Q: What is the best way to repair cracks in plaster? A: It depends on the type and size of the crack. Hairline cracks take only a little patching plaster. Larger cracks require reinforcement with mesh tape. Cracks larger still, where the plaster keys are broken, require reattaching with plaster buttons. To repair a hairline crack, "vee" out the crack with a pointed tool of some kind, perhaps a paint scraper with a teardrop head. Once the crack is open, remove loose debris from the crack with a vacuum cleaner. Use patching plaster to fill it. Patching plaster is the same material used as the finish coat on a lath and plaster wall. It's sold in powder form and dries very quickly and hard. It sands easily and makes a seamless repair for small cracks. Fill a spray bottle with water and give the open cracks a good spritz to make sure the patch doesn't dry too quickly. Mix a small amount of the powdered plaster with water. Use a 3- or 4-inch drywall knife to fill the cracks. Allow the patch to dry and sand it smooth. It may require two coats to get the patch perfectly smooth. Then you're ready for paper or paint. Sometimes when you start to vee out a crack, it expands like mother's homemade bread. If the crack becomes more than 1/4 inch wide, simply filling it with patching plaster may not be enough. In this case, use mesh drywall tape and quick-drying drywall mud to give the best chance of a lasting repair. Preparation for filling these larger cracks is the same as for hairline cracks. Scrape out the debris from the crack and spray it with water before applying the first coat of mud. Mix up little "hot" mud (we like Durabond 45 by Sheetrock) and fill the crack. Don't worry if the mud doesn't fill the void, but try to keep it level with the existing surface. After the first coat is dry, give the patch a light sanding to ensure that the edges of the patch are even with the wall. Next, put a piece of mesh drywall tape over the crack. It reinforces the crack and will lessen the chance that it will reappear. Apply a coat of mud over the tape. Let it dry and sand smooth. You'll probably have to repeat the process one more time to get a seamless repair. Reattaching plaster with broken keys - the plaster that squishes through the cracks in the lath and then hardens to hold the plaster in place - is a multistep process. You'll need a cordless drill and bit, a wet/dry vacuum, adhesive and some drywall screws with plastic washers. With a 3/16-inch carbide-tipped masonry drill bit, bore holes through the plaster. The masonry bit will move through the plaster but won't easily penetrate the wooden lath. Drill evenly spaced holes - about every 3 inches - around the damaged wall area. If you happen to hit one of the gaps between the lath, mark it with a pencil. Remember, lath runs horizontally, so when you hit a gap, drill the next hole a little higher or lower. Clean dust from the holes with a wet/dry vacuum. Use adhesive that will bond the plaster to the lath. Adhesive should come in a tube to be applied with a caulking gun. Check out the local paint store for its recommendation, and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Trim the adhesive tube's nozzle to the size of the holes in the plaster and inject the adhesive into each hole. Immediately after squeezing adhesive into the holes, use the drill equipped with a Phillips head bit to screw drywall screws with a plastic washer into as many holes as necessary to pull the plaster tight against the lath. Wipe away any adhesive that oozes out of the holes. Allow the adhesive to dry, and remove all the screws and plastic washers. If necessary, scrape the rings and any high spots of adhesive from the wall with a putty knife. Fill the holes with patching plaster, spackle or joint compound. Let the wall dry overnight and sand the surface lightly with 120-grit sandpaper. If necessary, apply a second compound coat, let dry and sand.','url':'http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/How-to-repair-cracks-in-a-plaster-wall-3173690.php','og_descr':'To repair a hairline crack, \'vee\' out the crack with a pointed tool of some kind, perhaps a paint scraper with a teardrop head. Once the crack is open, remove loose debris from the crack with a vacuum cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with water and give the open cracks a good spritz to make sure the patch doesn't dry too quickly. With a 3/16-inch carbide-tipped masonry drill bit, bore holes through the plaster. Adhesive should come in a tube to be applied with a caulking gun. Trim the adhesive tube's nozzle to the size of the holes in the plaster and inject the adhesive into each hole. Immediately after squeezing adhesive into the holes, use the drill equipped with a Phillips head bit to screw drywall screws with a plastic washer into as many holes as necessary to pull the plaster tight against the lath. If necessary, scrape the rings and any high spots of adhesive from the wall with a putty knife.
Visitors to thisoldhouse.com asked for help with dinged, gouged, and cracked walls. Here s an easy way to get a smooth surface that lasts.
Plaster Wall Patching. Treat minor cracks in plaster similar to a drywall crack, with joint compound. However, if the plaster is pulling away from the lath, you first.
How to Fix Cracked Plaster: Tips and Guidelines
Older homes often have lath-and-plaster walls. Plaster is both a durable and good-looking surface, but there is one drawback: Plaster inevitably develops cracks. Latex paint will hide hairline cracks in plaster, at least temporarily. The coverup, though, may last only a few hours or a few months. Small plaster cracks have an annoying way of showing up again and again. It may be smarter to enlarge them and fix them properly once and for all. Making a small flaw bigger may sound like reverse logic, but it's easier to fix big cracks in plaster than small ones. Use plaster of paris, which doesn't shrink as it dries, or purchase premixed plaster repair compound. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article: Curtis, Walter. "How to Fix Cracked Plaster in 4 Steps" 19 April 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-fix-cracked-plaster.htm> 28 September 2015.
Whether your walls are plaster, drywall, or concrete, fixing small to medium cracks typically requires just a few tools and simple instructions.
Learn how to fix plaster cracks once and for all. Home Garden. Adventure; Animals; Auto; Culture Older homes often have lath-and-plaster walls.
The plaster walls in my 1907 house seem basically sound, but I need to fix a number of cracks.
Q: What is the best way to repair cracks in plaster. A: It depends on the type and size of the crack. Hairline cracks take only a little patching plaster.
One chunk leads to another, and before you know it, your backyard is full of plaster and you re shopping for drywall. Repairing Cracks in Plaster.