How to Fix Chipping Plaster Walls

Chipping plaster walls can make a room look very run down, but can be restored to their once pristine condition in a few easy steps, dramatically improving their appearance. Here is how to fix chipping plaster walls.

Step One - Prepare the Wall

The plaster wall must be prepared thoroughly in order for the repair to look seamless and to ensure its permanence. All traces of loose plaster should be removed with a soft brush and the wall should be completely dry to the touch.

Step Two - Prepare the Filler

By far, the easiest way to repair plaster walls is to purchase a ready-mixed plaster filler, which can be obtained from any reputable home improvement retailer. These fillers guarantee that they will not shrink, crack or lose adhesion to the repair. Follow the manufacturer guidelines before commencing on your repair.

Step Three - Apply the Filler

Use a filling knife or a trowel (depending on the scale of the wall to be repaired) to apply the filler into the repair, ensuring an even pressure is maintained and the action is a smooth upward motion. When the filler is flush with the surrounding wall, finish off the surface by wetting your float and gliding it over the surface of the filler. If more than one glide of the float is required, remember to clean and wet the float before repeating. This will ensure that the surface will be smooth and silky.

Step Four - Finishing the Filler

When the ready-mixed plaster feels firm to the touch but is not yet completely hard, repeat the wet float process again to finish your wall repair to a high standard. It is worth mentioning at this point that if you are struggling to achieve a perfectly smooth finish, you can purchase a finishing skim product. As the name suggests, it will skim the surface of your walls up to 3 mm in depth and will level any rough or uneven plaster. This product is usually applied with a paint brush and a special skimming tool is used to polish it to a fine finish.

Step Five - Let the Wall Dry

It is recommended to let your plaster wall repair dry for a period of approximately twenty four hours, to ensure it will not be damaged in the decorating stage. If you decided to use an extra skimming coat of filler, this will require a further twenty four hours of drying time also.

Step Six - Look after Your Tools

Plaster will dry hard on your filling knife and float if not cleaned thoroughly, so the use of warm water and detergent will ensure that your tools are ready to use the next time your plaster needs repairing.