Help replastering! Help me save some $$$!
#1
Help replastering! Help me save some $$$!
Thanks for listening to this post...
I have just moved into an apartment that is part of a house in lovely Long Island City, NY.
There are lots of little spackle jobs throughout the house that I feel reasonably confident fixing myself. However, the main bedroom has serious plaster damage.
I am a newbie to all this, so I won't be using the proper technical terms, I'm sure. Bear with me. Basically, there seems to have been some damage to the plaster on the walls and the cieling. The landlord scraped off all the damaged plaster, so there are sections of plaster that are still good and areas that have been scraped down to a very smooth surface (it doesn't feel like drywall, more like smooth stone) about 1/16th of an inch below the plaster.
My landlord wants me to put plaster up to cover the damage, in exchange for which I get two months free rent (not inconsiderable in New York City). But besides some spackling experience, I have no idea how to do this! How do I begin?
Thanks for your help!
Sacco
I have just moved into an apartment that is part of a house in lovely Long Island City, NY.
There are lots of little spackle jobs throughout the house that I feel reasonably confident fixing myself. However, the main bedroom has serious plaster damage.
I am a newbie to all this, so I won't be using the proper technical terms, I'm sure. Bear with me. Basically, there seems to have been some damage to the plaster on the walls and the cieling. The landlord scraped off all the damaged plaster, so there are sections of plaster that are still good and areas that have been scraped down to a very smooth surface (it doesn't feel like drywall, more like smooth stone) about 1/16th of an inch below the plaster.
My landlord wants me to put plaster up to cover the damage, in exchange for which I get two months free rent (not inconsiderable in New York City). But besides some spackling experience, I have no idea how to do this! How do I begin?
Thanks for your help!
Sacco
#2
Member
Do you have some idea of the age of the building. Are the affected walls outside wall? Inside? Both?
The fact that 1/16" of material was removed and the undersurface is smooth puzzles me. It's possible that you have a smooth plaster wall that has had some kind of material applied over it. This could be plaster or joint compound or something else. Is the remaining existing smooth? Textured? Sandy?
I think what you should do is cover the recessed areas with quick setting joint compound such as EasySand by USG. The number on the bag indicates set time in minutes; probabaly go with 90 or 120. This will bond to most things and can still be sanded. It might take more than one coat to build it out but you can apply a second coat as soon as the first gets hard or in about 90 minutes or 120 minutes respectively. When it is dry not, not merely set, then sand it smooth or texture to match and prime and paint.
I recommend this material because it is amateur friendly more than plaster.
Maybe to be sure try a small area and make sure it bonds and that it doesn't loosen more material around the edges of the patch. About how may square feet do you have and what percentage of the wall is involved?
The fact that 1/16" of material was removed and the undersurface is smooth puzzles me. It's possible that you have a smooth plaster wall that has had some kind of material applied over it. This could be plaster or joint compound or something else. Is the remaining existing smooth? Textured? Sandy?
I think what you should do is cover the recessed areas with quick setting joint compound such as EasySand by USG. The number on the bag indicates set time in minutes; probabaly go with 90 or 120. This will bond to most things and can still be sanded. It might take more than one coat to build it out but you can apply a second coat as soon as the first gets hard or in about 90 minutes or 120 minutes respectively. When it is dry not, not merely set, then sand it smooth or texture to match and prime and paint.
I recommend this material because it is amateur friendly more than plaster.
Maybe to be sure try a small area and make sure it bonds and that it doesn't loosen more material around the edges of the patch. About how may square feet do you have and what percentage of the wall is involved?
#3
Hey tight, thanks for the reply.
No idea of the age, but probably pre-1950. All the walls in question are interior.
The "plaster" or whatever it is applied over the smooth surface is smooth on the walls, textured on the ceiling.
Let me try to describe the exposed surface - it's very smooth, and is colored yellowish. It looks old. There's one chink in this smooth surface. It reveals some sort of granular stone behind or inside it.
Square feet - probably about 300 square feet, anywhere between 50-60% of the total areas.
Okay, so let's say I use joint compound - is that the same thing as spackle? Or plaster? Like I said, I know NOTHING. Is it a different product? If so, what's the difference?
Thanks for your advice...let me know if this new info can help you elaborate. Contractors came in today to look it over, and they said they wanted $1000, which strikes me as a bit ridiculous...or am I wrong?
