It depends on who you ask. It is possible to locate basecoat plaster, similar, but not identical, to the original, and replace your damaged plaster. A finish coat of lime putty mixed with plaster of paris will bring the surface even with your existing old plaster, and after the wall is painted, the repair will be invisible. However, it will take some effort to find the necessary materials, and there is some skill involved in getting the finish coat smooth and even. An alternative method of repair would be to piece in sheetrock, using joint compound to mud in the rock, and complete the repair.

Hi Cam, I'm kinda torn on this one...TWO scenarios IMO... 1) GUT the OLD plaster & tile. Re-sheetrock, Prime and Paint. Especially since lead paint has been flaking off for 3 decades!!! ** Opportunity to fix wiring, etc. ** You may get more resale than you think for a "new", crisp room. ** Good God...there comes a time for all rooms to be redone! ** The old crumbly plaster won't get any better. 2) Stabilize what's there... ** Use Gardz sealer by Zinsser. Apply to the rough surface. This "locks down" the loose crap. ** Re-plaster the room. You may wanna hire this done?! Only Pros can do it right usually. ALSO, plaster HAS to cure for a month b4 you can prime & paint. >>> OR... ** Apply Gardz. ** Skim-coat with Joint-compound. Again, this is too easy to mess up if you're not practiced at it!! ** Sand, prime, and paint. Sorry, no easy route here! :( Faron

If you think that you can't get leverage with the long paint pole, then that is a sign that you are pressing too hard with the roller. You should be able to load up the roller sleeve and roll without pressing much at all...the loaded roller sleeve should do all the work for you. If you want to carry the paint up the ladder with you, then what you need is a bucket with a grid and a bucket hook. The hook enables you to attach the bucket to the side of the ladder while you are up there and then you can roll from the bucket using the grid. You should only put less than a gallon of paint in the bucket though because more may make the bucket too heavy to carry up and hook onto a rung of the ladder. There are some multi-matic type ladder out there that you can place on stairs but most times you should be able to reach with just small extension ladders.

You could contact local plasterers and get an estimate. We had on in our house recently and they charged not as much as we expected.