| Author |
Message |
    
mbb
Citizen
Username: Mbb
Post Number: 3
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Friday, April 7, 2006 - 11:19 am: | 
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My house has textured plaster walls. They are in desperate need of repair. I would like to use the same plastering method (old fashioned plaster over lath) to repair them. Do you know of anyone that repairs old plaster the old way?
Thank you. |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 443
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:23 pm: |
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I admire your desire for authenticity, but does it matter what's behind the walls? You can patch with drywall, then attempt to texture to match.
J.B. |
Travis
Citizen
Username: Travis
Post Number: 390
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 10:23 pm: |
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You can get plaster repair kits and a DVD on how to DIY from www.plasterzone.com.
My understanding is that repairs based on joint compound e.g. Durabond will not last. Joint compound has different expansion characteristics than plaster. |
kmk
Supporter
Username: Kmk
Post Number: 1148
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 12:14 pm: |
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mbb,
We are in the same boat.
I have been looking for almost five years.
I will not sheetrock. Not an option.
My husband and I are architects...we just don't have the money to hire the fancy guys in NYC. I am looking for someone's talented Italian uncle who was trained in the old world!
I have posted before that we are also looking for authentic stucco repair. |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 446
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 1:19 pm: |
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kmk and mbb,
I'm serious about this. I consider myself somewhat of a purist about not ruining these old houses with crappy repairs. What's the problem with sheetrock?
Particularly from an architect, I'd like to hear the reason it's "not an option."
J.B. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11168
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 8:34 am: |
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Plaster has a honed (very smooth) finish that can't be duplicated with sheetrock. However, in an 75 plus year old home with umpteen coats of paint on the wall I don't consider this a major factor since the paint jobs have changed the texture.
We have used sheetrock, tape and joint compound to repair some walls and the repairs have stood up for nearly 15 years and are invisible. |
mbb
Citizen
Username: Mbb
Post Number: 7
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 10:44 am: |
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Everyone,
Thanks for the information/support.
Jersey Boy,
From the standpoint of functionality, plaster has superior sound insulation properties to sheetrock and will not shrivel or get moldy when wet. From an aesthetic standpoint, heavily textured plaster has an old-world look that goes well with chestnut-stained wood modlings and hard wood floors, and stained-glass windows in an 80 year old house. |
Spqr
Citizen
Username: Spqr
Post Number: 83
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 10:54 am: |
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John Hone Restoration in Caldwell. I have posted his name and number here before. Do a search and you should find it...I don't have his number handy at the moment. He does authentic plaster repair. He will talk to you about the options for saving money, etc. He repaired the plaster on my first floor and did a great job. |
kmk
Supporter
Username: Kmk
Post Number: 1149
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 12:24 pm: |
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Thank You Spqr,
I have had his number in my "rolodex" for a few years now. It is nice to hear of someone who has actually worked with him.
Jersey Boy,
We have used sheet rock to replace a cracked and falling ceiling in the "maid's room." I felt that it was an economical choice that wouldn't cause to much trouble aesthetically. Now for the front of house..I agree that there is a certain weight, a presence, that plaster gives. It does dampen the sound and it is solid. We also have a very lumpy, three dimensional thing happening with the plaste on the walls. It is not just paint..it is literally sculptural. The effect at night with lights on is lovely.
I would hate to have some future homeowner go tap, tapping down the wall and hit the hollow spot where I filled in with sheet rock. I am not against the hybrid systems that use a plaster lath board as a backer. I am not trying to replicate the both the wooden lath "slats" and the horse hair that I find mixed into the plaster. I just feel that I should replace plaster with plaster...while we still can. I hope that the renovations we've made to the house will be undetectable to the next owner. |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 466
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 11:55 am: |
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Okay, I get it. My house is c. 1921, but everything is smooth. I wasn't visualizing the sculptural factor.
Also, the previous owner of my house did WAY worse things, which I'm trying to fix. I re-did a bathroom to look more appropriate to the house, but I let the plumber use PVC piping. It's in the wall and up-to-code.
Inauthentic?
J.B. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11187
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 12:04 pm: |
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JB, shame on you. You should have used cast iron and none of those hub connectors. Always use lead and okum joints I say!! And I hope you made sure that the plumber used lead pipe for the connection between the tub and the waste line.
Seriously, since mbb brought up the sound factor, cast iron is much quieter when the waste is running. |
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