Plaster repairs are essential for your home and office to keep it in good condition
It increases the durability and lifespan of your walls and structure. There are many ways to repair your plaster walls, but it is imperative to know the common mistakes and remedies while renovating your home.
Definition of Plaster Repairs
Plaster repairs refer to a method to protect your plaster from further damage and bring your walls back to their original shape. There are different ways to carry out repairing work of walls by applying selective material layers.
Maintenance of plaster is needed when shallow cracks appeared on your walls and ceilings. These cracks are the result of various factors: improper water-cement ratio, high temperature, shrinkage defect, and humid conditions in the vicinity.
DIYs ideas for Plaster Repairs
DIYs are preferable when the intensity of plaster damage is not severe, and the repair work is doable with little effort with the help of simple tools and methods.
Here are a few ideas for DIYs:
Repairing Cracks
Cracks spoil the appearance of a house. These cracks can damage structural elements if they are not repaired immediately. For this, you will require a few tools and a suitable joint compound to fill the holes. The tools include a scrapper, cloth, putty knife, paint, and sandpaper. Scrap the holes, clean them with a piece of cloth, use the knife to enlarge them, use sandpaper to smoothen the edges, and apply the fill.
Fixing the Holes
Sometimes, you can also use a repair kit to get the job done. But remember, there are many fillers and products available in the market, so make sure to choose a suitable one which meets your requirements.
First, you need to clean the repaired portion by removing the old paint and edges of holes. Then, dampen the area with water or any other available damp compound. It will provide good adhesiveness to your treated surface. Apply patch and plaster to fill the holes and leave it to be dry.
Common Mistakes during Plaster Repairs
A professional can repair cracks and holes more efficiently. During DIY plaster repairs, small mistakes may occur that could further damage your plaster. Therefore, it's better to hire a professional to get the job done.
Incomplete removal of dust and old plaster
It is a crucial mistake while doing DIY to repair damaged surfaces. Sometimes, the mere presence of dust or grease around the hole and crack hinders the proper bonding of filler or patch with the existing area. So, it is necessary to clean the surface thoroughly. The old plaster provides a strong bond with the structure beneath it. If it is not scrapped carefully with the chisel and scraper, the whole portion of the structure will come out while removing the plaster.
Applying an improper damp layer
The new layer needs a proper bond with the existing surface. It is imperative to apply water to the surface before filling any joint compounds. The water damps the layer and provides good bonding between the current area with the filler.
Selecting the wrong filler material
There's a multitude of materials available in the market. It is tricky to choose suitable materials for a particular work since not all are made for the purpose. There are interior and exterior fillers, and they are applied under certain conditions. Therefore, it may become confusing, but read the details on the box of the kit to make sure it works for you.
Quick Plaster Repairs to Walls
Plaster repairs to walls is an easy task. It requires some tools and materials to make the appearance of your house better. You can renovate your walls within no time if you know the proper techniques. Here is a quick way to repair cracks and holes in your walls.
Tools and Materials Required for Plaster Repairs to Walls
- Putty Knife or Trowel
- Mixing tray
- Sandpaper or sponge
- Joint compound or pre-mixed plaster
- Primer and Paint
- Drier
7 Steps for Quick Plaster Repairs to Walls
Step 1: Clean your cracks and holes
Clean your repaired surface first. It looks like an unnecessary task in plaster repairs, but it is a much-needed step. If cracks and holes aren't clean, it will not allow the joining compound to make a good bonding with old plaster.
If you have a vacuum at your place, use it to clear all dust and debris in cracks and holes. Make sure you have cleaned it thoroughly so that no dust particles are left behind.
Step 2: Wet Your Treated Surface
Start by moistening your cracks and holes in the wall to increase the adhesiveness in the old plaster. You can use water for this or any other available adhesive at your home. There are special adhesives available in the market for this purpose.
Step 3: Preparing joint compound
The required materials you'll need for this task vary according to their quick-setting time property. It can range from 20, 45, and 90 minutes joint compounds are available in the market. You should pick at least 45 minutes because it will provide enough time to complete your filling work.
Take material in the tray - a rectangular is preferable - mix it with the right proportion of water. Keep adding water and joining the compound until you get a peanut butter-like consistency.
Step 4: Fill the Cracks and Holes
After mixing water into the jointing compound, your race with the time starts. You have to fill all your fault surfaces within the mentioned time of your joint compound.
Pick a putty knife or trowel - whichever you feel better to handle - and take a small amount of putty - you just prepared - to fill the cracks and holes. Make sure you fill your faulty surfaces and smoothening them with the knife.
Step 5: Let it dry
Use a plaster dryer to speed up your plaster repairs to the walls. It will dry your fresh filling in no time. But do not over-dry your putty because it can burn it and make your task difficult. If you do not have a plaster dryer, you can leave your surface to nature to dry itself. But you have to possess little patience for it.
Step 6: Rub your filled surfaces with sandpaper or sponge
You can use either 120-grit sandpaper or a sponge to make your surface even with the old plaster. Do not use sandpaper or sponge more than required because it may tear your fill. Better to go for sandpaper since it will make your task easier and time-saving.
