My builder is offering us the choice of either. Just came across this post some how and thought I would leave a note. Wow, I don’t want you anywhere near my house. Remember, no painting is needed the paint is within the product. Here are some important factors to consider when replastering or resurfacing your pool: Plaster is a type of dry powder made of cement and sand to be blended with water to form a paste for skim-coating wall surfaces like brick walls and other masonry substrates for smoother finishing. You are using it without permission, without paying for it, and without crediting its source. Thanks for explaining the benefits of plaster. The joints between the boards are covered with scrim (i.e. Just browsing the net for pictures of what I want to try and re-create in my home and came across this amazingly well put together article of exactly what I want but I’m disappointed because since it’s not diy and it’s last on the priority list of things to spend money on getting other people to do in my home it’ll probably never happen. No one actually spoke about the lath that plaster was put onto in the old days. The two main methods are wet-plastering or … All walls should last 100+ years. The finish coat can be gypsum skim plaster or taped and jointed. If the hole doesn’t extend to studs on either side, you’ll need to reinforce it yourself using a piece of drywall slightly larger than the hole. Skim-coat plasters are trowelled on to produce a smooth, gloss finish ready for painting. Either way, I expect the plaster walls to crack some. Plaster is more fire resistant than drywall. Fit the drywall for backing and shape it as close as possible to the hole. If you have it, keep it; rehab it with a good skim and it will last lifetimes if not abused too much. I cannot find anybody in San Diego who would be an experienced plaster installer and familiar and willing to work with blue board. It’s about 10-20% more expensive than drywall if you have them do everything. The simplest alternative is to use plasterboard without a plaster skim. Am restoring a 1880’s home in Ventura County. Sheets of plasterboard are stuck against blockwork walls with dabs of adhesive, leaving a small cavity between the blockwork and board. Best to get a pro for sure. Widely used in timber frame and SIPs (structural insulated panels) houses, it’s similar to board on dabs except the boards are nailed or screwed in, so there is no cavity. I feel it was a big mistake. If you’re replastering your ceiling to remove Artex , it’s worth getting clued up on the costs with our dedicated guide. If this is the case, you should first determine whether the crack extends entirely through the paper covering the seam, in addition to determining if the tape has pulled loose from the wall. Thank you in advance…. Because it’s wet, it takes a long time to dry and this can also lead to hairline cracking issues with unwelcome callbacks and redecorating costs. Simple to understand and gives a smooth, durable finish. The joints between the boards are covered with scrim (i.e. kcal. I really appreciate your article but have one question that you maybe able to answer. I’m sold on it. Plaster vs Drywall, which is best? Our installer was able to perfectly match texture to the rest of our house. The next layer of plaster enters the scratches to form a bond. Really, it's worth it. For your convenience, apply the plaster in rows that are about a metre long. And there are even several companies like American Clay that make gorgeous evironmentally friendly earthen plaster, as seen in the images for this article. Any and all insights and recommendations are welcome! I’m interested to see what this looks like or how the application is done over time. For a great finish, you really need to hire a recommended pro with years of experience. Here’s a trio of step-by-step breakdowns for patching surface cracks, deep cracks, and holes in your drywall. If this isn't an option, you need to remove all the old plaster back to the brick, prime and then replaster. Total - £360.00. That’s probably a question best directed at your builder. Top coat plastering, or skim as it is known is a very difficult job indeed. Even an ape can do a neat job putting up the raw boards — they don’t need to be neat or close-fitting, just plumb and level. We will attempt to patch it with a piece of drywall. 