Introduction: Preserving Historic Ornamental Plaster
Like flat walls and ceilings, historic ornamental plaster is made of gypsum and lime which are stable and durable materials. An extremely versatile material, plaster can be modeled, cast, incised, colored, stamped, or stencilled. However, as an ... [... more]
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Shop Personnel
Plasterers' guilds were in existence in Philadelphia in the 1790s. In 1864, a plasterers' union was organized in the United States with members from the British Isles whose work there had been limited to palaces and churches. English and European ... [... more]
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Repairing and Replacing
First a scratch coat consisting of sand, lime, and cattle hair was troweled on the lath and pressed through the slots so as to slump over and form "keys." Next, a brown coat was applied to establish flat and plumb surfaces. The earliest ... [... more]
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Stabilizing Deteriorating Plaster
Plumbing for an automatic sprinkler system, for example, can be run above new and existing coffering so that the sprinkler heads barely protrude from the rosette centers in the coffered design. Access should be provided for future system ... [... more]
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Plastering Repairing The House
Parts of this story: Intro ~~ Preparing thehouse ~~ The plastering begins ~~ Thefinal white coat Just how messy can it get? This picture was taken during the height of the plaster removal. Before the house could be replastered, old plaster had to ... [... more]
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Battling Moldy Wallpaper
If only getting rid of mold was as simple as going to your doctor and getting a flu shot. Unfortunately, it isn't. Under the right conditions, mold colonies prosper. They need moisture and food, just like us, and the first step in mold ... [... more]
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Repairing plaster walls
If there is a large hole through the wall, patching plaster will not stick. Two methods can be used: Home Improvement Topics Roofs Aluminum Siding Doors Remodeling Cabinetry Lighting Wicker Suppliers Architectural Salvage Windows Products Corbels ... [... more]
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Plastering Final White Coat
Parts of this story: Intro ~~ Preparing the house ~~ Theplastering begins ~~ The final white coat Wally first takes a load of lime and works it into a circle. The lime has been mixed with water, but it won't set up by itself. He shapes the lime ... [... more]
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Finding wall studs
Wall studs in modern homes are spaced 16 inches on center -- that is thedistance from the center of one wall stud to the center of the next is 16inches. In older homes, studs may be 24 inches apart, or spaced irregularly. Youcan purchase an ... [... more]
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How to install a tin ceiling
Pressed metal ceilings can restore the history of an old house or give old-world charm to a new house. For all their ornate detail, tin ceilings are surprisingly easy to install. In this article, I'll take you step by step through painting and ... [... more]
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Removing old wallpaper
I'd like to preserve my original wallpaper, but it's under layers of newerwallpaper. Is there a way to remove the old wallpaper a layer at a time andpreserve the original wallpaper? A great old trick my grandmother taught me was to mix liquid ... [... more]
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Plastering Beginning
Parts of this story: Intro ~~ Preparing the house ~~ The plastering begins ~~ The final white coat Wally Lerner, say the Dodds, is "the very best craftsman one canimagine." At one point, the meticulous master plasterer was about to do thefinal . [... more]
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