How to Repair Plaster

Posted on January 1st, 2009 by monsterguide

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Plaster cracks are very common in older homes. Plaster is used in many homes as it is both durable and gives a good-looking surface finish. However, eventually, the plaster will develop cracks that will make the entire wall look bad.

You can make small repairs to these cracks, but then, the cracks always have a tendency to reappear. Therefore, it is better to make a small crack a big one and solve the entire problem in one shot. This is because you can repair bigger cracks with a permanent solution, which you cannot do with a smaller crack.

The best material to use to fill up cracks is plaster of Paris. This is because plaster of Paris will not shrink as it dries.

Materials required

Utility knife
Vacuum cleaner
Plaster of Paris or premixed plaster repair compound
Paintbrushes
Scraper or trowel
Wood block
Medium- or fine-grade sandpaper
Primer and paint

Instructions

Take the utility knife and cut away the loose plaster. Make a wider opening in the crack. Remove all debris and other particles from the wall. Take care so that you do not damage the structure of the wall itself. You can use a vacuum cleaner to move away the loose plaster.
Take plaster of Paris and water and mix the two until you obtain a thick mixture. Take a wet paintbrush and dip it in the plaster of Paris. Apply the compound into the crack of the wall. Make sure you reach the full depth of the wall. Smooth the surface of the wall with a scraper or a trowel. Leave the plaster of Paris to dry for the next 24 hours.
After the plaster has dried completely, smoothen it with the help of medium or fine grade sandpaper. You can do this easily if you wrap the sand paper around a wooden block. If necessary, you can wet the plaster wait for another 24 hours, and sand it again.
This area can be now primed with a thin coat of primer or paint. Paint the entire wall when the primer has dried. In the end, the job will look even and neat.

Tips and warnings

Wear gloves if necessary to avoid cutting yourself when you are using the knife.
Make sure that the paintbrushes and other wooden items do not have splinters, as they might get stuck in your finger while you are working and cause serious pain.
Let the plaster dry completely before using sandpaper. If the plaster has not dried after 24 hours, wait for a few more hours.