Most of these tips come from those “ah ha!” moments during a plaster repair job, when you say out loud, “why didn’t I think of this before?!” Simple. Effective. Easy.

1. Use a screw as a holder. Some plaster repair jobs require you to repair the lath behind the plaster before you can even get started with the patching. Anyone who’s struggled with getting a length of repair-lath in place knows that human hands were not meant to fit into those tiny spaces. The solution? Turn a drywall screw into the piece of repair-lath, leaving about an inch for use as a handle. It works like a charm.

2. Soak the rough edges of the old plaster with Big Wally’s conditioner. This easy but important step often gets overlooked. Obviously, you need to spray into the holes you’ve drilled in the existing plaster, and you need to spray the exposed lath. But DON”T FORGET to spray the rough edges of the existing plaster that surround the hole. It’s essential to create a solid bond between old and new plaster.

3. Clean your Big Wally’s Conditioner spray bottle nozzle. The conditioner does an amazing job of prepping dry, ancient surfaces for proper adhesion. But the special formula can clog your spray bottle’s nozzle if left to dry. After each use, unscrew the spray handle from the bottle, dip the tube in water and spray it through. This will clean out the residual conditioner and assure free-flowing conditioner for many more uses.

4. When mixing Big Wally’s Patching Plaster, add water to powder. Not vice versa. It’s much easier to control the ratio this way. In the end, you want a nice peanut butter/toothpaste consistency.

Have any other tips for us? Fill us all in in the comments below. As always, you can email us at info@plastermagic.com as well. Happy plastering.

What Causes Ice Dams?

Ice dams are caused by melting snow. Melted snow, of course, gives you water. The water travels down the roof until it hits the eaves, where it tends to refreeze and cause a buildup of ice and icicles.

Snow melts simply because it is warmer than 32 degrees, or a roof’s pitch is in direct sunlight. In this case, ice dams are not as severe, as it is typically warm enough for the water to drip to the ground.

More severe ice dams occur when a home’s roof is poorly insulated. The warm air from the house melts the snow from the bottom. This can occur even in sub-freezing temperatures. The water travels down to the eaves, which are overhanging the house and thus are not being warmed by inside air, then freezes.

What’s the big deal about ice on your roof? Well, when enough ice builds up, the still-melting snow gets trapped behind the ice, allowing water to seep under shingles or metal paneling. Next comes leaks inside the house. If you have plaster ceilings and walls, they may become saturated and damaged. Hopefully it will never get to this point.

Tips to Prevent Ice Dams

As always, maintenance is the best medicine. Plaster repair should never be necessary with proper maintenance. Here are some tips to prevent ice dams:
1.) Make sure your attics and/or ceilings are well insulated and ventilated. Not only will this prevent ice dams and costly water damage, but it saves you big money in energy costs over the long run.
2.) Clear your roof of snow as soon as possible after a snowstorm. The longer you wait, the more opportunity for ice dams to build up.
3.) Install electric heating coils. Like an electric blanket for your roof,  you can zigzag these metal wires along problem areas like eaves and valleys to prevent ice from forming in the first place (see photo at left).
4.) Purchase a “roof rake”. Most roof rakes have long, retractable handles that let you reach high up the roof and “rake” the snow off. Use common sense and take proper precautions. Try to remove snow evenly, as uneven weight distribution stresses trusses.
5.) If you don’t feel that you can safely remove snow from the roof yourself, call a contractor. Snow plowing contractors will sometimes include this in their services. Otherwise, general contractors may be able to help.

Be safe and please drop us a line at info(at)plastermagic.com if you have any more questions about proper wintertime maintenance to prevent water damage.

It’s funny… we’ve been working with Big Wally’s for so long, we think we know everything there is to know. That’s why it’s so great to hear from new users with innovative tips and tricks to make plaster ceiling repair even easier (or in this case, a whole lot less messy). We would have never thought of this one…

Have a look at that photo. No, those aren’t stalactites hanging inside a cave. They’re Q-tips. A new homeowner from Cape Cod discovered that these cotton-coated sticks are not only useful for keeping your ears clean, they’re perfect for keeping your floors and work area clean while making plaster ceiling repairs.

When spraying the liquid Big Wally’s conditioner behind broken plaster on a ceiling, 10 times out of 10 you’ll get some residual drippage. Our homeowner discovered that if you stick a Q-Tip in the hole immediately after spraying in the adhesive, you’ll minimize that drippage to practically nothing. Coincidentally, the Q-Tip is a perfect fit for the 3/16″ bit we recommend for drilling.

After spraying adhesive into each hole, our homeowner went back and removed each Q-Tip, one by one, and injected Big Wally’s adhesive, replacing them as he moved from one hole to the next. When it was time to screw the clamp through the plaster and into the lath, the Q-Tips worked beautifully, forcing all the excess adhesive to squirt sideways, behind the plaster, instead of squirting out of the hole and onto your floor.

So here are those steps again…

1. Drill 3/16″ holes as usual to prepare broken plaster for conditioner and adhesive.

2. Spray conditioner into each hole, one at a time, and immediately plug the hole with a single Q-Tip.

3. After conditioning each hole, start at the beginning and remove each Q-Tip, one at a time, and inject adhesive, replacing the Q-Tips as you go.

