Things You'll Need:
- 6-inch (15-cm) Spackle Knife
- Paper Drywall-reinforcing Tape
- Plaster Washers With Screws
- Setting-type Joint Compound
- Spackling Compound
- Mud Pan
- Primer
- Touch-up Paint And Paintbrush
- Drywall
- Drywall
- Bucket
- Utility Knife And Tape Measure
- Fine Sandpaper
- Putty Knife
- 1/8-inch (3-mm) Masonry Bit
- 150-grit Sandpaper
- Coarse-threaded Drywall Screws
- Drill And Driver
- Dust Mask
- Fine Sandpaper
- Pole Sander Or Pad Sander
- Putty Knife
- Potato masher, paintmixing drill attachment or paddle mixer
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Step 1
Use a putty knife to apply spackling compound, available in small cans for touch-ups. Let dry. If the first coat shrinks as it dries and leaves a slight indentation, apply a second coat.
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Step 2
Sand lightly with fine sandpaper. Touch up with primer and paint.
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Step 1
Remove any small, loose chunks of plaster and patch the holes (see "Fill holes and areas where plaster is missing," opposite page). Reattach larger sections of plaster with screws and plaster washers, spaced a few inches (about 7 cm) apart, using a drill and driver. For large, loose areas, install the washers in concentric rings, starting where the plaster is firmly attached and working inward. Cover the area with joint compound.
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Step 2
To reinforce plaster along large cracks, install screws every 6 inches (15 cm) on both sides of the crack and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from it (see A). Drill pilot holes with a 1/8-inch (3-mm) masonry drill bit. Cover the area with joint compound.
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Step 1
Use a setting-type joint compound such as Durabond 90 for all repairs other than tiny holes. Mix the compound in a bucket with water according to the directions. Depending on the quantity, use a potato masher, paint-mixing drill attachment or paddle mixer.
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Step 2
Transfer a working supply of the compound into a mud pan, a drywall specialty item.
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Step 1
Fill a hole with compound to within 1/8 inch (3 mm) of the surface using a 6-inch (15-cm) spackle knife. Then scratch the wet compound in a crisscross pattern with the edge of your knife. When the scratched coat dries, apply a leveling coat.
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Step 2
For larger areas of missing plaster, measure a piece of drywall to fit the hole, cut the piece out with a utility knife, then screw it to the lath (see B). Apply the compound in two stages and extend it about 2 inches (5 cm) onto the surrounding surface. Embed paper drywall-reinforcing tape in the compound and smooth with a spackle knife or wide trowel (see C).
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Step 3
Apply two or three additional coats of compound, allowing complete drying between coats and feathering each coat over a wider area than the preceding one. Drying time varies according to the type of compound as well as the humidity and ventilation.
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Step 4
Use a pole sander or a similar pad sander with very fine (150-grit) sandpaper to smooth the compound after it has dried.
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Step 1
Apply a thin coat of compound on the wall along the crack.
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Step 2
Embed paper drywall-reinforcing tape in the compound immediately and smooth with a spackle knife.
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Step 3
Continue as described in steps 3 and 4 of "Fill holes and areas where plaster is missing," above.
Comments
davisdehart said
on 8/29/2009 Pt 2 of previous post, guess you don't get much room.
You had a sag "bubble." under ideal circumstances this should not happen. Your sagging could be
due to moisture from the atmosphere, high humidity climate, coupled with using fans instead of an
AC. Not having a good Primer Sealer also, I would usually suggest a stain
blocker like kilz or 123 Zinsser to the home owners, so it would seal the patch up from outside
elements, it makes a vapor barrier, and it keep stains from the patch material from messing up the
paint.
davisdehart said
on 8/29/2009 I know this is an old question (above), maybe others will benefit. Fiberglass mess tape is not good
for anything flat when you are using bucket joint compound, it is excellent for corners, but on flats it has a tendency for cracking. Joint compound out of the bucket is a vinyl-based mix and will reconstitute with water, you can literally put it on a wall, let it dry for 2 weeks come back, soak it down with water and wash every bit back off again. He suggested using Durabond 90, which is like plaster and J.C. mixed. I never like patching completely with bucket J.C. It's just too soft and flexible. I would put Plaster of Paris (EXCAL), or the durabond 20,45 or 90,as a base and bucket J.C. as a topper finish coat, the bucket mix is considered 280. If you use plaster or Durabond you can use mesh tape because it is a lot stonger than J.C. You had a sag "bubble." under ideal circumstances...
rocker7969 said
on 8/28/2008 I have to say that the best way to fix any damaged plaster is to find someone who knows how to plaster, and not use any drywall materials that were mentioned above. Drywall mud and Plaster are two completely different products.
neoshade said
on 12/6/2007 Ever sand through to the paper on drywall or sheetrock?
Drywall paper will puff up and ruin a plaster job if it's sanded.
Spray hairspray liberally over the area, and push the paper back down with a trowel, and wait for it to dry before plastering. This time it won't come back!
Jaeger1 said
on 5/22/2007 I can attest to the avoidance of using fiberglass mesh tape. I had some repairs done to a hairline crack on a plaster ceiling about a year ago before the entire ceiling was going to be textured and painted. I know the guys utilized 2" fiberglass tape and a premixed joint compound. After about eight months, the mesh tape started to sag and "bubble" all along the crack. Does anyone have any suggestions concerning how much of the texture compound I should remove beyond the 2" width of the old fiberglass tape in order to make everything blend in as best as possible? Any additional pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your assistance.