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Plastering new to old

9K views 34 replies 13 participants last post by  JenniferTemple 
#1 ·
Here's the deally. Im doing a bunch of plaster gut and repair in a 102 year old home some walls and ceilings are getting completely torn out but whats the best way to butt into the old plaster which has the wood lathe behind it.
 
#12 ·
I'm working on the assumption that 102 year old plastered homes have poor (if any) insulation and alot of thermal transfer. When bandboards get cold, the joist bays get cold. Your plaster over wood lathe is much more dense than todays wallboard, and one is going to expand/contract faster than the other. Depending on the insulation situation, 102 years old probably nill, i'll stand by my comment. I hope that i'm wrong, but my experiences tell me otherwise.
 
#16 ·
Then first, why did you ask, and second, why on earth would you butt sheetrock to plaster in the middle of any wall or ceiling?:no:

You either re-plaster the area or remove all the plaster to the nearest corners of the space and replace it all with sheetrock.

BTW, I've been in this industry for over 23 years and I'm still learning something new every day.
 
#20 · (Edited)
The Brief that is posted pretty much backs up everything that's been advised to you here. If you feel good about letting the insurance company tell you how to do it differently, that's all on you. The repair you've done may last 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years. WHEN it fails they won't blame the insurance company, they will blame you.
 
#21 ·
Thread back from the dead.

From the preservation brief:

"Although property owners cannot duplicate the years of accumulated knowledge and craft skills of a professional plasterer, there are materials that can be used for do-it-yourself repairs. For example, fine cracks can be filled with an all-purpose drywall joint compound. For bridging larger cracks using fiberglass tape, a homeowner can use a "quicksetting" joint compound. This compound has a fast drying time--60, 90, or 120 minutes. Quick-setting joint compound dries because of a chemical reaction, not because of water evaporation. It shrinks less than all-purpose joint compound and has much the same workability as ready-mix base-coat plaster. However, because quick-set joint compounds are hard to sand, they should only be used to bed tape or to fill large holes. All-purpose point compound should be used as the final coat prior to sanding. "

Doesn't this conflict with what folks are saying?
 
#22 ·
From the preservation brief:

"Although property owners cannot duplicate the years of accumulated knowledge and craft skills of a professional plasterer, there are materials that can be used for do-it-yourself repairs. For example, fine cracks can be filled with an all-purpose drywall joint compound. For bridging larger cracks using fiberglass tape, a homeowner can use a "quicksetting" joint compound. This compound has a fast drying time--60, 90, or 120 minutes. Quick-setting joint compound dries because of a chemical reaction, not because of water evaporation. It shrinks less than all-purpose joint compound and has much the same workability as ready-mix base-coat plaster. However, because quick-set joint compounds are hard to sand, they should only be used to bed tape or to fill large holes. All-purpose point compound should be used as the final coat prior to sanding. "

Doesn't this conflict with what folks are saying?
No conflict, as this talks about patching plaster,not joining two dissimilar materials and hoping they both expand and contract at the same rate... which they wont.
 
#23 ·
#29 · (Edited)
IF you've been plastering for 10 years? your not a plasterer... your a finisher. Plaster in that regard is an insult to people like me. that can take that wood lathe and wire mesh .. throw 5/8" fiber plaster on the wood lathe. and mix up some lime and gauging and Match any texture or plaster finish in the house.. . so without further insult to your claim to fame. your the reason Plastering is a lost art !!! and in 10 years you have no idea what Plaster really is. it was replaced in the 70's with drywall. then the woncote wonder came into light ..

Just saying.. and you'll be back doing (repairs) out of your pocket$$$$$
 
#30 ·
I was not making any "claim to fame". I do what I need to do to put on paint that will last. I just happened to find, over time, durabod seems to practically cement anything. If I were making any claims to a knowledge of plaster (beyond the effects it can have on paint) you would be justified to feel insulted. The man appeared to be working both drywall and plaster. For the HO, its often a balance between quality and cost. ("Just what level of perfection are we talking about here") I do not expect you to know how to restore fine woods but if you told me of a particular practice that had worked for you, I would not be insulted, I'd take heed. One never can tell if or when another's non-trade, experience will serve us well.
 
#31 ·
hmmm seems the only way your gunna get away with this is if we all die before it cracks. I have done what the original poster mentioned in a law office and was there 4 years later and no cracks. Temps here range from 105 to -35. I can see why in most instance it would. When I did it I didn't think it looked like it would work even for a day but my boss told me too.
 
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