Household Repairs Hair cracks, small holes. Scrape open slightly with a beer can opener and fill with spackle. Sand smooth when dry.

Large cracks, large holes. Scrape open to 1/4" width. If possible, make the opening wider at the back than on tne surface. Dampen crack with water. Fill immediately with patching plaster. If the job is not too extensive, the plaster can be mixed with water only. The mixture hardens quickly. To slow hardening, if you are doing a big job, mix plaster with 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar.

If the lath is missing behind a hole (as where a light was installed), cut a piece of cardboard a bit larger than the hole. Insert a string through the center and knot in back. Push cardboard through hole. Center it. Hold on to string. Fill hole part way with patching plaster and when it is dry, cut string. Then fill hole rest of the way with plaster.

Very large holes if surrounding surface is irregular. Chip out loose plaster and sprinkle exposed surfaces with water. Fill with wood-fiber plaster. If hole is deep, fill hole part way and scratch plaster in criss-cross fashion with your trowel. Let set. Then fill rest of the way. When surface is completely dry, sand lightly to smooth over exposed fibers.




Page 1 2
Home > Household Repairs > I > Interior Wall, Plaster

May 23, 2012