![]() ![]() ![]() While demand for skilled plaster and cement masonry workers isn't as great as it is for electricians, plumbers or heating and air conditioning (HVAC) contractors, this is a great field for women. Others prefer the perfect, flat and smooth look of drywall. Some love the unique, hand crafted appearance that only comes with plaster. If you can repair it, it's smart to do so.ĭo you live in an older house with plaster walls? What are your feelings about keeping or replacing it? There are definitely two schools of thought on the topic. Damaged plaster doesn't mean that it should be replaced unless it's in terrible condition. It's denser, harder, provides more insulation, more sound buffering, and it just looks more appropriate in an older home. ![]() If you compare a pristine plaster wall with drywall, plaster always wins in performance. If you're not sure about how to use patching compound, watch the videos in our article, “ Tape & Mud at Habitat Women Build.” It's essentially the same process. Once dry, fine tune the surface using a damp sponge to give it that final, smooth finish. Let each coat dry before applying the next. You can also use drywall joint compound, although plaster purists might shake their heads at this idea. Apply the tape, then spread on plaster patching compound like you would repair drywall. More important, Tim Carter of Ask the Builder says it helps prevent cracks from coming back. Mesh tape helps cover many types of imperfections, and gives the fresh material something to grab. To overcome this, you'll need a patching material such as drywall mesh tape to help the wall flex instead of crack. That's because the house is always settling, and plaster is a very hard material. If you've ever tried to fix a crack in plaster, you already know that it usually comes back. Plaster Home Repair: Cracks and Imperfections Next, squirt in plaster adhesive, and slowly drive in the plaster repair screws until the plaster is snug against the lath again. You may get some new cracks in the plaster when it secures to the lath, but that's fixable.ĭrill small holes through the plaster and into the lath, then spray in some plaster conditioner. When driven through the plaster, the washer prevents the screw head from tearing through the plaster as it tightens it back to the lath. These are special screws with a wide washer. You can't reaffix the old keys, so you'll need to attach it through the front side using glue and plaster repair screws, says This Old House. Where the plaster is sound but has popped loose (has that telltale hollow noise when tapped), you'll need to glue and fasten it back. The whole wall is at risk of crumbling, and not a good candidate for repair. If you can tap loose more crumbles, then the original plaster mix was inferior. If some areas are crumbling, examine the rest of the wall. Intact is better, but hollow is usually salvageable. If there's a hard tap sound, then the plaster is still intact. If you hear a hollow sound, the plaster keys have broken and it has popped loose from the lath. Tap the plaster to determine whether it's still connected to the lath behind it. If it's starting to crumble in areas, you have to weigh the amount of effort needed for repair against the benefits of keeping it. If your plaster only has a few cracks, chances are it's salvageable. Plaster is a valuable material, but not every plaster wall is worth repairing. Plaster Home Repair: What's Worth Keeping A plaster wall is much thicker than drywall, and it has more fire resistance. Smooth layers of plaster are then skillfully applied over the scratch coat, ending with a finish layer that is so fine it requires little or no sanding. The plaster that squeezes through creates “keys” on the back side of the lath, which once hardened, hold the plaster onto the lath. ![]() The first layer is horizontal strips of wood, called lath (shown above), that are nailed horizontally across the studs.Ī scratch or brown coat of plaster goes over the lath, squeezing through the spaces between the lath. Where drywall comes in sheets that are nailed or screwed to the wall studs, plaster is built up in layers. The anatomy of a plaster wall is very different from drywall. But good plaster is superior to drywall, at least as far as performance goes. New drywall is better than plaster that's beyond repair. To others, plaster is original and should always be preserved.īoth of those statements are true and false, depending on the condition of your plaster. To some, plaster is old, and therefore modern drywall must be superior. Of the home repair jobs you'll consider in an older house, few are as contentious as whether to keep or trash the plaster walls. ![]()
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