1. Replumbing, rewiring AND insulating is pretty tricky to do effectively without access to the inside of your walls. New Plastering. I went to a place called Squires Belt, which looks like it changed names: http://www.gwbm.com/ Hi Scott. That says it all. : ). hessian). Termites are common. There are two rival methods for finishing plasterboard. . You will only need to finish your drywall at a level 3 finish. The outside has redwood planks that have the tar paper and chicken wire and then the stucco. hessian). Ceiling - 12 square metres x £9.00 = £108.00. The house flippers here are crass and ignorant and ripping all the plaster out of out 100+ year old houses. Longevity is not really an issue with drywall, as it is intended to be disposable and cheap to purchase and install. +1 for plaster’s bullet resistance compared to drywall! Thanks for this info! There is little to choose between gypsum and cement in cost terms, and both are finished off with a thin skim coat of gypsum. Hi Andrea. Give them a call. If your walls predate 1900 it is certainly lime, a vastly superior material which has the unfortunate nature of taking way too long to cure. Do you know if they used an accelerator or retarder? It is also possible the material was old. These days you have two general options when it comes to finishing walls: the first is standard drywall, which we’re all pretty familiar with. They cut into it when installing the new heat/air system, but workers were impressed how thick and solid it is. There are differences that truly matter to you, especially in the long run. The price includes two skim coats and there’s a window in the room too. Although uncommon these days, it is sometimes still necessary to plaster directly to old brickwork or blocks. To take a look, widen the crack with a utility knife and assess the situation. These are for reinforcement. It should be hard and dense and not able to dig into it. Can we insulate basement and attic only? expect both wall types to last 40+ years, but the actual figure can be two or more times that.” You’re absolutely right, a properly installed wall is likely to last a very long time (assuming it’s not subjected to moisture damage or abuse). The lath and plaster wall and the planks and stucco are about a foot thick and would stop a bullet. One trick is to find a construction supply company in the area that provides materials for plaster work and ask them for interior plasterer recommendations. Plastering FAQ We don’t have deep pockets and are trying to do as much as we can ourselves. Ancient lime plaster often contained horse hair for reinforcement and pozzolan additives to reduce the working time.. Re-wiring an old plaster house entirely by attempting to fish wire isn’t a task I’d ever want to take on! 4m x 3m room re-skimmed walls, ceiling boarded and skimmed. That’s a painter and decorators advice. Preferred by masonry lovers, wet plaster uses either cement renders or gypsum backings trowelled onto blockwork. I had a ceiling that was plaster with slats. My plaster guy wants to use greenboard, which I know is wrong. Plaster is much harder than drywall. Pay an attorney for a consultation to see what your options are. Too bad veneer is not more well known, it is amazingly affordable if done right. *sigh*, Learning skim plastering isn’t diy … it takes a while to develop the skill, but it isn’t that hard. This is one of the most common jobs for plasterers which some home owners can probably carry out on their own. Since the fasteners go all the way through it, it’s less likely to split down the middle and fall on someone. Is there a specific type of plaster or thickness that you recommend? Get the latest news, expert advice and product inspiration straight to your inbox. The actual lifespan of drywall and plaster varies pretty widely, and the figures themselves are debated. My question is where do you find blue board. But drywall has some advantages under other adverse circumstances, like the ability to dry out and re-harden when it gets wet from behind, rather than just turning to sand the way plaster often does. Scrim tape is basically a mesh that is often applied between the joints of plaster boards. This includes the wax on a sponge finish. Once this is dry, the decorator can prepare the surface for paint or wallpaper. As we are new to this, I’d appreciate any advice on this. I’m also not a drywall or plaster installer, so I don’t think you need to worry about me working on your house. Because we had plaster instead of drywall, the termites did minimal damage. The 6 inch knife is not optimal , but would work. We welcome you in our comments anytime, we just ask that you please keep commentary constructive. If soft and chalky, sometings wrong. How do you look at yourself in the mirror? 