All of our walls in the home we bought are plaster…how do you fix the cracks and broken sections? I’ve heard from contractors that patching with sheetrock and fiberglass tape is the best method, any thoughts? Also, most contractors suggest using a product called “Master of Plaster” as opposed to joint compounds.
I have only done this a few times. Make sure that all of the loose plaster is down and the paint is scrapped well in crack areas. Fill in the area of missing plaster with sheetrock to get it close to level. The next step I use is to get a dry sheetrock mud mix from the homesupply stores and mix it with water. This mix is more of a concrete base and it does dry fast 1/2 hr max. I use this to fill any big gaps. Make sure you are very close to level because this stuff is not easy to sand, you can us a wet squeege to help level it. After about an hour I will use the regular mud and tape to put the finishing coats on. Typically I will texture the whole room or house depending on the circomstances and then paint.
You will always know where the patches are and you will look right at them everytime, but once it’s painted it will be hardly noticable.
You should be able to get a detailed book from the library or Home Depot that will give more explicite instructions and diagrams.
Good Luck!
NDI
Yes, I would do as ND says, I’ve seen someone use regular mud to fill in deep cracks and it cracked all the way thru. That stuff is not made to go on thick, you have to do it in layers and it can take forever. I’ve never used the mix, but I’ve heard it was better for this type of project and it dries fast as ND said.
Weldon
the stuff ND recommends is called “water putty” at Home Depot. It works great for large and/or deep repairs as it won’t crack like drywall compound does (doesn’t shrink as it dries). But neither will it “hold” to a vertical surface like mud. You only have about 15 minutes to let it set enough to “hold” vertically before it’s too hard to smooth on. so ony use a small amount at a time.