4. Screw in clamps.

5. Remove Q-Tips and wipe excess adhesive with damp sponge or cloth.

6. Have a drink. With all the cleanup time you saved, you deserve one.

If you have any tips for using Big Wally’s Plaster Magic, please let us know (email us at info@plastermagic.com). We love hearing from you, and so do our other customers.

In the following video, Rory Brennan, the founder of Big Wally’s Plaster Magic, will walk you through the things you’ll need. He’ll also give you some quick tips on how to use the spray-in conditioner, the adhesive and the patching plaster.

What kind of materials do you need? Everything you need comes in the Plaster Magic kit. Beyond that, you’ll need some cool, clean water and a mixing bucket or pail for the patching plaster. It’s also wise to wear safety glasses.

Here is a complete list of tools for plaster repair.

As always, if you have any questions for Rory about tools, materials, or anything pertaining to plaster repair and plaster ceiling repair, email info(at)plastermagic.com.

That’s right, the concrete pad designed to catch the water coming out of the downspout and direct it away from the building is backwards. This is an honest mistake, someone probably hastily placed it there and had their mind on other things. We’ve all made silly mistakes.

However honest the mistake, a minor oversight like this can lead to huge problems in the future. At Big Wally’s, we always stress the importance of proper building maintenance. Plaster repair is rarely necessary if a home or commercial building is properly maintained.

Errant moisture — water that finds its way to a place where it shouldn’t be — is the cause of A LOT of plaster failure. In the photo above, this little mistake could end up causing some expensive repair in the future. That water directed back at the building will most likely soak into the porous concrete. In a cold climate, that moisture will freeze, thaw and refreeze, wreaking havoc on the concrete. You’d be surprised at how tenacious water can be — if you give it an inch it will take a mile. It is very unforgiving.

Now imagine that concrete were part of the building’s foundation. The moisture would compromise the structure and maybe cause the building to shift. The result? Cracks in the plaster.

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Keep an eye out for tiny problems that could become a huge repair project.

In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye out, too.

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We received a question recently from a customer about to start a renovation that involved plaster repair. He asked: “If a renovator disrupts 6 square feet or less of painted surface per room in several rooms inside one property, does the RRP Rule apply?”

First, some background. The RRP Rule is the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. It was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2008 to help protect against the hazards of lead-based paint.

So, to answer your question: No, the rule does not apply in this plaster repair circumstance. The beautiful thing about using Big Wally’s Plaster Magic is that there is no demolition involved — you are adhering the damaged plaster back onto the wall rather than ripping it out and disturbing its pained sandwich. As long as no prohibited work practices are used and the work does not involve window replacement, you’re all set.  The exception to the RRP rule for work that disrupts 6 square feet or less of painted surface applies to each individual room and is inclusive of all work done in the room in any 30-day period.

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Here’s another question we received recently: “My firm drills a series of 1/2 inch diameter holes in sheet rock to dry it out where rooms have been flooded.  Is drilling these holes a prohibited practice?”

No.  The RRP Rule prohibits the use of machines that remove lead-based paint through high speed operation such as sanding, grinding, power planing, needle gun, abrasive blasting, or sandblasting, unless such machines are used with HEPA exhaust control.  The requirement for HEPA exhaust control does not apply to the use of all power tools.

Specifically, HEPA exhaust control is not required when using a power drill to drill holes in sheetrock.  When using a power drill with a drill bit to cut through sheetrock, the speed associated with the contact between the bit and the paint is not of the same magnitude as the contact speed generated by the machines identified in the regulation.  Therefore, the work described in the question is not a prohibited practice.

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One last question: “If I use a hammer to make a hole is a wall that is two feet on each side, does the RRP Rule apply?”

Actually, yes.  Although making the hole disrupts less than six square feet of painted surface, using a hammer to make the hole is considered demolition of the surface, so the minor repair and maintenance exception does not apply.  However, if you make the hole using a cut-out technique that does not destroy the section of the wall that is removed, it is not demolition, and the minor repair and maintenance exception would apply.

The moral of the story here is that you can avoid the rather strict EPA rules and regulations by repairing plaster walls and ceilings rather than tearing them out. You’ll save time, money, headache and perhaps most importantly, you’re safeguarding your and your family’s health during the plaster repair process.

Happy plastering.

The Scrape and Tape
We call this inferior method of plaster repair the “Scrape and Tape.” It is commonly deployed on a crack in a plaster wall or ceiling. The repairman uses a metal scraping tool, such as a paint scraper, to gouge a groove directly over the crack. He will then typically use drywall screws to secure the plaster around the crack to the lath. He then uses joint compound to fill in the groove, either with or without drywall tape or mesh, just as he would treat a seam on installed drywall.

“That sounds reasonable. Why is the ‘Scrape and Tape’ method wrong?”

Well, think about it. That crack didn’t choose a random spot on your wall or ceiling to attack. That crack appeared because of instability in the structure. If you don’t stabilize the plaster, the same problem crack will reappear — it’s just a matter of when.