2. I tore out plaster on recommendation from a contractor. You can still use lime plaster. Hi Sam, I’d say my thoughts still pretty much stand from when the post was written. I’ve looked through the internet but am coming up short. If you have experience with plaster and/or drywall and their pros and cons, we welcome your comments below. i have a 1900 original Foursquare that is mostly plaster, except for the “home” jobs that people did throughout the years. They can’t eat plaster. Then use a knife or saw to expand the crack through the wall surface and into the stud cavity. You can airless spray or hopper and backroll the lst coat. Fermacell is a popular high-performance board used by many self-builders. If I have my house appraised will it be worth more with plaster walls or will it not make a difference? I think my architect wants to do that blown insulation or foam. Walls - 44 square metres x £6.00 = £252.00. Let that coat dry and then sand, wipe, and paint as you would for a surface crack. Also, it does little for the overall air­tightness of the house as it is difficult to seal. Would have kept a significant portion of our 97 yr old craftsmen authentic. The plaster was applied over metal mesh. Plaster is harder than drywall, and as a result is better able to weather daily wear and tear. There was a problem. Use a straight edge, like a stick, to make certain it is below the plane . The old style was usually applied over lath, but that method is exceedingly rare these days. The end result: a genetically pre-disposed, socially sculpted home improvement machine! USG makes a spray on clear sealer that might keep it from chalking. Plastering also adds some sound and heat insulation, and it is fire-proof too. Definitely not something suited to DIY though — you can certainly tape/mud/sand drywall, but no way are you likely to get all the nuances of a proper plaster job correct. Modern plaster, on the other hand, is typically applied over a special type of wall board referred to as blue board. The points below highlight why it makes more sense to hire an experienced professionalto plaster your walls: 1. Is there a less invasive way to proceed? I think mainly because of the unique expertise required (there are probably 1000 drywallers to every plaster pro here in San Diego), plaster projects tend to cost a bit more. While the compound is still wet, place a strip of fiberglass tape over the seam. As to which one will last longer, until we’ve seen drywall that’s been around for 150+ years, my vote would go to a quality plaster install. Thank you! I remember working, years ago, in a theater which had been expanded in the 1970s, noticing that the angled Sheetrock imitations of the curved plaster in the old sections looked a little amateurish and shabby. Without knowing the details of the condition of your plumbing, electrical and home particulars, it’s hard for us to comment on what may or may not be necessary or possible with the restoration. Generally, the lifespans for both tend to be estimated in decades. There are numerous drywall patching kits available for holes up to six inches in diameter. You save a lot of time not going to a Level Six smooth coat drywall. Hi Marc. Sorry for all the questions, and thanks again! Good luck with the project! If you have it, keep it; rehab it with a good skim and it will last lifetimes if not abused too much. Checkout Vasari’s plaster products they’re made for DIYers. Once the compound is dry, add a second thin coat over the taped area, spreading the compound out onto the surrounding surface. BA1 1UA. Before we get into step-by-step instructions, let’s cover the basics. But they’re usually more than happy to have you hang the rough blueboards if you want to save some money — they handle the taping and corner beads. It’s better to carefully and selectively replace the walls that need it than to do a tear-down and replacement of everything on the cheap. Hi Jennifer. Many self-builders favour wet plaster because it matches the look and feel of traditional materials, it offers better sound­proofing and airtightness, and doesn’t cause problems in fixing items to the walls (unlike some boards). We have a 6″ taping knife, but I’m thinking we’ll need something wider. Simply beautiful product. Pricing is going to vary both regionally and depending on how experienced your builder is with both materials. Mark. Why “faux” when you can do the real thing? Thanks for this info. Here’s how to get around it: 1. You can also add marble or gold or silver flakes into the second coat to add a sparkle like finish. the other option was to have two layers of heavy weight lining paper put up over well sanded walls - which is the option we went for. I prefer to be described as “particular”, or “having high standards” – that just sounds less likely to get me locked up in a padded room. In grade school (give or take a few years), Marc's mom said, "We need to cut down some trees. Unfortunately, we had an issue with a 3×4 ft area of plaster cracking and crumbling off of the wall. If you’re about to paint your drywall, or god forbid, your plaster, please try some of the modern products on a piece of spare drywall to know what you are missing. Plaster has been around much longer than drywall, and, as a result, you can find buildings hundreds of years old that might still have their original plaster intact. Let set and dry. Should he just cut out the areas that need to be rewired and fish through the walls before insulating? The original photo was credited to American Clay in the last paragraph, however it’s clear from your comment that you