|
| I'm looking for some help in the best way to repair a hole that's ~3" x 7". The house was built in 1945, and the walls are plaster, but not with wood lathe. The wall appears to be made of 3 layers: right under the paint is a very thin (<1/8") orange/brown layer (very gritty and soft), then 3/8" of something gray, and the 3rd layer is ~1/4" and also gray, but less coarse than the 2nd layer; the two gray layers are separated by what looks like a thin piece of cardboard/paper. The hole that I'm trying to repair goes through all layers of the wall.
I'll describe below how I'm thinking of approaching the repair, but please tell me if something won't work well, or if I'm WAY off base with this idea. As I'm sure will be obvious, I don't know a ton about home repairs, but so far I've managed with other, smaller holes/repairs around the house. (No problems yet!) I was hoping to use the drywall repair clips to attach a support to the existing wall--I don't know if they'll fit over such a thick wall though. So if that won't work, then I'll use a couple of small pieces of wood and screw/glue these as supports to the inside of the wall. Then, I'll place a piece of drywall (or sheetrock?) as the base support and screw/glue that to the wood supports. Then use patching plaster on top of that, anticipating that I'll need a few layers of it to completely fill in and reach the same level as the rest of the wall. At any point in this, do I need to use that self-adhesive tape to cover the gap between the patch and the existing wall? I'm always afraid to use the tape, because i expect that it will make my patch into a more visible raised area after I apply enough patching plaster to cover the texture of the tape. If anyone has any suggestions for this repair, I'd really appreciate the input. I've read lots about drywall repair (and I really envy those with drywall now)... but tips for plaster walls are a bit more elusive. I'd like to do a decent job with this repair though--the last thing I want is to have to redo it a year from now. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by sombreuil_mongrel (My Page) on Tue, Oct 18, 11 at 20:04
| The wood backer is you better bet. You have three coat plaster over "rock lath" your original finish coat was apparently a colored plaster effect. Instead of "patching plaster" I'd suggest Durabond for the initial steps to fill just below level, then ordinary green-lid mud and mesh tape to effect the final surface and smoothness. Casey |
|
| Avoid the "patching plaster" it simply does not work well enough to be worth the trouble (inadequate retarder). Durabond makes a great base material, with Easysand for the finish layers. Mesh tap and pre-mix mud are NOT a good combination. |
|
- Posted by woodbutcher_ca (My Page) on Thu, Oct 20, 11 at 18:27
| Hi, I've patched just a few plaster walls. My goal was to cover the hole and make it look good. 3x7 is a small patch. This is how I would do it. Cut a piece of sheetrock 5x9 (thickness isn't important). Score the back of the 9x5 piece 1 inch all around then break the 1 inch piece off the back then peel the 1 inch piece off the front paper. You should now have a piece that is 3x7 on the back and 9x5 on the front. Fit the patch to the hole . It may take some scraping you don't want it too tight. Spread some mud on the edge of the hole and patch and the paper on the patch. Set it in the hole a use a 4 inch blade to set the patch. Let it dry. Most times the patch will be a little lower than the original surface let the patch dry finish as needed. Good Luck Woodbutcher |
|
| "peel the 1 inch piece off the front paper" This is an amateur method that creates a huge patch area to feather out the paper thickness. |
|
- Posted by woodbutcher_ca (My Page) on Sat, Oct 22, 11 at 16:38
| Hi Brickeyee, I don't think it is any different than using sheet rock tape. I never had a bad experence doing it that way, so maybe I'm doing something wrong. Thanks for the tip. Woodbutcher |
|
| "I don't think it is any different than using sheet rock tape. " The tape is significantly thinner than you will be able to reduce the cardboard layer to. It is a 'quick fix' that relies on excellent feathering skills to conceal the patch, even more so than the thinner paper tape. I would almost bet money I could find every patch with a light across the face of the wall very quickly. |
|
| The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation uses Flex-Tec to repair plaster. The repairs have held for ten years. There is no tape to show. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Wood, Concrete, and Plaster Repair using Flex-Tec HV Epoxy
|
- Posted by sombreuil_mongrel (My Page) on Sun, Oct 23, 11 at 12:44
| $75/tube for flex tec (and I am a big advocate and user of it for it for wood rot) seems like an expensive solution for plaster cracks. The gel epoxy is not quite as sand-able as most of us would prefer for repairs. To put it plainly, it cannot be feathered out by sanding. To overcome that problem, I suppose you could wipe down the area with solvent before it sets, but you would probably have a crack that was somewhat under-filled, and would be visible when painted. Okay, I watched the video. The demonstrator had to reach behind the wall patch to successfully align the plug. This is not a real-world option, so that application/product claim fails. Casey |
|
| You need a power tool (several are shown): |
Here is a link that might be useful: Sanding Flex-Tec epoxy demonstration
|
| "The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation uses Flex-Tec to repair plaster. " While I have done work in historical buildings (some predating Williamsburg) Williamsburg is not a 'normal' repair by any stretch of the imagination. They are still building a few houses (as their budget allows) using manual labor completely. Down to the pit saws to cut up trees after hand felling and retrieving them using animals. They are pretty far from a reasonable example of repair methods. |
|
| The name of the company is Advanced Repair Technology, not Normal Repair Technology. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Home Repair Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.