anyone know any plasterers?

This house of ours is about fifteen years old and has been the home of fillers and bodgers for some time. Plus dogs...small dogs that scratch away the plaster in search of calcium (and then pee on the exposed plaster we reckon). Now being in Spain the materials are a little different. You cannot get British style finishing plaster here although we have yet to open our packet of Escayola. We have been content with changing the electric points to modern ones and filling in the holes with quick setting sloppy stuff called Yeso. Amazing. Mix it like melted ice cream and chuck it on and it sticks like glue. Don't leave any proud as it polishes to a rubbery sheen with a drill mounted sander. Oh, and while we're on that subject, don't mistakingly buy filler that turns out to be tile cement because that does something similar only it leaves grey patches which are a little hard to cover inconspicuously! Oh it all makes work for the working man to do...So, now we have this amazing wall that was covered in thick, thick, thick paint (about seven layers all told over the years) all of which appear to have been applied without consideration for preparation work. It had some damp shadows too (in Spain most outside walls have this problem!) and it had loads and loads of holes in it caused by picture hooks and rawplugs. It also had some wiring diversions and we haven't helped on this score. So now we have a patchwork quilt of a wall which needs a skim of plaster.

What should we do? Take it all back to the brick and start again with a new layer of plaster put on by a hired professional? Or do-it-ourselves with a skim of plaster to see what it will turn out like? Well, at this moment in our lives money talks so its a do-it-yourself job I'm afraid. Unless we can persuade a plasterer to come out here on holiday and help out!! It is our main lounge wall but we have decided to do the bedrooms first and just practice on this wall over the holidays. With this time plan in mind we may try to move in next weekend.