#Repairing lath and plaster walls how to#

The one thing that I'm still not clear about is how to gauge the thickness of the plaster in these lager areas. And there is plaster that just pulled off up there. I see they also cut the trim piece on top of the original closet - I need to replace that along with the cap. And because this wall was essentially on the insight of that added closet - it wasn't an issue. I broke up some larger shims and drilled/screwed them in a couple places to reinforce the lath.Īfter going through this, it's clear when they built the closet - I guess maybe 20-30 years ago - they did a number on the plaster.

I've cleaned out all the keys between the lath and vacuumed. Where I thought it seemed OK I added some plaster washers. I scored around areas that were clearly loose and pulled off the plaster. So, I went back in the room and checked the whole wall. This time I have more time versus being rushed. But the plaster is just something I've avoided. I hate feeling a bit put off by plaster - I've done DYI framing, drywall and other light construction. What she suggests is also applicable to plaster walls missing lath:įirst, thanks to everyone for the quick and helpful advice and encouragement. Here are a couple about skim coating and repairing a hole in drywall.

See Jane Drill has some excellent videos. At least in old houses things are made so they can be fixed v.s. How is the rest of the wall ? Do you know about plaster repairs (IF needed) using plaster washers ?Ī house that is several decades+ takes some wear and tear. They weren't a 100% match for what was here, but were certainly better than what I could buy new. I managed to scare up some antique baseboards and trim on Kijiji. IMO there is no good reason to remove plaster that remains sound.)ġ/4' drywall attached directly to the lath, then skimmed over should not bury the profile of the door trim. (If you were doing this you would have to remove the rest of the plaster or use furring strips to level the areas where there is no plaster.

Don't feel you need to cover the entire with drywall.

#Repairing lath and plaster walls Patch#

Just patch in what has come loose, where the lath is exposed. However - this non-existent drywall was available at a smaller building materials store a few blocks away.ĭon't despair ! The bad areas look redeemable. * Staff at a big box store told me no such thing existed, despite it being on their website. Don't use Plaster of Paris as it dries too hard. True lime plaster has a very long curing time. Joint compound is okay to use for repairs like this. There may be others here who can better advise about lath repair, etc. I do not feel that repairs like this compromise the integrity of an old home or plaster walls. Once properly skim coated and sanded the borders of the patch become invisible. The thin drywall made it possible to patch in a troubled area to make it nearly flush with the wall. It was a revelation (to me) to discover that there is 1/4' and 3/8' drywall*. (First remove any loose or crumbling bits on the periphery.) This will take a couple of coats or more to get the edges feathered enough. Then I would skim coat over the area until it is level with the rest of the wall. With a small area like that, you could patch in a piece of drywall, screwed to the adjacent lath.