What’s plaster?
Plaster is popularly a mix of gypsum powder and water that hardens. Some popular types of plaster include plaster of Paris (from gypsum), lime plaster, and cement plaster.
Plaster is used as a building material like mortar and cement. What’s nice about it, though, is that it is malleable after it dries. You can sand it down or impress it with designs.
Before 1950, plaster walls and ceilings were widespread in construction. This is before the days of drywall. Plaster was applied over a framework of laths. Lathing is the construction of narrow strips of wood nailed horizontally to wooden beams.
These days, when plaster is used in wall and ceiling construction, metal and plasterboard replace the wooden laths of old.
What’s plaster repair, and how does it work?
Beautiful old homes are often characterized by their plaster walls and ceilings. But those plaster surfaces eventually form cracks. It’s really inevitable, but there’s a solution: You can simply fix the existing plaster. You don’t have to tear down all the walls and replace them with drywall.
Overall, plaster repair will involve enlarging many of the cracks, and re-plastering the holes with plaster of Paris.
Here’s how plaster repair works; the fundamentals:
The loose plaster is cut away, and the borders of the crack or cut are possibly enlarged. So don’t panic: This is part of the process. In the case of serious water damage from a flood or an upstairs air conditioner, the contractor may have to cut a large chunk of the ceiling or wall. The chunk is completely discarded. The contractor will have to reconstruct the seriously damaged part of the wall or ceiling, rebuilding the base and re-plastering.
A mix of thick plaster of Paris is whipped up. The crack or hole is moistened with water. This will allow the plaster to hold better. Then the plaster is packed into the crack, and the surface is scraped smooth with a trowel. The patchwork is given about 24 hours to set.
After it’s dry, the patch is sanded down to conform to the surface of the surrounding wall. If the crack was really big, the plaster repair contractor will likely re-moisten the surface and apply a second coat of plaster. Then there’s the 24-hour wait again, to let the plaster dry, followed by the smoothing down of the plaster with sandpaper.
The wall, patched up and dry, now needs a new coat of paint. The contractor will prime the patched-up area, then repaint it to match the room’s color.
The tools they use: utility knives, vacuums, plaster mix, paint brushes, trowels, sandpaper, primer, and paint.
Hiring a plaster repair service:
Look at advertisements online or in a phone book by trade. You’re searching for plaster, plaster repair, remodeling, home improvement, etc. Find a few possible contractors and give them a call. Ask about their rates, if they offer free estimates, and what kinds of jobs they’ve done before. Also ask for references, and do not hesitate to call up those references with questions about the quality of the plaster repair contractors’ services.
You could also ask friends and family for recommendations.
