A bonding agent may also be needed to get a new top coat to reliably stick to old plaster.

It is very hard to sand real plaster, the stuff is hard.

Easysand is good for plaster patching but is soft enough to sand.

Durabond is as hard as the old plaster, son unless you can work it well enough to not require sanding avoid using it.

Spider cracking has many causes, and may be confined to the finish layer.
If it is otherwise solidly bonded to the wall I would try just a light skim of Easysand, then paint before any more extensive repair.

Hi B.E.

Thanks for the response! I thought it may be helpful if I posted some pics of my lil' project.

Is the plaster that I have purchased the same as Easysand? Or is that something special I need to purchase for this task?

Is there anyway to sand Durabond or smooth it? I do not know if that is what was used, but have a 'bad' feeling it was.

I've been removing some of the old paint on the window trim also, so that's why it looks the way it does.

...Pretty isn't it? LOL...

If you have any suggestions based on these pics (or anyone else in the forum), I'd love to hear your perspective or prior experience!

Thanks much!

Damaged wall and evidence of old water damage:

Close up of uneven new plaster surface on original wall:

Full view of wall:

"Is the plaster that I have purchased the same as Easysand?"

Easysand and Durabond are USG products.
They are setting type joint compound, supplied as a powder and mixed with water.

There are some other brands of setting compound out there.

The problem with 'patching plaster' (even the USG stuff( is that the final coat is rarely just plaster, but a mixture of plaster and lime putty.

Plaster sets way to fast (even with a lot of retarder) and straight lime putty sets way to slow (months).

The mixture of the two provides a surface that sets in a few hour and then continues to harden for weeks.

Durabond and Easysand both harden by the same chemical reactions as plaster, and not by drying out like premixed drywall mud.

If you do not have much experience with plaster repair, stick with Easysand.
Mix it about as thick as peanut butter (no limps please) and then apply with either a drywall knife for small repairs, or a plasterer's trowel for large areas (youre areas are small).

Do not try to achieve a perfect finish on the first coat, but try to not leave excess material.
The second coat will be easier to smooth since it will be thinner.

Easysand can be scraped with a drywall knife after it hardens to remove any lines or other marks sticking out, and then another layer applied.

You do not need to wait for Easysand to dry before recoating, just harden.

Durabond is as hard as real lime putty plaster and very difficult to sand.
Sanding also removes the smoothness from tooling with steel.

Thank you so much for the guidance. I am learning as I go, so really appreciate your insight.

I will look to pick up some Easysand at Home Depot this week so I can get this patch job moving.

I figured I'd hit that lumpy repair plaster with an electric sander - 60 grit paper. Hoping that works so I can smooth out the wall.

Again, thanks for the advice! :)

Okay...I feel really dumb. I checked the box of patching compound that I have and it is indeed the USG Easy Sand 5 (red/white/blue box). I never noticed that before.

Oh well...at least I know now that I have the right stuff! :)

Thanks again!