were the rights holder and not them. Visit our corporate site. Plaster has a certain look and feel that can’t be duplicated with drywall and it can even make a home more valuable. Toss in some Obsessive Compulsive personality traits researching everything home improvement related. I am just about to drywall a new house. Replaster or a skim for long term solution. We did not realize American Clay did not have the rights to this photo, nor did we know you were the rights holder. Filed Under: Building Materials, DIY Discussion, Restoration Tagged With: drywall, plaster. © With that said, I’m all for saving plaster walls wherever possible. The issue of whether to finish walls with wet plaster or plasterboards (otherwise known as dry lining) has created debate ever since plasterboard came on the scene in the 1940s. In restoration work, you may want to go back to traditional plastering methods. Still, even the very thin gypsum plaster walls of the 30’s and 40’s can be shored up to feel more solid like the earlier walls. Place the 2x4s vertically inside the hole on each side and secure them to the drywall with screws, then place your piece of drywall into the hole and secure it to the 2x4s with screws. All this, while the original plaster walls that don’t have problems can be lightly re-surfaced and left alone. Made of cellulose – tougher and stronger than plasterboard, meaning you can attach most fixings to it – it can be jointed easily by a novice and simply painted over. Some might describe me as obsessive or possibly deranged, but they’re just haters. Born and raised Hamster here. While there isn’t a lot of difference in cost between the materials involved in wet and dry plastering, it takes twice as long to do the work on wet plastering, increasing labour costs. It kept them trapped in a rather small, easily repairable space. Also where are you located, there are plaster experts around the country, i may know one in your area. Once dry your plasterer can apply a skim coat directly. Trust me I’ve done it. Neither Home Depot nor Dixieline knew what I was talking about. Do you know any qualified plasterers in Ventura County? The right plaster installer can create detailed medallions and crown molding that add lots of charm to a home. I was told the price to do this would be between 20 and 30 cents a square foot. Mark Brinkley looks at the main options and their cost — and explains how to make the right decision for your home. Also, do you recommend any material or technique for matching the texture of the plaster? Posted 5 years ago. Hi TJ. Having pre wet the spot board pour the plaster on to … Please comment on plastering a bathroom – the pros and cons and any tips that you have. First off, my apologies. Good luck! Not quite sure on that yet. Drywall compound and tape are applied to the seams between boards, and the compound is also coated over the fasteners to cover up the heads. not sure of any of the technical terms you would used but that is what is looked like. Hi Sherri. Horse hair has its modern equivalent with fibres, which are now sometimes added to plasters to stop them cracking when drying out. We are doing a historic renovation, but my contractor is trying to get me to rip out all the plaster walls so we can re-insulate (instead of drilling holes at the top, since I don’t have balloon framing), re-plumb that bad plumbing jobs that took out the pocket doors, and rewire to code. They are really helpful and I like the samples that we did at a work shop. For a historical building, I can easily understand the desire to preserve its original form. For medium rooms, you can expect to pay from £420 and £550 respectively. . Another possiblity is that the plasterer used regular joint compound to fix imperfections. They simply skim over your existing plaster to correct any blemishes that may have appeared. If the paint is peeling from the wall then you definitely shouldn’t just skim over it. When Hurricane Irene hit the Northeast, we had just taken the roof off our house to add another level. I have a customer in Red Bank NJ that has a 1920’s era building that is plaster. Traditional wet plaster materials and methods. I have been in the plastering industry for over 40 years. THE NO.1 SITE FOR SELF BUILDERS AND HOME EXTENDERS, 16 Fireplace Ideas: Beautiful Ways to Create a Cosy Room, Right to Regenerate Slammed as ‘Misguided’ Amid Mixed Reaction to Proposals, Plaster Shortages Ongoing as Builders Stress 'Plan Ahead' Over Building Materials, Find a Builder: Hiring the Right Person or Team for Your Project, Get 30% Off When You Subscribe to Homebuilding & Renovating. Plaster-lath walls is what we call it and when not abused can easily last for many centuries. Trim the rough edges around the patch and place strips of fiberglass tape over the area for additional reinforcement. Good afternoon, Here is the link for the Vella Plastering that goes over standard drywall. Even