You also can drill a 3/16″ hole through the plaster to the lath. Any movement felt under your thumb is a sign the plaster needs reinforcing. On cracks, place one thumb on the crack, and use your other hand to alternate pressing on one side of the crack and then the other. Press on the plaster to see if it’s loose. In a well-maintained home, your plaster walls and ceilings should last forever. Fix the structural issues, and any surface treatment will last.Īll plaster failure starts as small cracks, actual holes, or missing keys. By reattaching the plaster to the lath, you’re using the lath to bridge and stabilize the plaster. Repairing loose plaster is straightforward, and consists of two distinct tasks: reinforcement and cosmetic surface applications. Today, you don’t need to know how to apply three-coat plaster to repair cracks and holes.
Of all the problems affecting plaster, separation and cracking from the lath is the most common. (Gypsum was later added to the mix.) Properly installed, plaster is squeezed through spaces between the lath to form “keys” (a kind of hook) that help keep it in place. Remove ALL debris prior to your repair to be successful.Plaster-common in old houses built between 17-is usually a mixture of lime putty, sand, and animal hair applied over wood lath.
Broken plaster keys left between the plaster and lath will not allow the plaster to be pulled back into contact with the lath and to allow a new bond to be reestablished. Remove ALL loose debris from between the plaster and lath before applying the conditioner and adhesive. We are not responsible for a failed repair due to user error.
We guarantee positive results if used as directed. The distance between those two marks is how far the plaster is from the lath. Make another mark where the plaster surface meets the paperclip. Next pull the paperclip out of the hole until the “L” catches on the back side of the plaster. Then, using a marker, make a mark on the paperclip, where the plaster surface meets the paperclip. Stick the bent end of the paperclip into the hole until it hits the lath. (You may feel the drill jump a little bit if there is space between the plaster and lath.) Drill a hole through the plaster until it hits the wood lath. Straighten the long leg of a large paperclip out, then bend the tip into a 1/8” “L”. How much space is between the plaster and lath? New cracks may appear if adverse conditions continue to exist (such as plumbing leaks, roof leaks, and grading and drainage issues at the foundation). Cracks that were repaired with Plaster Magic® will not re-open. Our product does not prevent new cracks from appearing. Please keep in mind – houses continue to shift over time. It will not work on plaster applied to rock lath, wire lath, veneer plaster on blueboard, or drywall. The Plaster Magic Homeowner’s Pack, adhesive repair system was designed specifically to reattach plaster to wood lath and masonry substrates (like brick, terracotta or concrete block). 1 spray bottle (16 oz) of Plaster Magic® Conditioner.3 cartridges (10 oz) of Plaster Magic® Adhesive.This pack repairs approximately 9 linear feet of cracks or 30 ft² of loose plaster. Plaster Magic Homeowner’s Pack is a smaller repair kit for most small plaster crack repairs.