Cracked plaster caused by adjacent room
DYH
6 years ago
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DYH
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Another Plaster Crack Question
Comments (5)I had this problem in a second floor bedroom, in a house built in 1837. I used plaster washers to pull the plaster tight to the lath wherever it was loose, and used the mesh tape and joint compound to smooth over the whole thing. I'm not a pro, but have done a fair amount of taping and repairs over the years. It took me about 5-6 coats to get it all smooth, sanding in between where necessary. I used a sanding block that goes on the end of a vacuum cleaner hose to cut down on dust, but this is a messy job. Once it was painted, you can't even tell a repair was made. I have several other areas in the house to do, and have been procrastinating something terrible. If you don't have the skills and don't have the patience to learn on the job, a drywall/taping contractor or plasterer could do it. Just a thought, I have some bad spots in a stairwell wall that backs up to a tiled shower on the other side. I know the previous tile had bad grout, and suspect that some of the skim coat is letting go because of the moisture....See MoreHairline Plaster Crack Repair
Comments (1)I'd go with the 'watchful waiting' approach. If you want to fill the cracks and repaint, I'd use drywaller's joint compound rather than caulk....See MoreCracks in Plaster Ceiling
Comments (5)"In order to repair the cracks permanently, you are going to have to ensure that the plaster is solidly attached to the lath behind it (if not, the crack just comes back)." Most plaster cracks are NOT caused by separation from the lath, but by movement of the structure over the years from settling. Unlike drywall, plaster has zero 'give.' If anything moves more than a fraction of an inch the plaster WILL crack. Some cracks are 'seasonal,' caused by the expansion and contraction of a wooden structure. They often open during the winter as the framing dries out and shrinks, then close for the summer when the humidity is higher and the wood expands. The first thing to check is if you do have separation from the lath. If you push on the plaster on each side of the crack and any give is felt you may have separation from the lath, or the lath itself may have pulled loose from the framing. While there are methods of attaching the plaster back to the lath, it also needs to be pulled back into plane. Simply filling the gap with glue is not going to fix the sag. Plaster washers are the time tested method of securing plaster back to the lath and pulling it back flat at the same time. They are then buried in a thin skim coat. If there is no movement you should try and repair the crack. If it returns you can try and determine why and make other repairs. I use Durabond and mesh tape. The mesh tape spans the crack but allows the Durabond to be forced through to fill the crack up. Make sure you can dio a smooth job, since Durabond is as hard as old plaster and cannot be sanded very much, if at all. Most of the old plaster was actual lime-plaster. A mix of lime putty and gauging plaster. The lime putty has a very long hardening time (think months to cure) but is very hard. Gauging plaster has a very short set time. The mixture has a moderate time without adding any further retarders to extend the set....See MoreOh crap, plaster crack
Comments (13)Thanks for all the tips. I used the Elmer's ProBond Advanced (thanks, Kashka Kat!), applying it with a small brush to the lath and the edge of the existing plaster. Then I applied ready-to-use DAP patching plaster in two coats, which, by the way, did not dry quickly. Then I top coated with drywall mud, oil primer, and finally paint....See MoreDYH
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoDYH
6 years agoDYH
6 years agoDYH
6 years agoDYH
6 years agoDYH
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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