Welcome to the fall edition of our newsletter. I am getting slower about putting my issues out, so I ask for your patience ... and hope you will find this issue worth waiting for.

Features:

1. Getting the right mindset for texturing your plaster project

2. Computer frustration?

3. Christmas shopping

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1. Your wall or ceiling texturing mindset

When I was a little boy, I would sometimes watch my mom or aunt applying the icing to the cake we would be having for dinner later. I was intrigued as I saw the skill they used in spreading the good stuff. Simple deft strokes of the hand and those lucious swirls and peaks would appear. It was a beautiful thing.

And I even got to lick the mixing bowl sometimes.

Years later, when I began to do drywall and plaster work, I would think of that when I would be putting the texture on a wall or ceiling. I would imagine myself spreading the icing on a large cake. Of course, no mixing bowl to lick at the end. Just a nice check from a happy customer.

I am often surprised at what people can do when they set their minds to something. My oldest son used to be a mountain climber (before marriage and kids). He has climbed most of the highest mountains here in the Pacific Northwest. He also hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Washington with college friends. It takes stamina, and a certain amount of guts to do something just a little bit different.

In my opinion, doing your own plaster repair and renovation is something a little bit different, something most people have never attempted. In my years as a plaster repair and renovation professional, I have seen people tackle home projects, including fixing old plaster, and do a splendid job.

They often were operating outside their usual experience and skill set. They just decided to do it, went and got good information, and did it. Confidence, motivation, a willingness to get outside their comfort zone ... these were the essential ingredients.

My dad built houses for a living, sometimes spec houses, sometimes custom. On one project, he couldn’t find a tile setter available for doing the bathroom shower. So he went and got his information from a book. He bought the materials and installed the tile himself. It was a beautiful job and the customer was thrilled with the result.

When I was working with my dad, we would hang the drywall ourselves and then Dad would hire someone to finish it. Dad’s favorite finisher was a fellow named Jack. Jack was an amazing drywall guy, a pleasure to watch. And an endless source of stories.

One of Jack’s stories was about how he got started in the drywall business. About 20 years before, he was looking for work and happened across a large residential housing project in central Washington. In some of the houses they were doing the finishing on the drywall. Jack watched them for a while and then sought out the foreman and asked for a job. Jack fibbed and said he had experience as a finisher, so he was hired on the spot and turned loose in one of the houses. He took the tools and materials he was given and set to work.

Toward the end of the day, the foreman happened by to see how Jack was progressing. What he saw was ... a disaster. Jack was happily applying the mud, but it was way too thick, and not even. Instead of firing him on the spot (the project was short-handed at the time), he handed Jack a packet of sandpaper and a sanding tool and told him to get busy in the morning.

Jack told us with a laugh that he spent three days sanding down his mess and redoing it. It was not an auspicious beginning, but Jack learned his lesson and went on to become a true professional.

Watching Jack do textures was an eye-opener for me. He was just so slick and smooth about it, and his results were gorgeous. That’s when I decided I wanted to learn how to do drywall finishing and texturing.

I have never been what you could call artistic, but Jack taught me well, and I never looked back. And with Jack, I had my first experience with plaster repair.

So what does all this have to do with you? It’s probably fairly obvious. Just do it. Of course, get good information, practice and you may well be amazed at what you can do. Not just texturing, but the whole thing with plaster repair, drywall, home remodeling - whatever.

And you will learn to recognize your limitations. For example, I won’t touch plumbing anymore. A plumber may laugh at me, but life is short and I don’t have the patience and time to learn everything. Could I learn plumbing? Sure. But I would rather devote my working time to drywall, plaster renovation and painting. I’ll hire the plumber and pay him gladly.

Anyway,

HAPPY TEXTURING!

2. Are you experiencing frustration with your computer?

I am no techno guy. I have only been able to put together my website because of the great program I am using. I still get frustrated often because I really don’t understand computers very well.

Recently, I came across a great free resource on the web, a site alsolutely filled with great stuff.

— articles

— ebooks

— tutorials

— 3D graphics software

and much, much more. Check out The Newbie Club.

Christmas shopping, anyone?

I just saw a recent survey. Over 70 percent of shoppers will search online for Christmas ideas, starting in October, but the majority will wait until late November and through December to make their actual online purchases. And every year, more and more folks are purchasing online.

How about you? Are you looking for ideas? Here is an online shopping mall where with your free membership, you can get rebates on your purchases. Take a look at My Power Mall

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Well, it looks like I should close here. I am happy to get back to you with this issue, and want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas. May God bless you and all your loved ones.

Edwin Brown aka plasterguy