Repair crack in textured plaster wall

Wetting down is critical for adhesion because the water will transport the plaster into the base material so it becomes an integral part of it. Old plaster walls, concrete block, soft brick, metal lath, and wood lath are all good bases for new lime plaster. If the surface is painted, glazed tile or brick, or has insufficient suction, you cannot expect the plaster to bond.

In this case, either chip the surface enough to produce a porous substrate or apply a plaster bonding agent. Bonding agents are acrylic liquids sold in convenient quart cans or gallon jugs that you brush or roll onto the wall prior to applying plaster. For thick coats of plaster over masonry substrates or lath the situation for most repairs , begin by troweling the lime-and-sand mix onto the wood lath, metal lath, or moistened wall.

You will be able to rub the surface to flatten it without bringing water out, so you can form the plaster for rounded corners or around obstructions in the wall. Always use a wood float to smooth and flatten the surface—not the steel trowel, which you should reserve for initial application and finishing operations.

This is because if you over-trowel with a steel trowel while leveling or otherwise shaping the surface, excess water may migrate to the surface. This robs the plaster of the suction needed at the wall, and the new plaster will fall to the floor. If this happens, simply wait for the wall to dry somewhat and reapply the lime-and-sand mix.

As you apply putty, pace your work so the margins of the last batch are damp enough to bond with the next batch. Feather the batches into each other for a smooth transition. First, try broadcasting the plaster onto the wall with a brush, covering it with an even splatter of fine or rough surface. Next, grab the steel trowel and compress the raised surfaces somewhat, while noticing how the time you wait until troweling affects the final texture.

Alternatively, take up a brush and stipple the surface of the wet plaster wall to obtain a rough, natural look. You can see over here these cracks start way up at the ceiling and they continue down. Diagonal cracks. They look like that. We have covered them and filled them with plaster and we are not going to put tape on them or re-skim coat or anything.

I also dislike using mesh tape, fiberglass mesh. And you can always see the mesh pattern. We have just done the repair. We might sand lightly some of those lumps and bumps there, but the overall texture, we are going to let that stay, and we are going to paint that. We think of that kind of texture as the patina and the beauty of the old plaster walls. If you can let yourself look at these kind of imperfections as a feature, and not a problem, or where you need to re-skim coat and just have this perfect wall, you will enjoy working on your old plaster walls a whole lot more.

Plaster repair can be a fun, creative process. To be perfectly frank, my method described here will probably raise a few eyebrows with purists. I did not use lime plaster.

Only modern materials. They go into the differences between lime plaster and gypsum, and using lime plaster for repairs. Stacy from Blake Hill House has a great post about how to replace, as well as repair, plaster using plaster patch and joint compound. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

These cracks are usually accompanied by other signs of foundation issues such as sticking doors and windows, slanted doors, sloping floors and cracks in porches. The common characteristics structural cracks include: Continuous horizontal cracks along walls. Vertical cracks that are wider at the top or bottom.

Quan Trabelsi Professional. What causes plaster walls to crumble? The first symptom of a moisture problem is a fine white powder on the plaster surface caused by soluble salts that migrate to the surface of the plaster.

If the wall stays wet, the plaster eventually will crumble. Iqra Jorde Explainer. When should I be worried about cracks in walls? Some characteristics of larger cracks that are cause for concern include when two sides of a wall are at differing heights, when doors and windows have gaps around their frames and the cracks in question are wider than 5mm or you can insert your little finger in them.

Isabella Pitarch Explainer. Do cracks in walls indicate a structural problem? Most small cracks in drywall or plaster walls are not serious and are caused by seasonal expansion and contraction of the wood framing in your house over time.

Larger cracks in your walls , however, can indicate structural or foundation problems. Shara Avelos Explainer. What do horizontal cracks in walls mean? Horizontal Cracks.

Remove all loose plaster from the damaged area. Clean the damaged area thoroughly with soap and water, rinse and let dry. Sand the area to smooth out any ragged areas and prepare the area to hold wet plaster. Fill cracks and tiny nail holes with plaster of paris and smooth it out with a putty knife. To repair a small hole about 1 inch or smaller , cut out a piece of fiberglass patch 1 inch larger than the hole all around and firmly stick the adhesive backing onto the wall. Follow the same procedure to repair medium-size holes up to 6 inches large, but use a galvanized metal adhesive patch instead of a fiberglass patch.

To repair larger holes, you will need to saw into the wall and replace the drywall.