plaster mix and repairing plaster
#1
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plaster mix and repairing plaster
Hi,
So I've found all the plaster that has detached from the lath and used some loctite construction adhesive to reattach that, I've opened all cracks up and cleaned away any loose plaster. However, there's a lot of plaster missing from the lath around the door frames. In a few days I'm hiring someone to replace the ceiling, skim coat the room and put a skip trowel finish on as well as show me how to do this so I can do it throughout the rest of the house.
I want to use plaster to repair these gaps so it will be ready for a skim coat but I'm not sure what the best mix or product is to use. Searching through the forums it seems as if Durabond is a popular product and Plaster of Paris seems to get some talk since it expands upon drying but those are the only two that really seem to be discussed. I want these base repairs to be made using plaster or something very similar, no drywall, no tape (I will use fiberglass mesh for the cracks) and hopefully it dries so that after 2 days I can skim coat over it. If I have to buy a 25lbs bag of something I'm OK with that.
Thanks
mods: you can move this post to Patching and Plastering
So I've found all the plaster that has detached from the lath and used some loctite construction adhesive to reattach that, I've opened all cracks up and cleaned away any loose plaster. However, there's a lot of plaster missing from the lath around the door frames. In a few days I'm hiring someone to replace the ceiling, skim coat the room and put a skip trowel finish on as well as show me how to do this so I can do it throughout the rest of the house.
I want to use plaster to repair these gaps so it will be ready for a skim coat but I'm not sure what the best mix or product is to use. Searching through the forums it seems as if Durabond is a popular product and Plaster of Paris seems to get some talk since it expands upon drying but those are the only two that really seem to be discussed. I want these base repairs to be made using plaster or something very similar, no drywall, no tape (I will use fiberglass mesh for the cracks) and hopefully it dries so that after 2 days I can skim coat over it. If I have to buy a 25lbs bag of something I'm OK with that.
Thanks
mods: you can move this post to Patching and Plastering
Last edited by illegalsmile; 09-11-12 at 10:55 AM.
#2
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Durabond is a drywall product but it's what I always use for plaster repairs. It dries hard and can be a bear to sand so it always pays to apply it in a manner that won't require much [if any] sanding.
We have a member that is a plaster pro and hopefully he'll be along later with some good advice for you.
We have a member that is a plaster pro and hopefully he'll be along later with some good advice for you.
#3
Member
Since you are hiring someone to show you how to do it. Do it the way he shows you and use the material he uses, unless it is a drying kind of joint compound. If he starts using that then he does not know anything about plaster.
I would not use Durabond only because I like plaster better. Real plain old gypsum plaster to mix with sand is hard to get in most markets so I use StructoLite or Gypsolite for the base coat. For a smooth as glass shiny finish I like Diamond Finish or Cal-coat finish. You could sure use Durabond or EasySand or something like it for a finish. If you spray it with water just as it sets and trowel it down you can slick it down almost as shiny as plaster materials.
Keep the edges of the existing work clean. When you are finished there should be no overlap of material. It should end up exactly flush. You might leave a film of the new material on the existing paint. Wipe it off when it is dry.
There are a lot of post here with more detail on how to do this. But you have someone to show you in real life which is even better. Though you might learn that it is not as easy as he or she will make it look.
I would not use Durabond only because I like plaster better. Real plain old gypsum plaster to mix with sand is hard to get in most markets so I use StructoLite or Gypsolite for the base coat. For a smooth as glass shiny finish I like Diamond Finish or Cal-coat finish. You could sure use Durabond or EasySand or something like it for a finish. If you spray it with water just as it sets and trowel it down you can slick it down almost as shiny as plaster materials.
Keep the edges of the existing work clean. When you are finished there should be no overlap of material. It should end up exactly flush. You might leave a film of the new material on the existing paint. Wipe it off when it is dry.
There are a lot of post here with more detail on how to do this. But you have someone to show you in real life which is even better. Though you might learn that it is not as easy as he or she will make it look.
Last edited by tightcoat; 09-11-12 at 03:10 PM.
#4
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"Though you might learn that it is not as easy as he or she will make it look."
I can just about guarantee that
I can just about guarantee that
#5
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Wow, thanks for the information and direction. Luckily (or not), I was unable to find durabond at either Lowes or Home Depot yesterday and worked on another project. The person that's showing me said he's, over the years, devised his own plaster recipe so I will just wait until then and find out what he uses!
#7
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I hope your craftsman is not too secretive about his formula and I, too, hope you will share the formula. I am always on the lookout for something new or faster or better or cheaper or easier to use or easier to get or more fun.