FAQ's
Q: My plaster has a lot of cracks. A friend suggested I tear it all out and replace it with drywall. What do you think?
A: There is a time and place for tearing down to the bare studs, but it isn't always the necessary. Tearing out plaster with repacing it with drywall is an extremely messy, labor intensive job and in the end you lose the solidity and sound-dampening qualities of plaster.
It does make re-wiring and plumbing easier on a re-model.
Complete tear out of original plaster is recommended if either the damage to the original plaster was extreme, a competent plaster repair person cannot be found, or if there was to be major rennovation including and new wiring, insulation and plumbing that had to be run anyway.
Even so, it may still be more cost effective to keep and repair the old plaster. It never hurts to get prices for both if you are unsure.
Q: Another suggestion was to cover it with 1/4 " drywall. Any problems with this?
A: You will often lose some of the trim detail, unless you remove the trim first, which is a major undertaking. As far as ceilings go, if you are covering an undersupported ceiling, you may be accellerating a dangerous problems, unless the screws are long enough to go into the joists. This assumes you have hired a knowledgable and competent drywall contractor who understands the specific issues with plaster ceilings.
Q: There is a long straight crack running down the center of my ceiling.....the other plaster guy said he would take care of it by 'veeing' it out with a bottle opener and he was going to use mesh tape and patch it.
That should be good enough, shouldn't it?
Q: I want to repair the plaster myself. Is it something I can do ?
A: If you are handy with tools and have some good instruction, and a lot of time on your hands, it is possible to do a credible job.
By and large however it is something that is better and more efficiently done by a skilled tradesman. It took me close to two years to become proficient with the tools of the trade, and the many small, but crucial details, such as bonding issues, proper use of materials and techniques for the specific problem have been gleaned over many years.
A: Number one, keep a good roof over your home and catch/repair plumbing leaks asap.
Water is the number one enemy of plaster, especially when it penetrates from behind the wall or ceiling.
Because wood lath and framing expand and contract with the relative humidity in your home, keep your home's temperature and humidity more or less at a constant, meaning, heat it in the winter and cool it in the summer. Unheated/unairconditioned spaces experience higher fluctuations of humidity and increased swelling/contraction of wood lathe/framing, which eventually breaks the plaster keys that hold the plaster on the wall.
If you heat with natural gas forced air, consider humidifying the air in the home as it can become quite dry in the winter.
Q: I have other many questions about my plaster. Where do I go for information?
A: I have a blog called Plaster Talk. Please join us there for answers to your specific plaster questions.
DIY'ers
Do you want to tackle a plaster restoration job by yourself?
I can walk you through the process. For phone consultation fees, call me
at 336-327-5523.
for a free estimate !
Estate Plaster, Inc.
606 Scott Ave.
Greensboro, N.C. 27403
(336) 327-5523
Philip LaMachio, President