That’s why it’s crucially important to securely reattach the plaster to the lath. A handful of drywall screws and some “cover up” joint compound are a temporary solution. It’s like using a blue tarp to fix a leak in your roof.

Luckily, there’s a way to stabilize the plaster and permanently repair cracked plaster walls or ceilings. Injecting an adhesive like Big Wally’s Plaster Magic behind the plaster and using a special screw/washer combination to securely attach it to the lath will fix the problem once and for all (watch a video of this plaster repair process). Now, with the plaster firmly reattached, you can cover the entire area with a thin layer of joint compound. There’s no need to scrape a large groove, which requires more joint compound, which increases the likelihood of cracks.

We hope this helped you determine the most long-lasting way to repair that crack in your plaster. Now you’re armed with knowledge and ready to roll.

Happy plastering.

A few weeks ago, Rory was called to a circa 1900 home to repair a hole in a plaster wall. The hole was formed when a careless electrician used a sawzall to cut a space for a light switch. The vibration of the saw caused damage, resulting in an approximately 12″ diameter hole that needed to be stabilized and filled in with new plaster.

After stabilizing the lath and plaster with Big Wally’s adhesive, Rory was ready to move on to part two, which involved applying patching plaster. Using Big Wally’s patching plaster, which is specially designed to be flexible and bond with existing historic plaster, Rory filled in the hole with a “rough draft” of sorts, also known as a “scratch coat”.

In the video below, Rory will show you how to properly mix the patching plaster, which comes from the factory in powder form. The powder mix is combined with water until a peanut-buttery substance is achieved. It’s best to add water in small doses — you can always add more but you can’t take away.

Rory used a simple trowel to apply the scratch coat. He scooped small amounts and applied them gently, filing in any holes left behind by the drill when stabilizing the lath. Being a first coat, he did spend much time making it perfect — that comes later. He then let it dry overnight before moving on to the third and final step: applying the final coat. You can watch that video in our next blog post.

Have more questions about repairs? Please feel free to leave them in the comments below or get in touch with us at info(at)plastermagic.com.

First, Rory used screws and a screwgun to repair the “floating” lath behind the light switch, attaching the unstable pieces to studs and other lath. Then, using a 3/16″ masonry bit, Rory drilled holes into the unstable plaster about 1 to 4″ around the edge of the hole. Next, he used Big Wally’s Plaster Magic adhesive to reattach the plaster to the lath behind it. With the lath and plaster now stabilized, he was able to fill in the hole with a “scratch coat” of Big Wally’s Patching Plaster. He then let it dry until it was ready for the second coat.

Below is a video tutorial of the entire process. This is part 1 of a 3-part process – we’ll be posting part 2 and 3 soon so check back!

Have more questions about repairs? Please feel free to leave them in the comments below or get in touch with us at info(at)plastermagic.com.

Whenever you approach a plaster repair project, there are three crucial issues to keep in mind:

1. The Building.
2. Beauty and Durability.
3. Stability.

Last week we addressed issue #2, Beauty and Durability. This week we’ll discuss issue #2, Beauty and Durability.

Homeowners often get frustrated when repairing historic plaster because the same crack they fixed shows up again in a few years. “What happened?” they say. “I just repaired that wall!”

Think Deep

When surveying damaged or cracked plaster, it’s important to think beyond the painted surface. True, the surface is the only thing you’ll end up seeing. But it is crucial to give your finished plaster surface a stable underlayment, lath system and frame. This will ensure that it lasts decades, possibly centuries. You wouldn’t put a new roof on your house if the rafters underneath were rotted away, right?

Aside from moisture damage, most plaster wall and plaster ceiling damage is a result of a moving building. This can occur as a result of:

• Earthquake
• Severe Weather
• Sinking Foundation
• Home repairs that necessitate structural modification
• Rotting wood

A plaster wall is basically a sheet of thin rock. That thin sheet is attached to wood lath (thin strips of wood attached horizontally to studs). The lath is attached to the building’s structural system (typically vertical wood studs). That structural system bears the brunt of any movement in a building, which in turn weakens the plaster/lath relationship and breaks them apart. You’re left with loose plaster that is no longer attached to its host.

You’ve Got Broken Plaster. Now What?

If you’re building’s movement was caused by a sinking foundation or rotting wood, you’ll want to address that problem first. There’s no use spending the time and energy to repair plaster cracks only to have it reappear in a few years.

Once you’ve assured a stable structure, you’ll want to perform subsurface reinforcement, which is basically a fancy way of saying “glue it back on.” After drilling small holes around the broken plaster, use a specially-designed plaster adhesive to reattach it to the lath behind. This adhesive is designed to bond the “rock” and “wood” back together, creating the relationship that was lost during the building’s movement.

Okay, NOW you can get to the fun part, the part everyone sees and where your hard work pays off. Your plaster is now stabilized and you can perform the surface cosmetic tasks to produce a smooth, beautiful surface.

Like anything in life, it pays to get to the root of the problem. Good luck and happy plastering!