I’ve been involved directly and indirectly with plaster my whole life. I grew up with a lime pit in the back yard where rock lime was being slacked. My grandfather was a Plastering Contractor in Louisiana, and my father was a plasterer and Business Agent for Local 295 in Sacramento in the 1950’s.

I started my career after hauling my wife and 3-month old daughter from Santa Barbara to Sacramento to find work in my childhood city. I started mixing material and hauling it to Plasterers and building scaffold in 1970 for Kermit Neisham Plastering. We used a Hod, so I was a Hodcarrier.

I became an apprentice plasterer  and got a journeyman plasterer card in 1976. I spent 18 years off and on working for Henley Plastering, Bennett Plastering, and G. Glenn Plastering and other Union Contractors in Sacramento.

I am giving you my bonafides, confirming that I might know what I’m talking about as I give you information about the performance characteristics of Portland Cement Plaster. The only way you will know if I know what I am talking about, is if this information helps you. If it does, pass that fact on. I believe I’ve a good reputation for knowing what I’m talking about so ask around if you need to.

I’ve been a technical representative for the Sacramento Valley Bureau for Lath and Plaster since 1997 and have my own consulting business, Bell Construction Consulting. I’ve been self-employed and semi-retired for the last 4 years. I worked for the Wall and Ceiling Bureau for a short time until retirement four years ago.

2013-08-17-19-32-30-2aI love what I do and want to share that passion for diagnosing problems and finding out how this oft maligned exterior cladding performs. My name is Bruce Bell.