skip to main content

Would you please tell me what my (cracked) walls are made of?

4 years ago

Hi there – I hope you are all doing well. A while back, when I thought that doing a steam treatment in the bathroom was a good idea (actually, it wasn’t!), the walls started to crack. So, in addition to figuring-out ventilation, I am also wanting to fix the walls. The place was built in 1903, but there have been various owners sense, and I don’t really know everything they have done in the bathroom over the years.

So, here are my questions:
1- Looking at the pictures, do you know what the walls are made of? And,
2- How do you recommend I fix them? Ideally, I would like to do it myself.

Thanks in advance for your insights!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

party_music50
4 years ago
The first two pics look like plaster to me. Not sure what I'm seeing in pics 3 and 4 -- is the 3rd pic the ceiling? Maybe try posting in the Home Repair forum.
Bruce in Northern Virginia
4 years ago
The walls appear to be plaster, and from 1903 they are probably on top of wooden lathe.

Fixing cracks in plaster is tedious and time consuming, but not really that hard. In most cases you use a knife to widen the outer part of the crack so it forms a V indent that will allow new plaster to fill in and adhere. Then fill it with plaster of paris (or maybe drywall compound) and use a drywall taping knife to make it all smooth. Sand lightly with a wide, firm sanding block to get the final even finish.

If you use plaster of paris - it has a short working time (about 15 minutes) and sets up quite hard, so only mix up a little at a time. Its better to underfill the crack and go back to add more if needed. Get the wall perfectly smooth before you paint because its much harder to sand after you paint.

There are different types of drywall compound, and I'm not sure which mix is the best match for the expansion/contraction of old plaster. Some has a very short working time (20 minutes) while other types are more forgiving (90 minutes or more).

Bruce
Related Discussions
Would you pros please tell me what you think about this proposal?
Q
Comments (12)
mugnaini Heat Pumps are always a consideration especially in a dual fuel application(HP with nat gas furnace backup) in a climate like yours. I like HPs as well-for the right application. HPs are not for everyone or every application. There are many factors to consider for HPs and those include location/winter climate, comfort, home's envelope/insulation properties, and electric rate vs other alternative heating fuels. I want to go back to furnace sizing and the statement made in my previous post. I don't know why dealers want to oversize. I would want a load calc performed on heating. I still believe the 100K mdls are oversized. More of a big deal on the Trane furnace than the Carrier furnace. Your heat sourse fuel is nat gas, not propane? The Carrier quote #2 is a nicer system than the Trane system. That Carrier furnace is 3 stg while the Trane is two stg. The Carrier quote includes a new correctly sized refrigerant lineset and new box filter? dealers have inspected your ductwork system? you have damper control on supply lines to main floor, upstairs, and basement zones? If not bthey should be added to better balance airflow. I can provide the AHRI performance/eff numbers if you are interested. IMO
...See More
Tile going in NOW! Please tell me where you would end it.
Q
Comments (24)
Thanks Pharaoh, and everyone. Prill, I had to go into the big city to get it. Natick Tile Showcase, to be exact. I tried to buy local, but just couldn't manage. Tonight, I have the feeling that I don't like the color of the counter with the tile. I have read about that initial shock response here so many times. I tell my clients to give it a few days when a new color goes on the walls. Intellectually, I know it will get better when everything is put back together. Right now, I am just tired and kind of sad. Everything was bliss with the last kitchen. Sometimes I feel like nothing has gone right with this one. Off to a hot bath...
...See More
If you were my kd, what backsplash would you advise me to install
Q
Comments (27)
My first thought looking at your kitchen was jerusalem gold like sharb's kitchen assuming the color would work with your granite http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2007/06/sharbs-kitchen.html But of course I was flipping thru the finished kitchen blogs trying to find the kitchen with the backsplash I was thinking of (which of course was near the end of the alphabet), I found two other ones Durago travertine mini-brick in beachlvr kitchen in the finished kitchen blog http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2006/12/beachlvrs-kitchen.html Or Durango Split Face like epjenk's Kitchen http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2007/06/epjenks-kitchen.html Here is a link that might be useful: Sharb's kitchen
...See More
Please tell me honestly what you think of my EXTERIOR
Q
Comments (29)
Drop the stone to the foundation level. Add bands to separate the floors (and different materials). Change the window over the door so it mirrors the style of the others and layout is similar to the door and sidelights. Add a transom over the door so its head height is the same as the windows. Consider board and batten for the second floor leaving the shakes in the gables. The porch roof seems offset to the left, fix that if it is. Drop the porch roof. Enlarge the posts. Add gutter to the left return over the porch. I'll agree with the comment below that the bay should be extended to the ground.
...See More
cjcjmpls
Original Author
4 years ago
1 and 3 are on the ceiling.
cjcjmpls
Original Author
4 years ago
2 is a wall, 4 is the back of an original built-in.
cjcjmpls
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you!!!

Related Stories

LIFE Tell Us: What Made You Fall for Your Kitchen?

By Annie Thornton

Show the heart of your home some love for Valentine’s Day

REMODELING GUIDES Give Me a Wall, a Roof, or a House of Glass

By Erin Lang Norris

Swoon over spaces warmed by sunlight — from one side, or many

REMODELING GUIDES 11 Reasons to Love Wall-to-Wall Carpeting Again

By Judith Taylor Designs

Is it time to kick the hard stuff? Your feet, wallet and downstairs neighbors may be nodding

Just One Wall: When the Accent Wall Works

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Garden Walls: Dry-Stacked Stone Walls Keep Their Place in the Garden

By Olander Garden Design

See an ancient building technique that’s held stone walls together without mortar for centuries

DIY PROJECTS How to Create Your Own Semicustom Media Wall

By No. 29 Design

Don’t let the price of a custom built-in stop you. Put one together with ready-made pieces and a little finish help

VALENTINE’S DAY Tell Us: Why Did You Fall in Love With Your House?

By Vanessa Brunner

What was it about your house that made your heart flutter? Share your photo, and it could make the Houzz homepage

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Houzz Call: Tell Us About Your Bathroom Remodel!

By Erin Carlyle

Did you recently redo your bath? Please tell us about your upgrade and what it took to get there

HOME OFFICES Quiet, Please! How to Cut Noise Pollution at Home

By Christine Ciarmello

Leaf blowers, trucks or noisy neighbors driving you berserk? These sound-reduction strategies can help you hush things up

KITCHEN DESIGN Why a Designer Kept Her Kitchen Walls

Closed kitchens help hide messes (and smells) and create a zone for ‘me time.’ Do you like your kitchen open or closed?

Sponsored

More Discussions

Help with lighting & arranging small, dark, narrow living room 1840's

1

Bungalow Small Kitchen Design-thought I had it, now I’m wavering!!

2

Hardwood floor transition piece

4

Bathroom beadboard base moulding

9

Crown moulding or IKEA deco strip - views?

5