4 Useful Tips to Remember When Repairing Holes in Plaster
Posted on: 17 March 2016
You may not need to call a plasterer to help you to fix a small crack or hole in an interior wall of your home—you can perform that repair by yourself if you have the right tools. This article discusses some helpful tips that will guide you so that the repair job is a success.
Wet the Wall
It is important to wet the section of the wall you are repairing before you apply new plaster in the crack or hole. Dry wall may absorb the water from the newly applied plaster very quickly, which can prevent new plaster from curing well. It is therefore better to pour some water on the wall section where you are going to work before you begin patching the cracked plaster.
Widen Hairline Cracks
Hairline cracks may hide a wider area where the plaster has been dislodged in the wall. It is therefore a good idea to widen tiny cracks so that you can clean out all the loose plaster underneath that crack. A wider crack also creates a bigger surface onto which the new plaster can adhere.
Don't Overfill Cracks
Many homeowners will instinctively trowel patching plaster into a crack or hole until the repaired area is flush with the rest of the wall. However, you will also need to apply a joint compound on the plastered surface. If the plaster completely fills the crack or hole, the joint compound will make the patched area form a visible bulge on the repaired plaster. It is better to leave a few millimeters in the hole so that the joint compound makes the repaired area even with the rest of the wall.
Use a Dust Sheet
As you repair the crack in the plaster, do not forget your floor materials (linoleum sheets, for example). The plaster may ruin the flooring if you do not take precautions to protect that floor as you work. A dust sheet is one of the easiest things that you can use to protect the floor as you work. Buy one from a hardware store near you and place it on the floor around your work area. It will capture any debris before that debris damages the floor.
For better results, hire a domestic plasterer, such as JDP Interior Linings, to repair your plaster if it has developed extensive defects, such as large holes caused by furniture bumping against the plaster.
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