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Plaster Wall Repair PrimerBy Jim Sulski Summary: Plaster walls, common in old homes, require repair over time. Here are common problems with plaster walls and how to repair them. There are many older homes and in most of those homes are plaster walls. (article continues below useful links)
Plaster walls, which were used mostly on homes built before World War II, are thicker than drywall. The plaster is adhered to laths, narrow, thin pieces of wood that run from stud to stud. While plaster walls are more solid walls than drywall walls, and they add a sense of prestige to a home, requiring more technique to repair. In addition, they're more likely to require repair. Over the years, the plaster "ears" that hold the plaster to the laths break, resulting in cracks, sags and holes in the wall. What follows is a guide to repairing the different types of flaws in plaster walls. •Cracks are usually fairly easy to repair. If it's a superficial crack, dampen the crack slightly with a mister and patch it with drywall compound, using a wide wallboard or putty knife to fill in the gap. Deeper cracks will require more effort. Check the crack for deteriorating plaster, removing anything that feels spongy or loose. Then thoroughly clean the gap. If the crack becomes wider than a quarter-inch, use fiberglass mesh tape to fill it in. Fill the crack with drywall compound, then anchor the tape in the compound. Cover the tape with additional compound, feathering the edges of the patch. Try to feather the fill as best as you can for a smooth look. To repair bulges around cracks, you'll need to chip away at the sagging plaster, again widening the crack. Again, you can use fiberglass mesh tape and wallboard compound to fill in the crack. •Small holes: If the laths in the hole are in good shape, you can simply apply a coat of replacement plaster in the gap. Remove any loose plaster, scrape the edges of the hole with a utility knife and then dampen the hole with a mister. Mix the plaster to a very thick consistency and apply it firmly into the laths. As it begins to harden, scratch in a criss-cross pattern into the plaster to help the second coat adhere (this is known as the scratch coat). After the plaster completely hardens the next day, mist the patch and apply a second coat of plaster. After the second coat dries, apply a third coat, this time using wallboard compound. Sand and finish. If the laths are missing, you'll need to create a backing for the loose plaster to adhere to. If the hole is small enough, crumpled newspaper or steel wool are good backings. Again, apply two or three coats of plaster, allowing each coat the dry thoroughly. •Medium holes the size of a golf ball or larger can be filled in as directed above if the laths are in good shape. If the laths are damaged or missing, however, you'll again have to create a backing for the plaster to adhere to. Damaged laths should be removed and any loose plaster chipped free. Score the edges of the hole with a utility knife. Then, cut a piece of metal lath or wire mesh (available at home improvement stores) that is slightly larger than the hole. Attach a piece of wire to the center of the mesh and fold it to insert it into the hole. Then fold back the mesh and pull on the wire so that the mesh is flush against the inside of the opening. Attach a pencil, a paint paddle or a dowel around the wire and pull it tight so that it acts as a brace against the wall, keeping the mesh flush. Mix the plaster to a thick consistency and apply it to the mesh. Apply a scratch coat, and after it hardens, snip the wire and remove the brace. Mist the scratch coat and apply a second and possibly third coat of plaster. Follow that with a coating of wallboard compound and sand and finish. If the laths are damaged and the studs are exposed, you can also attach a piece of wallboard to the studs to serve as a backing for new plaster. Apply the plaster to the wallboard patch as you would to the mesh in the steps described above. •Large holes in a plaster wall are the trickiest to repair. It's best to clear the old plaster out and staple wire mesh over the existing laths to create a backing. The consistency of the plaster mix is also very important. You want to keep it as stiff as possible. An alternative to that is to patch the hole with a piece of drywall. The problem is getting the piece of drywall flush with the existing plaster. That may require placing shims behind replacement drywall where it attaches to the studs. Then, tape the seams around the replacement drywall and feather the wallboard compound as best you can to match the drywall to the plaster. If a large portion of the wall is damaged, you might want to consider covering the entire plaster wall with new wallboard. That will be less work than trying to restore an entire plaster wall
© by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. April 22, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
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