Step 7: Paint your walls well and cover up your plaster repairs to the walls
The final step is to give your treated surface the same look like your old wall. You do not want others to notice that you just repaired your walls. Use the same pigment or colour to give your walls the exact appearance.
Plasterboard Repairs: Repairing the holes in Plasterboard walls and hollow doors
Repairing holes in plasterboard and hollow doors requires precession and proper tools. For plasterboard repairs, you need tools, materials, and skills. However, every hole is different from others. Especially hollow doors are the most difficult ones. In this guide, we will walk you through the whole process of repairing holes in the plasterboard, from enlarging the holes to placing the adhesives for filling it and giving a finishing job. So without further ado, let’s dive into the details.
The fragile nature of the plasterboard and hollow doors makes it prone to damages. The holes can appear even if you slightly hit it when you move some furniture. It is also true for the hollow doors; the void in the door's centre makes them easily damageable.
Another factor that complicates this problem is this void is impractical to fill with any filler. Since there is nothing to which it will stick to we will need more than fillers.
Using a piece of plasterboard to do the repairs:
Precautionary checks before you start plasterboard repairs:
Before you start cutting the plasterboard for repairs, make sure there are no wires, pipes, or other sensitive items that may be accidentally cut. You can use a wire detector or any other such tool for this purpose.
Slice up the plasterboard hole into a square:
The first step in the plasterboard repairs is cutting the edges to give it a square shape. When doing so, make sure you cut the edges up to the part there are cracks. You can use a pad saw or hobby knife for that purpose.
Slice up the repair patch:
Since you have widened the hole, you need to use the plasterboard of the same size that fits in properly. For that purpose, you should measure and cut the patch. Make sure that it passes through the hole.
Screw into the centre of the patch:
At this stage, you should drill the centre of the patch and screw it. The screw will help position the patch until it dries. Upon the drying of the patch, you will have to push it out into the wall void.
Adding Adhesiveness:
To make sure that the patch stays in its place, add some adhesive to it. Apply the adhesive all around the patch. You can use any heavy-duty construction adhesive.
Placing the patch in the hole:
Hold the pitch from the screw and tilt it inside the hole. Divide it properly so that the patch holds firmly. Give gentle pressure when moving the adhesive so that the bond firmly stays with the wall.
Leave the patch for a while so that it can dry off. After that, you can push out the screw into the wall void. Then you'll have to leave it for another 24 hours to dry off completely.
Filling the hole to complete your plasterboard repairs:
After the adhesive dry’s off, you need to fill the hole with a decent filler. Use the trowel tool for this purpose. After you fill the surface, use the same trowel tool to make the surface flat.
Plaster repairs for ceilings: Avoiding these mistakes
Plaster damages on the ceiling can get worse pretty fast if not repaired timely and fitly. Plaster on the ceiling maintains the great looks and protects your property from risks of all sorts. Minor cracks are repairable by the owner himself. However, it is better to call a plaster repair professional for sagging, plaster breakages, and other complex damages. Therefore, whenever the plaster repairs for ceilings are in process, it is essential to avoid these major mistakes.
Major mistakes to avoid during plaster repairs for ceilings:
Fix the underlying issue first: Mistake One Plaster repairs for ceilings
If you need plaster repairs for ceilings, you have to avoid mistakes. Before we start fixing a damaged plaster and restoring it to its original condition, it is essential to find the underlying issue. If you have sagging plasterboards, it is a sign of the damage behind the plaster. Mostly it is due to water leakage, which softens the wood of the lath. The softened wood is unable to hold the plaster, thereby sagging it. If somehow you repair the plasterboard before finding out the base problem, you may end up further complicating the issue.
The problem of mould and bacteria is also familiar with sagging plaster. Remember that plaster itself is not something the mould is fed on; the water leakage is responsible and sets the breeding ground for mould. If the same is left untreated, the mould can grow into the studs, drywall, and any other material attached to it. The leaks can also waste the water.
The sagging can also be caused due to settling of the house. If the settling is the cause of the cracks and repairs, remember that it can also cause damage to the other parts of the house. A sagging plaster is a sign that it is time to check the house's foundation for any problems. If you have spotted the root cause of sagging, it is always better to solve the problem before repairing the plaster.
Do not try placing the soft plaster back to position:
Another mistake that most people make - when they try saving money - is putting back the softened plaster to its place and using adhesive to stick it. The result is the problem only gets worse. In addition to not resolving the primary cause, they repair the sagged plaster only to see it falling apart again. Therefore, it is essential to remember and avoid pushing back the crumbling plaster back into its place. Replacing it with a new one is a viable option.
Remove the plaster carefully:
Another huge mistake is not being careful enough while removing the damaged plaster. If repair work is not done carefully, you may end up damaging the other sides of the wall. Use the utility knife to cut the damaged areas of the plaster. Do not vacuum the loose and crumbling plaster because this can pull out the whole portion of the plastering attached to the ceiling.
If you end up finding yourself in a similar situation, it is always better to call an expert to restore the sagging plaster.
