Plaster applied by hand, and meant to outlast us.

Solid plastering is a cement-based plaster applied by hand, in coats, directly onto a solid substrate such as concrete block, brick or fibre cement sheet. A modern plaster cladding system is a manufactured build-up — cavity battens, a specified substrate board, reinforcing mesh, a modified basecoat, a texture coat and a paint system — installed to the manufacturer's specification and covered by their warranty.

New homes in Auckland are almost always the second type, because a drained cavity is required for weathertightness compliance. Renovations, block walls and heritage buildings are usually the first.

As a broad guide, exterior plaster cladding systems in the Auckland region typically run between roughly $120 and $220 per square metre of wall area supplied and applied, depending on the system, substrate, number of storeys and complexity of detailing. Recoating or repairing existing solid plaster usually sits well under that. Heritage and specialty interior lime work is priced individually.

We do not quote from a photograph. We measure, look at the substrate, and give you a fixed written price.

For a standard single-storey home, allow two to three weeks on site. That is not continuous work — plaster needs curing time between coats, and cure times stretch in cold or wet weather. A large architectural home with multiple textures can run six to ten weeks. You get a staged programme up front so the other trades can plan around it.

Both. Much of our work comes through main contractors and architectural practices who bring us in at design stage to advise on system selection and detailing. We also work directly with homeowners on renovations, repairs and recoats.

We are approved applicators for Resene Construction Systems (Rockcote & Plaster Systems), including the Integra, RMAXX, Spectra and Graphex overlay systems, and the Velvetina and Cerano interior lime finishes. Applicator approval matters — most system warranties are void if the plaster is installed by someone the manufacturer has not signed off.

Usually, yes. We have restored late-19th-century buildings including St Patrick's Presbytery in Pukekohe, matching original render texture and mouldings. Older buildings often need a lime-based render rather than a modern cement one so the wall can still breathe — the wrong plaster on a heritage wall traps moisture and causes more damage than it fixes.