Old Plaster

Jerry Purviance

First if this post doesn't belong here I apologize... I have old plaster walls in my house (1856) ...a lot of the rooms I demo it out and insulated ,,rewired and rocked, and yada yada yada. I have a good sized hallway up stairs that the plaster is pretty tight and see no reason to go through all the hassle and mess of ripping it out just to replace it with drywall... interior space ,so need to insluate ...no electric ...so don't need to be rewire.... but I got lots of spider web like cracks ...don't want to try mesh taping them all, just to have it crack some where else later ...Is there a fabric or a large mesh sheet product out there that you just apply to the whole wall and ceiling and skim coat over....I thought I saw something on a show Years ago but can't remember and chances are there is something better on the market now....thanks for any advice....

Tony M

Over here you can get a metre wide fibreglass wallpaper, patterned or not, which would save the skimming bit.

Jerry Purviance

Did some snooping and found a reference to Nu wall system.... Looks like there was a post a while back here and it came in with mixed reviews... ain't that always the way....

chris n

http://www.flexiwall.com/pages/home_page.htm

Frankawitz

Allot of times it's the paint that is cracking that shows up. the plaster will get fine stress cracks in it but the years of old oil base paints makes the cracks look worst. The nu wall is heets you apply. like when your house was built the painters would use canvas and apply it over the plaster, then they would paint. I have seen this stuff lasts hundreds of years, and the nu wall product uses the same concept, I haven't used it but it might help you. Good luck


www.frankawitz.net

Frankawitz

Allot of times it's the paint that is cracking that shows up. the plaster will get fine stress cracks in it but the years of old oil base paints makes the cracks look worst. The nu wall is sheets you apply. like when your house was built the painters would use canvas and apply it over the plaster, then they would paint. I have seen this stuff lasts hundreds of years, and the nu wall product uses the same concept, I haven't used it but it might help you. Good luck


www.frankawitz.net

Jeremy E

I've used Nu Wall for the same scenario you've got (1860's horsehair). It's not magic, but it's held up quite well. There have been no new cracks in 5 years since we put it up. It does not give a plaster-like finish though. It's sort of fabricy... Took paint fine. Do your best to minimize seams and put them in unobtrusive places.

Overall, it worked well for us, but we were looking for a practical solution. If restoration and strict historical accuracy are concerns, this probably ain't the product...

Bottom line, I'd use it again.

KenPierson

I know this is an old thread but I do work in all sorts of buildings and houses in the Tulsa,Oklahoma area. A building I'm working on now (in between the bad and horrible weather lol) I've had to replace some sills, siding, window reglazings and so but on the inside water had gotten in or at least wicked through the plaster and molded a few areas. Well I had told the owner about the problem areas and I removed what I told them "Some wallpaper that had come loose from the plaster".

After the blizard last week here in Tulsa I was getting caught up on the DVR shows I had that I've been too busy to watch and I record This Old House. They started a new house out in LA and they were talking this canvas and how for a while they put it over plaster so basiclly the plaster can crack and not show up on the inside. First thing that came to mind was the house/building I'm working on. I think it's a great idea and I tell ya another thing this house has had work done on it over the years from sunken pillars and you can walk around and you can tell it might be in need of some more but these walls don't have cracks in them (nothing real big anyways).

Anyway's I thought it was cool and very smart