Watching the PBS program "This Old House", I saw contractor Tom Silva use Big Wally's branded plaster repair kit on a rather large crack. The process looked simple enough and having plaster everywhere in the home with every wall having some sort of crack, I decided to buy a small pack to try out.
In our future baby room, where a closet was built (circa 1960's), are a series of exposed cracks on the west exterior wall. This area will eventually be covered by a closet system, so I figured I can't make it look any worse. You can see the previous owners attempts of sloppy repair along the corner.
Following the directions, I drilled my first hole near the crack to locate the lathe behind. With a set spacing between each lathe, I drilled along the crack keeping far enough away not make it bigger, yet close enough for the process to work. I believe the directions said about an inch to two away. I vacuumed each hole to clean it of all dust and you'll also want to vacuum the floor and other nearby items, plaster dust gets everywhere.
Once this was complete, the holes are primed with a chemical within a squeeze bottle, left to sit for 15 minutes, then the glue is pumped into each hole using a caulk gun. The directions stated that one full pull of the caulk gun's trigger is needed per each hole or until the glue pops out of the hole. That may be overkill. On a series of drilled holes, I found myself squeezing two to three pulls of the trigger with no glue being forced back out of the hole. I must have hit a pocket or found a void between the lathe. Either way, the purchased kit was stated at repairing 9 linear feet of crack. I believe you could get more out of the kit once you get used to it. The kit isn't cheap, so making it effectively last is an excellent goal.
After filling all the holes, a special washer was screwed into selected holes which, when screwed in, pulls the lathe and plaster back together again while the glue cured.
The directions said that I should give time to allow the glue to dry; I waited a week, just to be sure. Then I removed all the washers with a putty knife. Did a little sanding and applied joint compound on the surface to fill the drilled holes and cracks. I let it dry, sanded and repeated until the wall was smooth. After I painted the surface, the final product looked amazing! See the special note at the bottom of this post.
The kit came with glue, special washers, primer, gloves and directions. Extras needed were a drill, masonry bits, vacuum, scraper (to pry off the washers), joint compound and a plaster knife/trowel. But these are tools that every handyman (or woman) should have laying around.
The entire process is messy mainly because of the joint compound, plaster dust, glue and my inexperience. Gloves are included in the kit, and thinking that I was a tough guy, I didn't bother with them. Use them, the glue does sting if you have any cuts on your hands. Protect your floors too and don't be a tough guy.
Total cost was $79.00 for the small nine foot kit with shipping being an extra $17.50! (in 2012). As pricing becomes more affordable per foot once you buy in bulk, I may consider going after the larger Contractor kit. However, it is still on the expensive side for my budget. I will admit, that without trying any other kit, Big Wally's does what is should and was relatively simple to complete.
For more information, see Big Wally's site: http://www.plastermagic.com/
Here is the video from "This Old House" that inspired this repair:
How to Repair Plaster Walls with Tom Silva
Note: No, I have not been paid in any way to review this product. Though I have to say that I had to pay them to try it.
Special note regarding painting:
1. DO NOT assume the paint the previous owner labeled innocently enough as "White Interior Paint" on an attached post-it note is not (in actuality) yellow tinted white exterior trim paint.
2. DO NOT forget to open the only window in the room for ventilation.
... and this one is really important...
3. DO NOT assume 1. to be true, conduct 2. and forget that the storm window is closed.
Great post! Good explanations and corresponding pics. Our whole house is lathe and plaster so we'll give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the cracks came back
ReplyDeleteChristian, the root cause of any crack needs to be rectified before cosmetic repairs are attempted. If not done so, a crack will reappear very quickly.
DeleteAnother issue to contend with, ensuring an adequate quantity of adhesive. If not, hairline cracking may appear.
In the case of the above repair, my lack of propper use of the product in that closet resulted in the reappearence of hairline cracks. They are very fine, less than a hair-width. However, be assured that in other rooms that I have used the product, the cracks have not come back.
Correct any underlying cause and use an adequate amount of adhesive and you'll be a happy camper.
Once the plaster is stabilized, joint compound alone will not fix it. You need to prime with killz to seal the wall, then joint compound AND TAPE the cracks. Blend in the repair with a finish coat of compound and THEN you should prime and paint your repair. Otherwisethecrack will telegraph through...
Delete