Repairing Cracks In Plaster Walls

The key to any fix is to reunite the plaster with the strips of wood lath underneath.

Repairing cracks in plaster walls.

Generally caused by the natural settling of a house over time you can repair. Hey my name is tim and i recently about 2 months ago repaired several cracks in plaster walls and ceilings. You want to open up the v notch so that it is approximately 1 4 to 1 2 wide at the opening and as narrow as possible next to the substrate material. Scrape the plaster compound into the crack and flatten it on to the wall with your paint scraper.

Plaster repair is much. Understanding how plaster walls are constructed will help you fix your cracked plaster wall. To repair small cracks in plaster you ll need patching compound medium and fine grit sandpaper a sanding block a putty knife a masonry chisel a paintbrush a rag and a screwdriver. Dust the wall off and apply a second slightly wider coat of plaster compound to the wall.

Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath. For finishing you ll need primer and paint. Again let the compound dry sand it smooth and dust it down. An overview photo by david carmack.

Whether found in drywall plaster or concrete a crack in a wall is an eyesore. The plaster keys holding it to the underlying lath can also crack and break over time causing the plaster to partially separate from the wall. I cut out all the cracks using a utility knife creating a v notch i scraped away all of the loose plaster then used a product called plaster weld pink color very sticky while wet damp i applied durabond 5 to the crack. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room.

Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging. Here tom silva shows how to repair plaster walls to make them look as good as new. He asks us in an e mail. How to fix cracked walls permanently.

For more about how plaster walls are built see plaster wall construction over time these. Otherwise the cracks come back no matter how many times you patch over them. Once the compound is dry lightly sand it until it is smooth. Following the crack create a v notch by removing the plaster along both sides of the crack cutting at an angle until you see the substrate.