Plaster Ceiling Installer

When you look up in a modern living room or shopping mall and see recessed lighting embedded in a smooth, multi-level ceiling, you are looking at the work of a Plaster Ceiling Installer. The work begins with intense mathematics; installers must use laser levels to bolt a grid of metal framing into the structural concrete above.

Once the frame is perfectly level, heavy sheets of plasterboard are hoisted up and screwed into place. The true art of the trade, however, lies in the "jointing" process. Installers apply plaster compound and fiberglass tape over the seams and screw holes, executing hours of tedious sanding. The goal is to make the entire ceiling look like a single, seamless piece of material. If the sanding is uneven, the moment the homeowner turns on a light, every flaw will cast a shadow.

It is incredibly dusty, shoulder-aching work, as installers spend their entire day looking up with their arms raised. However, because interior design trends continually favor complex plaster ceilings, a skilled and fast installer can earn a highly lucrative income by moving rapidly from one housing project to the next.