![]() This is where plaster buttons come into play. Honestly, using a drywall screw alone will result in pretty much the last thing that you want to happen. This means that too much pressure is put on too small of an area and the result is a much larger and more unstable crack in your wall or ceiling as soon as you tighten the screw. ![]() The surface area of the screw that comes in contact with the plaster is far too small. Using regular drywall screws is pretty much out of the question. ![]() ![]() Before you end up with a plaster disaster on your hands, you must somehow secure the plaster back in place without causing any additional damage to the already cracked surface. But wait, you don't need to just throw up your hands and play Chicken Little, you can easily fix this. This causes the plaster "keys" (part that oozed through the lath and dried) to crack, which results in surface cracking, weakening, and ultimately, failure in the plaster (especially noticable when shit ends up falling on your head). The biggest issue with restoring plaster is the fact that, over the years, the plaster and lath have often shifted or sagged, especially with ceilings. During this time there have been few items more useful than plaster buttons when it comes to bringing our cracked, sagging, an near ruined plaster back from the brink and ready for another hundred years hanging in place. Throughout our time renovating the house I've gone to great lengths to ensure that we save as much of the home's original plaster and lath walls and ceilings as possible. The perception that is it difficult to restore, even harder to maintain, and an inferior product compared to the cheap as flimsy drywall options are all as incorrect as they could possibly be. Plaster and lath, often mixed using horse (or even human) hair in the scratch and base coat, is one of those characteristics of old homes that are too quickly torn out when many begin undertaking a renovation of any magnitude. In addition to hardware, you'd be hard pressed to find any old house that retains much of its historic fabric that doesn't also posses its original thick plaster walls. I've spent a lot of time in previous posts talking about the particular attention to detail I tend to give to authentic and salvaged hardware in our home, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Pictured: Rory Brennan uses a damp sponge to smooth the final coat on a plaster patch.One significant aspect of old home ownership and restoration is the general appreciation for and retention of the materials or items that are original or period to your home. Just follow the steps on the next page, and your electrician’s less-than-handiwork will be history. A softer, slower-setting lime-based plaster, like the one I developed for Big Wally’s line of plaster-repair products, takes about an hour to set, isn’t prone to cracking or delaminating, and needs no sanding, which keeps dust to a minimum. It’s much harder than the wall’s original plaster, and it sets in the blink of an eye. What’s the wrong material? So-called patching plaster sold at home centers. But it’s easy to make the damage disappear for good if you use good techniques and the right materials. – Daniel and Lauren herlocker, Brattleboro, VT.Ī: Retrofit work by clueless electricians is the number one cause of damaged plasterwork these days. Q: The electrician who put in new light switches left gaping holes in our lath-and-plaster walls. 3-4 hours of work, plus drying time, over three days
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