We’ve all seen them on the TV programmes about rogue traders and incompetent workmen. They are the cowboys that get us, professional and reliable tradesmen, a bad name.

Here are 5 typical mistakes to help you spot the John Wayne’s from top quality plasterers.

1. Cheap tools. It is simple; if you are using poor quality tools then you are not going to achieve a beautifully smooth finish. If you want to provide a first class piece of work, you need to use top quality tools. A trowel from the pound shop is not going to cut it.

2. Rushing the job. Typically the cowboys will have under-priced to ensure they get the job, then realise they need to finish it quickly so they can move on to the next one. Plastering is a job you simply cannot rush and expect to achieve good results. A professional plasterer will price the job properly and take his time getting the finish that will please both him and his client.

3. Out of date plaster. There will be times when plasterers will end up with opened bags of plaster that are out of date. The cowboy will say ‘no problem’ and crack on using it. Inevitably there will be a problem, possibly requiring the whole lot to be scrapped and a fresh start made. For the sake of a few quid, always use in date products.

4. Good prep. This is the biggie as far as I am concerned. ‘Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail’ may be an old cliché but it doesn’t mean it isn’t true! That means doing all the fiddly little jobs such as scraping excess paper off and filling in all the cracks and holes. Cowboys hate doing this which is another reason why you shouldn’t use them.

5. Clean tools. At the end of the day a good workman always takes the time to clean his tools properly. If you don’t they will soon be covered in dirt and grime and be virtually useless.