How to repair sagging plaster ceilings
Your question reminds me of one especially memorable evening in a house where we once lived. My son Ben had a friend named Dave who was well over 6 feet and 200 pounds as a high school junior. Dave and Ben would often roughhouse in Ben's second ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Lime Plaster
Excerpted from the National Historic Preservation Brief 21 -- Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings Plasterers in North America have relied on two materials to create their handiwork--lime and gypsum. Until the end of the 19th ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings (Part A)
When plaster dries, it is a relatively rigid material which should last almost indefinitely. However, there are conditions that cause plaster to crack, effloresce, separate, or become detached from its lath framework. These include: Stresses ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings (Part B)
Many of the problems described above may not be easy to remedy. If major structural problems are found to be the source of the plaster problem, the structural problem should be corrected. Some repairs can be made by removing only small sections ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings (Part C)
Partial or complete removal may be necessary if plaster is badly damaged, particularly if the damage was caused by long-term moisture problems. Workers undertaking demolition should wear OSHA-approved masks because the plaster dust that flies ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings (Part D)
The National Park Service recommends retaining historic plaster if at all possible. Plaster is a significant part of the "fabric" of the building. Much of the building's history is documented in the layers of paint and paper found covering old . [... more]
Old House Web |
Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings (Part E)
The first base coat put on wood or metal lath. The wet plaster is "scratched" with a scarifier or comb to provide a rough surface so the next layer of base coat will stick to it. The brown coat is the second application of wet, base-coat [... more]
Old House Web |
Plaster Wall Crack Repair
I was feeling pretty good about all the work I've done around my own house recently until this question came in. Now as I stare at the cracks in the walls and ceiling in my home office (if you've never lived with one, writers will do nearly ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Plaster Loose Spots
Last week I offered some tips on fixing cracks. Now let's fix those loose spots, which are pretty common in houses of your vintage. To apply the plaster, a scratch coat consisting of sand, lime, and cattle hair was troweled onto the lath and ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Patching large holes in plaster with drywall
This procedure includes guidance on patching holes in wall plaster larger than 4 inches in diameter. When large sections of plaster are missing, drywall patches can be used as a base. A. Drywall and joint compound B. Nails and screws C. Joint ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Cleaning and stripping paint from plaster surfaces
A. This procedure includes guidance on cleaning and chemically removing paint from existing plaster surfaces. NOTE: Chemical products are sometimes sold under a common name. This usually means that the substance is not as pure as the same ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Removing efflorescence from plaster
A. This procedure includes guidance on removing efflorescence from plaster surfaces. 1. Efflorescence is a condition where white (salt) deposits (in the form of a fluffy powder) form on the plaster surface. The formation of salts is usually a ... [... more]
Old House Web |
