Plastering & making good · Scottish Borders
Plastering & making good in the Scottish Borders
Plastering & making good across the Scottish Borders, designed by a structural engineer and built under a building warrant.
- Free survey visit in the Scottish Borders
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building warrant handled for you
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
Plastering & making good in the Scottish Borders: how it works
Plastering and making good is the finishing work after a beam goes in or a wall comes out: boxing the steel, fixing corner beads, patching ceilings and wall ends, infilling the floor where the wall stood and skimming everything smooth. The aim is a room that looks as if the opening was always there, ready for paint.
Plastering & making good in the Scottish Borders follows the same careful process wherever the property is: a survey, an engineer's design, the right approval and safe temporary works. Towns we cover include Hawick, Galashiels and Kelso, among other places in the area. We price it all up front so there are no surprises once the wall is open.
Worth knowing before you start
- Hairline cracks sometimes appear along board joints or where new plaster meets old, as the building settles onto the steel and the plaster dries out. They are normal in the first months and are usually filled at the next redecoration.
- Fresh plaster has to dry before it is painted. A thin skim over board in a warm, ventilated room often dries within a few days to a week, while backing coats and deeper repairs take longer. Painting too soon can cause peeling and patchy colour.
- Making good is easy to underestimate when budgeting. Removing a wall disturbs the ceiling, both wall ends and the floor, and props and needles leave their own marks, so the finishing work usually covers far more than the opening itself.
- Making good is the last chance to route cables neatly before surfaces close up. Sockets, switches and lights moved for the new layout are first-fixed before boarding, and pipes crossing the old wall line can run within the floor infill.
- Period cornicing and ceiling roses can often be repaired or run to match the existing profile. Where a wall is removed between two rooms with cornice, the ends are usually returned neatly along the new beam so the detail looks intentional.
From survey to sign-off in the Scottish Borders
Free visit
A short visit to the Scottish Borders to see the job, agree what you want and check the bearings, floors and services that affect the design.
Calculations
The engineer's calculations and a simple drawing are prepared for your opening and shared with you before anything is ordered.
Building warrant
A building warrant is applied for from Scottish Borders Council, and work starts only once the warrant has been granted.
Steel in, made good
On site we prop, open up, fit and pack the steel, then fire protect, box in and plaster once the inspection is done.
What does plastering & making good cost in the Scottish Borders?
As a guide, budget £270–£1,090 including VAT for plastering and making good in the Scottish Borders, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in Scotland (-9%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Plastering and making good | £270–£1,090 | Boxing the beam, bead and skim, reveals, floor infill where the wall stood and tidy-up |
| Through-lounge knock-through | £2,300–£5,000 | Wall between front and back reception rooms, steel beam, approvals, plastering and floor infill |
| Kitchen-diner knock-through | £2,300–£5,450 | Internal structural wall between kitchen and dining room, steel beam, approvals and making good (kitchen fitting extra) |
| Load-bearing wall removal with steel beam | £1,800–£4,550 | Typical internal wall up to about 4 m: calculations, building standards, propping, steel, padstones, fitting, fire protection and making good |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in Scotland (-9%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Building rules for the Scottish Borders
Steel beam work in the Scottish Borders needs a building warrant from Scottish Borders Council. The structural design is part of the application, and the council's building standards team accepts the completion certificate once the work is done as approved.
Scotland has no Party Wall Act. Work affecting a shared wall is governed by your title deeds and the general law, and in flats by the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, so it is sensible to agree the work with neighbours in writing before starting.
Plastering & making good in the Scottish Borders: your questions
Can I stay at home while the work is done in the Scottish Borders?
Usually, yes. The work area is screened and floors are protected. The rooms either side of the opening are out of action for a few days, and there is some noise and dust while the masonry comes out.
Who approves plastering & making good in the Scottish Borders?
Structural work in the Scottish Borders needs a building warrant from Scottish Borders Council, granted before work starts. We prepare and submit it with the structural engineer's calculations and arrange the inspections, so the completion paperwork follows the job.
How long after a knock-through can I decorate?
Once the new plaster has dried right through, which for a thin skim in a warm, ventilated room is often a few days to a week. Deeper repairs and backing coats take longer. Plaster turns from dark to an even pale colour when it is dry, and painting before then risks poor adhesion.
Will cracks appear after plastering?
Small hairline cracks can appear in the first months as the plaster dries and the building settles onto the new steel. They are cosmetic and normal, and are usually filled when you next repaint. Wide or growing cracks are different and should be reported, as they can point to movement that needs checking.
Do you replace skirting boards and door frames after a knock-through?
Yes, where the work affects them. Skirting is extended or replaced so it runs through the new opening, and door linings and architraves are refitted or replaced where an opening has changed. Where period mouldings are involved, matching profiles can usually be sourced or made up to suit.
Can you match my old textured ceiling?
Often, yes, although a perfect match is hard over large patches. Before anything is touched, a textured coating applied before 2000 is tested for asbestos. Small areas can then be re-textured to blend in, while many people choose to skim the whole ceiling flat for a cleaner, consistent finish.
Can you work on older or listed homes in the Scottish Borders?
Yes. Older homes often have lime mortar, timber lintels or shallow footings, which the engineer allows for. Listed buildings need listed building consent for internal structural changes as well as building regulations approval, and that must be in place first.