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There are several ways in which to repair lath and plaster - using modern or traditional techniques, or by learning how to patch plaster. If, on the other hand, large chunks of your wall or ceiling are coming away, more significant repair work will be necessary. Simply check them regularly and keep an eye on any new cracks that appear - often simply skimming over them with a suitable, lime-based, plaster mix is sufficient.
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Of course, if your walls are still in good condition, there is no need to touch them. At its worst, it’s a brittle wall-covering that’s practically looking for a. At its best plaster makes surfaces uber-hard and sound-deadeningly substantial. If you live in a house built before 1940, you almost certainly have plaster walls and ceilings.
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If you live in a house with lath and plaster walls (likely if your house was built before 1940) then you might be wondering how to repair damaged lath and plaster. Tips and tricks for working with plaster wallsfrom pulling it down to patching it up. How do you Repair Lath and Plaster Walls? These mixtures usually used a 1:1:6 combination of gypsum or cement, lime putty and sharp sand for the initial two coats, then equal parts of lime putty and gypsum for the final layer. Later on, it became common to add in gypsum or sometimes cement - this was to speed up the setting process between each layer. The third layer was commonly made up of lime putty and a fine sand in a 3:1 mixture - or sometimes just lime putty. The first two layers of plaster that were applied to the lath were usually made up of lime putty and sharp sand in a 1:3 ratio - often with animal hair added in to help bind them. I’d cover the plaster with 1 polyiso and seal the gaps with great stuff before framing out the interior with the slightest of air gaps. The technique derives from an earlier, more primitive process called wattle and daub. It consists of narrow strips of wood which are nailed horizontally across the wall studs or ceiling joists and then coated in plaster. (Image credit: Getty) What Type of Plaster Was Used For Lath and Plaster? Lath and plaster is a building process used to finish mainly interior dividing walls and ceilings. Those old 2x4s can take a lot more than the modern stuff. In most cases, you can use 3/8' board instead of 1/2' if youre concerned about the weight. Lath and plaster walls were commonplace in house right up until the advent of plasterboard in the 1930s. Its not all that uncommon to drywall over old plaster & lathe vs the labor and mess associated with removing it.