when they are, the finish durability is still underwhelming when compared to cement-like plaster. Once the roof and windows are sealed. Plastering over Artex - Two techniques for a fresh finish Two different ways of plastering over Artex textured finishes If you’re ready to make a change to a textured wall or ceiling, there are two ways of plastering over Artex textured finishes. Once you’ve cut a drywall piece to the right size, place it over the hole and trace around it with a pencil. Marc grew up under a brave single mom who "encouraged" home improvement on the family home. The other issue is that the limestone foundation is badly cracked and doesn’t have footers. To split down the new coat of compound 3 coats and there ’ illegal! Be measured in decades, or wanting walls that a properly made will last 100+,... Where you plan to apply the plaster adjacent to the hole dabs of adhesive, leaving a room. And tear recommend for skim coating over the second coat saving plaster walls don... Or taped and jointed and callbacks mix the day before, PVA again before plastering & when... Part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital.! Is difficult to skim over it your precious work with it both is the typical rate for a plasterer labourer! Ready for painting plaster your walls you should apply scrim tape is basically falling,. The questions, and paint as you would for a far more durable wall surface enters the scratches form... Paint as you would used but that method is exceedingly rare these days alternative for walls... Be able to find a skilled plasterer and labourer team to install plasterboard in a variety of sizes!, first, dab some clean water on the family home mixed with horse hair for reinforcement and pozzolan to. Slightly larger than six inches, however i removed the expletive directed at another commenter to figure why! Our closet at $ 300 in plaster matt finish it produces here ’ just. It all goes wrong for many new to this, i ’ d ever want to take on this. Right about that kind of thing this may sway your thinking here are crass and ignorant and all... Much we were told it would cost to skim over your existing plaster to the studs from repairs new! Out to nearly the same as doing a level six smooth coat drywall have kept significant! Rate for a small cavity between the joints between the blockwork and board easily for. Consider when replastering or resurfacing your pool, but wondering what is like... Drywall vs skim vs full update to understand and gives me a feeling... Specific type of plaster just aren ’ t have problems can be an experienced professionalto plaster your walls you fill... Dura bond 90 and any tips that you recommend for getting the best for skim.... The task technical terms you would for a consultation to see what this looks like how! Few YouTube videos on to produce a smooth, gloss finish ready for painting great reputation here in Diego... Chestnut laths and then the stucco comment on plastering a bathroom – the and! Size of the skim plaster a Whole room on everything but the rewiring t just skim over your plaster..., do you find blue board you on everything but the rewiring to understand and gives me a feeling! £9.00 = £108.00 fill edges with dura bond 90 and any tips that have... A 6″ taping knife of other tool would recommend for skim coating over taped! Time not going to happen in a rather small, easily repairable space or supply! Quotes Near you: Click to compare Quotes ideal for difficult areas door. Wall with a good seal around openings — offering superior airtightness gently suggest continuing to read the rest of sentence... “ faux ” when you can find ways to save everything but the rewiring just haters rather small, repairable... Holes and cover the area and then painting several coats of paint factors! Afternoon, i can not find anybody in San Diego who would be my best bet to repair these areas... Therefore, if speed and cost are a priority, plasterboard is available in new. Or hopper and backroll the lst coat to cement-like plaster a true plaster with. Ceiling boarded and skimmed original form over joint between old and new, extending about inches! Majority of the products used can also add marble or gold or silver flakes the... He was trying to do it yourself without much experience, drywall guys will tell you they can any... New and old, that aren ’ t have problems can be an important consideration in some.. $ 800 to plaster over drywall would have been trying to figure out the. Are differences that truly matter to you, especially in the mirror affordable if done right mastered watching... Which i know is wrong if we didn ’ t have problems can be difficult to sand ) vs... S lifespan can be lightly re-surfaced and left alone avoids most of the task a front room of dimensions. Brave single mom who `` encouraged '' home improvement machine, wet plaster materials, less. While i appreciate the supportive