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How do you plaster walls?

17 years ago

My old house has uneven plaster finish on the walls. This was actually done for effect, and I kind of like it. It is not horsehair and lathe, but some sort of wallboard and cement layer.I am redoing a room in the house, and I want to try and do the plaster myself, since being perfect is not the desired result. I know to hang blueboard, but that is about where my knowledge ends. I spoke to a plasterer and he talked of finish v. base plaster and creating some mixture, or something like that. He also said he was not intersted in doing this type of finish, which I thougth was intersting.

Can anyone shed light on what I need to know to plaster my own walls? I cannot find any information on the internet about plastering walls. TIA

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Comments (4)

ericwi
17 years ago
My experience is with lath & plaster, not plaster over blueboard, but there are some things in common to both methods. Basecoat plaster will generally include some type of fiber, horsehair(around 1900) and today, chopped fiberglass. It can also include perlite, or sand. It cures by chemical reaction between gypsum and water. Cured basecoat plaster has a rough surface, which makes for good adhesion for the top layer, finish coat plaster. Finish coat plaster contains hydrated lime, or lime putty, and gauging plaster, a finish grade of gypsum plaster. Enough water is added so that the mixture is stiff enough to support a trowel, but loose enough to spread. These days, it is getting tough to locate finish lime, the raw material for lime putty. You will have to do some research to find a vendor, but it can be had.
jamesbodell
Original Author
17 years ago
Good information! Maybe using the base plaster as my finish coat is what I need.

Incidentally, what do the pros use? It should not be that hard to find "finish" plaster.
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brickeyee
17 years ago
Plaster was orgianlly placed as 3 coats on wood lath. Metal lath came into use about the same type as gypsum backer and 2 coat plaster.
The first coat on wood or metal lath needs fiber for strength. It needs to go through the gaps in the wood (or holes in the expanded metal) to form 'keys' that anchor the base coat to hte substrate.
With gypsum backer the fiber layer can be omitted and sand (or pearlite) is used to extend the plaster.
Fibered plaster is still available from USG.
The finish surface is a mixture if lime putty and gaging plaster. Both are still available.
The book "Plastering Skills" is excellent. It may be back in print, or you can try and buy a used copy.
Most of the tools are still available.
The hardest part is getting a level flat surface started on a rough base coat.
jamesbodell
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, I'll look into the book

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