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UK Award Winners 2007

Award-Winning
Polished Plaster
Specialists.

Honoured as the Best Polished Plaster Contractor in the UK by the Build Construction & Engineering Awards. Twenty-eight years of master craftsmanship, serving discerning clients across Greater Manchester.

Call Ian — 07852 980966 Request a Consultation
★★★★★
5.0 · 105 reviews
NVQ Level 3 Qualified
Time-Served Tradesman
Luxurious polished plaster interior finish by I W Plastering
Build Awards 2007
Best Polished Plaster Contractor — United Kingdom
2007
UK Award Winners
28yrs
Master Craftsmen
NVQ 3
Fully Qualified
105
5★ Reviews
Ian Wilson at work — master plasterer
Proprietor
Ian Wilson
Master Plasterer · Oldham
—— 01 · About

A quiet pursuit
of perfection,
since 1998.

Ian Wilson was born and raised in Oldham. At fifteen he began a traditional five-year apprenticeship — the old-fashioned way, with chalk lines, horsehair mortar, and the steady guidance of older tradesmen who still spoke of hawk and trowel as tools of expression.

By 1998 he was working for himself. Nine years later, his polished plaster work had caught the eye of the Build Construction & Engineering Awards, who named him Best Polished Plaster Contractor in the United Kingdom for 2007. It remains the defining honour of a quietly distinguished career.

Today, I W Plastering works on homes, boutiques, offices and industrial premises across Greater Manchester — from humble skimming jobs in terraced houses to full-room Venetian polished plaster installations for private clients. The same hand, the same standards, on every one.

UK Award Winner
Best Polished Plaster Contractor 2007
NVQ Level 1, 2 & 3
Fully certified in all disciplines
Time-Served
Full 5-year apprenticeship
Full-Scope
Domestic · Commercial · Industrial
—— 02 · Services

A complete plastering craft,
from foundation to finish.

Every service delivered with the same patient hand — whether it's a single ceiling or a full venetian finish.

Speciality

Polished Plaster & Venetian Finishes

A craft practised by Italian artisans for five centuries, polished plaster produces a finish of extraordinary depth — marble-like, tactile, and quietly lustrous. Ian's award-winning work applies every traditional technique: marmorino, stucco veneziano, pastellone, and spatolato.

  • ◆ Marmorino finishes
  • ◆ Stucco Veneziano
  • ◆ Metallic & pearl effects
  • ◆ Lime-based historic finishes
Polished Venetian plaster finish

Skimming

Glass-smooth, paint-ready plastered surfaces over existing walls or new boards.

Plasterboarding

Precision boarding to ceilings and walls — dot-and-dab or framed, cleanly joined.

Traditional Plastering

Undercoat, sand and cement, three-coat work on lath, brick or stone substrates.

Coving & Cornices

Traditional fibrous plaster mouldings, Victorian restorations, run-in-situ cornices.

K-Rend & Rendering

Sand and cement render, K-Rend silicone systems and traditional pebble dashing.

Damp Proofing

Membrane systems, tanking and renovation plasters for walls affected by moisture.

Artex Removal

Safe removal of Artex and stippled ceilings, prepared for modern smooth finishes.

Commercial Contracts

Industrial units, offices, retail fit-outs and renovation projects to deadline.

Discuss Your Project
◆  ◆  ◆
"A plastered wall is only ever as good as the hands that made it. Forty years of apprenticeship, forty years of habit — that's what you pay for."
Ian Wilson
—— 04 · Testimonials

5.0 stars. 105 reviews.
One standard.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Verified on Google · Updated continuously
★★★★★

Ian did our lounge in a bronze polished plaster and it looks incredible — like something out of a Soho hotel. Neat, tidy, clearly proud of his work. Finish is flawless.

CM
Claire M.
Uppermill · Polished Plaster
★★★★★

Re-skimmed the entire ground floor of our Victorian terrace in Oldham. Walls are glass-smooth. Ian is the real deal — time-served, old-school, properly professional.

DP
David P.
Oldham · Full Skim
★★★★★

Used Ian for a commercial fit-out at our salon in Manchester. Polished plaster feature wall, rendered the back of the building, and boarded the ceilings. Turned up on time every day, finished ahead of schedule.

SR
Sophia R.
Manchester · Commercial
★★★★★

We had Ian round to K-Rend the front and side of our new build in Saddleworth. Colour-matched to the neighbour's, neat lines, no mess. Worth every penny — you can see why he won the UK award.

MJ
Mark J.
Saddleworth · K-Rend
★★★★★

Artex ceilings removed and replastered across our rented properties in Chadderton and Royton. Price was fair, work was faultless, and Ian was a gent throughout. Will be using him on every future job.

LT
Linda T.
Chadderton · Portfolio Landlord
—— 05 · FAQs

Questions, answered.

Polished plaster is a decorative finish made from lime, marble dust and natural pigments — the same technique used on palazzi in 16th-century Venice. It's applied in multiple thin layers, then burnished by hand to a marble-like lustre. A skilled application can take four to five times longer than a standard skim, which is reflected in the price. The result, however, is a wall that looks like polished stone and lasts for decades.
A typical feature wall will take two to three days, across multiple visits to allow each coat to cure. A full room — four walls in a Venetian finish — generally takes a working week. We never rush a polished job; the finish depends entirely on letting the plaster settle between coats.
Everything from a single ceiling to a full commercial fit-out. We're happy to patch a hole, skim one wall, or install coving in a single room. The award-winning reputation was built on treating every job — big or small — with the same attention.
We work within a 20-mile radius of Oldham as standard, which covers most of Greater Manchester including Rochdale, Middleton, Manchester, Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge and the Saddleworth villages. For larger commercial or polished plaster commissions we regularly travel further — please get in touch to discuss.
Yes — with the correct sealant it's an excellent choice for wet rooms, kitchen splashbacks and steamy bathrooms. Lime-based polished plaster is naturally antibacterial and breathable, and we apply a final beeswax or polyurethane seal which makes it fully water-resistant. It's a sought-after alternative to large-format tiling.
Call Ian directly on 07852 980966 or use the form below. For a rough estimate we need a sense of the surface area and the finish you're looking for. For any polished plaster job — or anything over a single room — we prefer to come and see the space in person; consultations within Greater Manchester are always free.
—— 06 · Coverage

Serving Greater Manchester

A 20-mile radius from our Oldham workshop. Domestic, commercial and industrial contracts accepted throughout.

Oldham
Chadderton
Royton
Shaw
Failsworth
Middleton
Rochdale
Manchester
Ashton-u-Lyne
Stalybridge
Mossley
Uppermill
Saddleworth
Lees
—— 07 · Contact

Begin a conversation.

Whether you're planning a single feature wall or a full renovation, Ian will happily visit the property, discuss the finish, and provide a considered written quotation — entirely free of charge.

By Telephone
07852 980966
By Email
oldhamlad81@gmail.com
Workshop
27 Oban Avenue, Oldham
OL1 4LW
Hours
Monday — Saturday
07:30 – 18:00
Private Enquiry

Request a quotation

Ian personally responds to every message — usually within a few hours.

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