Apply a thin finish coat (plaster of Paris with lime is one type).Add a ½” layer of “brown” coat plaster base to fill the crack (pearlized gypsum is one of many types).Coat the area with an adhesive bonding agent to make the existing plaster stickier.If there is a bounce in the lath, replace or reinforce it with diamond mesh.If crumbling, chisel the crack until the crumbling stops or until you are down to lath. Check each side of the crack for crumbling.The idea is to stop the movement that caused the damage. Also, keep in mind that while drywall paste can be sanded and reapplied, using plaster as a finish coat is permanent. If you use only drywall compound, the crack will come back. In many cases, small cracks can be fixed with fiberglass tape and drywall compound. Repairing plaster in a visible area shouldn’t be done on your first attempt. ![]() First, hone your plastering skills in a closet. If you decide to repair cracks on your own, there are a few basics you should be aware of. Foundation-related cracks require a foundation specialist before the plaster can be repaired. Cracks from expansion and contraction (top of a door frame) and on the plaster surface can be DIY fixes. You may have a more serious foundation issue, however, if cracks are wider than 3/16”, if a large crack appears to have shifted and is no longer lined up, if you are having trouble closing a door, or if there is a size difference from one end of a wall to the other. It can also develop web-like cracks on the surface from degrading plaster. Plaster can form deep cracks over time due to the expansion and contraction of wood framing through the seasons. Its thickness also provides a high level of soundproofing, and gypsum plaster is fireproof. Plaster is thickly layered and superior in strength and durability to drywall. To maintain a home or building’s historical integrity, it’s best to repair the plaster rather than replace it with conventional drywall for several reasons. Interestingly, horsehair can be found in all plaster layers in historic buildings – the precursor to fiberglass used as a binding agent. The oozing drips called keys create added support for the wall.Īfter the scratch coat fully dries, the second plaster layer, known as brown coat, is thickly applied, and finally, a thin layer of fine plaster is applied. Gaps between the wood or mesh allow the first layer of plaster, called scratch, to ooze through the open spaces to the backside. Other lath types include steel mesh (late 1800s) and rock or plasterboard (1930s). Wood lath consists of thin strips of wood nailed to studs and spaced horizontally with ¼” gaps. Once the wattle was in place behind the thin clapboard exterior walls, daub was applied in layers and smoothed to a flat surface.įor historic walls in Michigan, a system of lath and plaster was used. Wattle was a complex woven framework of sticks and branches used to create the wall structure. Daub was the plaster – a mixture of clay, water, wet soil, and grasses. When the Pilgrims arrived in the early 1600s, they brought along their English cottage wall construction, known as daub and wattle. Lime, sand, and even ground oyster shells combined with animal hair was a basic recipe for plaster wall construction in America until the early 20 th century. With some know-how, simple plaster cracks can be seamlessly repaired, restoring walls to their original grandeur. Plaster wall repair, for example, is not completed in the same way that you’d handle drywall repair. For every repair, there is often a history lesson. Owning a home or commercial building constructed before 1950 can be both exciting and a challenge. ![]() WRITER | JULIE FORD Tips for Quick Repairs and When to Call a Professional
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