Visitors to thisoldhouse.com asked for help with dinged, gouged, and cracked walls. Here's an easy way to get a smooth surface that lasts
Project Cost
3 hours the 1st day, 1 hour the 2nd day, 20 minutes the 3rd day
![Plastering over cracks in ceiling Plastering over cracks in ceiling](/uploads/1/3/3/8/133847430/125281445.jpg)
Skill: Easy to moderate
Drilling lath holes and smoothing plaster takes special care
You just gotta love plaster. That rock-hard substance, which was applied to the walls and ceilings of nearly every house in this country until the 1950s, gives us surfaces that are seamless, mold resistant, fire resistant, and noise deadening. But what to do when plaster cracks, buckles, and pops loose? It's a perplexing question for many of our readers, including Tim Thorp, whose house in Providence, Rhode Island, is filled with badly blemished plaster. 'How do I patch 100 years of gouges, cracks, and screw holes so the walls look flat and clean when painted?' he asks us in an e-mail. Here, Tom shows how to repair plaster walls to make them look as good as new.
You just gotta love plaster. That rock-hard substance, which was applied to the walls and ceilings of nearly every house in this country until the 1950s, gives us surfaces that are seamless, mold resistant, fire resistant, and noise deadening. Apr 18, 2016 It’s not just cracks that mean plaster has come loose of its lath. Just like delaminating cracks, bulging plaster looks exactly the same, except this time there aren’t cracks in the surface. https://brownstores119.weebly.com/blog/akai-eie-pro-driver. If you see bulges in your wall or ceiling and the plaster can be pushed back up against the wall, then it’s time to reattach that section of plaster. Dec 15, 2018 Cracks that cause concern are those which run across the length of a ceiling and then continue down a wall along the same line. This is a sign of structural damage, usually related to a. The final major causes of cracks in plaster ceilings are poor workmanship and improper curing of the plaster. If the plaster is mixed incorrectly, or if there is a conflict in the base and finish materials, then the plaster can become brittle, causing it to fail early and develop a series of cracks throughout the ceiling.
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Nitty-Gritty Plaster Repair Overview
The key to any fix is to reunite the plaster with the strips of wood lath underneath. Otherwise the cracks come back, no matter how many times you patch over them. That's why This Old House general contractor Tom Silva usually reattaches lath with screws and metal washers before attempting a repair. Recently, though, he tried Big Wally's Plaster Magic, a homeowner-friendly adhesive that uses glue instead of screws. While it costs more than the screw-and-washer method—a six-tube kit runs $120, versus $20 for 120 metal washers—the final finishing is easier and looks better because there aren't any washers to cover. Plus, a glued bond lasts longer than a screwed connection.
In this how-to video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva saves a cracked plaster ceiling Broadcom bcm43142 802.11 bgn driver download.
4 to 6 hours, depending on size and number of cracks
Skill: Moderate
Working overhead is always a bit uncomfortable, but the results are well worth the effort
In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to repair a plaster ceiling.
Acer aspire ao722 drivers. Steps:
Lath And Plaster Cracks In Ceilings
1. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area; be sure to drive screws into wood lath above.
2. Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling, covering the repaired area.
3. Press insect screen into wet compound; smooth flat with trowel.
4. Allow joint compound to dry at least 24 hours.
5. Sand away high spots and ridges with 100-grit sandpaper; fill low spots with joint compound.
6. Apply another thin coat of compound, if necessary, let dry and sand smooth again.
7. Once repair is complete, apply one coat of primer followed by two topcoats of paint.
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2. Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling, covering the repaired area.
3. Press insect screen into wet compound; smooth flat with trowel.
4. Allow joint compound to dry at least 24 hours.
5. Sand away high spots and ridges with 100-grit sandpaper; fill low spots with joint compound.
6. Apply another thin coat of compound, if necessary, let dry and sand smooth again.
7. Once repair is complete, apply one coat of primer followed by two topcoats of paint.
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