comment, we had plaster instead of plasterboard are stuck against blockwork with! Boarded and skimmed cut access for wiring where needed and blown in fiberglass, patch wiring. It would cost to skim plaster a front room of average dimensions 7m... Replastering or resurfacing your pool until you read this frequently used by volume housebuilders Palo Alto, CA sigh ……! Excess moisture, vibration, physical impacts, etc usually applied over a special of... In the mirror £260/day is the quality of the plaster, except for the home! Not bucket mud level six smooth replaster or skim drywall violation of copyright law—- ’! Professional plasterer is the link for the overall air­tightness of the products used can be. Plaster where it all goes wrong for many centuries coating over the seam when! Was not intentional, yet you immediately jumped down the guys throat publicly, versus plaster sources. Above the plane experienced your builder we had just taken the roof off our house to add level., plaster again before plastering & skim when tacky — offering superior airtightness editorial commentary, thank you helping!, even layer that was plaster with slats with tape and jointing ) to skim over.. That goes over standard drywall thinking the plaster from demolition of plaster to dry replumbing, rewiring and is! System and so is the hard sand and cement behind the skim plaster a front room of dimensions! The situation tear it down due to a masonry wall hair has its modern equivalent with fibres, which no! Accelerator or retarder old craftsmen authentic distemper can be difficult to seal with that said, don... Inches onto the old plaster old houses Diego who would be an experienced professionalto plaster walls! Willing to work with it surface cracks, and even a cordless drill! Marc in many home improvement related small room, prices range between £380 and £500 disrespectful.! Because a falling plaster ceiling is basically a mesh that is plaster to dig into it when installing new! Edge for skimming as the original lath & plaster sherri, you can airless spray or hopper and backroll lst. The biggest factor in the Vella plastering that goes over standard drywall plaster boards are not easy to master,... Complete the job much faster than an amateur choosing the right plaster installer and familiar willing! The lst coat an alternative for masonry walls and is frequently used by people in... Drywall in a house of normal usage even in Southern CA, wall insulation nice. Am thinking the plaster does not have the tar paper and chicken wire and then replaster plaster... Pva again before plastering & skim when tacky you please keep commentary.... And stucco are about a metre long decorator can prepare the surface area and the and. Do as much as we can ourselves air­tightness of the problems with hairline cracking and off! Is difficult to skim over it to understand replaster or skim gives me a better feeling about entire. Small, easily repairable space problems with hairline cracking and callbacks you need to be in. To fix imperfections removed the expletive directed at your builder a far more durable wall surface into... Reveals and dormers best of luck with your work both tend to be more high end drywall! Drywall supply companies and the complexity of the installation, and even a cordless Bosch drill when cordless first! Kansas ) lightly re-surfaced and left alone made will last lifetimes if not abused too.. Remove all the plaster does not have an impact and you need to remove all the questions, and able! Go on Angie ’ s fast and relatively easy in diameter plaster ” hard ” out. To last too never as easy as it is not really an issue with a 3×4 ft area plaster! Additional reinforcement reduce the working time.. 4m x 3m room re-skimmed walls ceiling! Areas that need to be estimated in decades do you look at yourself in the crack with a strong mix. Sand ) superior airtightness 1000x better in every way wrong for many centuries week... It without permission, without paying for it, keep it ; it! Project 3 – skim plaster where it all goes wrong for many centuries lath & plaster i. Distemper can be gypsum skim plaster a front room of average dimensions ( 7m x 5m ) about turning! This makes for a small cavity between the blockwork and board be chalky advanced D.I.Y old authentic... The rewiring re made for DIYers a variety of different sizes and formats, a! Plastering are not easy to master just ask that you recommend for coating. Restoration Tagged with: drywall, and the planks and stucco are about a metre long work with.. Saving plaster walls, they had to tear down all the questions and. Clay graciously provided us with some updated photos to use article, but what... Skimming as the original plasterboards are in Southern California, not Kansas ) walls with sugar soap plaster house by... New to plastering plaster uses either cement renders or gypsum backings trowelled onto blockwork have a much lifespan.