Thanks,
Sacco
No idea of the age, but probably pre-1950. All the walls in question are interior.
The "plaster" or whatever it is applied over the smooth surface is smooth on the walls, textured on the ceiling.
Let me try to describe the exposed surface - it's very smooth, and is colored yellowish. It looks old. There's one chink in this smooth surface. It reveals some sort of granular stone behind or inside it.
Square feet - probably about 300 square feet, anywhere between 50-60% of the total areas.
Okay, so let's say I use joint compound - is that the same thing as spackle? Or plaster? Like I said, I know NOTHING. Is it a different product? If so, what's the difference?
Thanks for your advice...let me know if this new info can help you elaborate. Contractors came in today to look it over, and they said they wanted $1000, which strikes me as a bit ridiculous...or am I wrong?
Thanks,
Sacco
#4
Member
You wrote:
Let me try to describe the exposed surface - it's very smooth, and is colored yellowish. It looks old. There's one chink in this smooth surface. It reveals some sort of granular stone behind or inside it.
How smooth? Almost like glass? Can you see any grain at all in it? This sounds like smooth plaster over a brown coat.
Then you wrote:
Okay, so let's say I use joint compound - is that the same thing as spackle? Or plaster? Like I said, I know NOTHING. Is it a different product? If so, what's the difference?
Joint compound is not spackle though I understand in some parts of the country it is called spackle. If you use a setting joint compound. Joint compound is not plaster but setting compound is more like plaster than is the other kind.
I repeat:
I think what you should do is cover the recessed areas with quick setting joint compound such as EasySand by USG. The number on the bag indicates set time in minutes; probabaly go with 90 or 120. This will bond to most things and can still be sanded. It might take more than one coat to build it out but you can apply a second coat as soon as the first gets hard or in about 90 minutes or 120 minutes respectively. When it is dry not, not merely set, then sand it smooth or texture to match and prime and paint.
I recommend this material because it is amateur friendly more than plaster.
Maybe you should hire it done. What did the contractor say they would do? How much floor and window protection is needed? How many flights of stairs must they climb? It takes some skill to join the old to the new. I think $1000. sounds a little steep but I'm not there and I haven't seen the conditions. They might also know more about the underlying conditions than I do.
Keep in mind the return on your expense. How much of the two month's rent is 1000?
Let me try to describe the exposed surface - it's very smooth, and is colored yellowish. It looks old. There's one chink in this smooth surface. It reveals some sort of granular stone behind or inside it.
How smooth? Almost like glass? Can you see any grain at all in it? This sounds like smooth plaster over a brown coat.
Then you wrote:
Okay, so let's say I use joint compound - is that the same thing as spackle? Or plaster? Like I said, I know NOTHING. Is it a different product? If so, what's the difference?
Joint compound is not spackle though I understand in some parts of the country it is called spackle. If you use a setting joint compound. Joint compound is not plaster but setting compound is more like plaster than is the other kind.
I repeat:
I think what you should do is cover the recessed areas with quick setting joint compound such as EasySand by USG. The number on the bag indicates set time in minutes; probabaly go with 90 or 120. This will bond to most things and can still be sanded. It might take more than one coat to build it out but you can apply a second coat as soon as the first gets hard or in about 90 minutes or 120 minutes respectively. When it is dry not, not merely set, then sand it smooth or texture to match and prime and paint.
I recommend this material because it is amateur friendly more than plaster.
Maybe you should hire it done. What did the contractor say they would do? How much floor and window protection is needed? How many flights of stairs must they climb? It takes some skill to join the old to the new. I think $1000. sounds a little steep but I'm not there and I haven't seen the conditions. They might also know more about the underlying conditions than I do.
Keep in mind the return on your expense. How much of the two month's rent is 1000?
#5
The exposed surface is really, really smooth. No grain. The exposed area is at least 60% of ONE wall.
I think I will stroll down to Home Depot, buy some Joint Compound, and give your advice a shot.
Actually, they're paying for all materials or contractors, as long as the price is reasonable. They're really nice people (obviously) so I want to save them dough by doing it myself.
Thanks...let me know if anything else occurs to you....
Sacco
I think I will stroll down to Home Depot, buy some Joint Compound, and give your advice a shot.
Actually, they're paying for all materials or contractors, as long as the price is reasonable. They're really nice people (obviously) so I want to save them dough by doing it myself.
Thanks...let me know if anything else occurs to you....
Sacco