Repairing Cracks In Plaster Walls

For more about how plaster walls are built see plaster wall construction over time these.

Repairing cracks in plaster walls.

The key to any fix is to reunite the plaster with the strips of wood lath underneath. 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. Scrape the plaster compound into the crack and flatten it on to the wall with your paint scraper.

An overview photo by david carmack. 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. Plaster repair is much. 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.

No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound. The process is different for plaster than for drywall. If you have ever repaired drywall you may know that it is often easier to replace entire portions with new pieces of drywall it s possible to remove just the section that needs fixing and a few. For finishing you ll need primer and paint.

Hey my name is tim and i recently about 2 months ago repaired several cracks in plaster walls and ceilings. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath. How to fix cracked walls permanently.

Again let the compound dry sand it smooth and dust it down. 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. 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. Generally caused by the natural settling of a house over time you can repair.

Understanding how plaster walls are constructed will help you fix your cracked plaster wall. Once the compound is dry lightly sand it until it is smooth. Dust the wall off and apply a second slightly wider coat of plaster compound to the wall. Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging.