Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Great tip for plaster restoration - is this boring or what?

So we realize that this may qualify as the epitome of boringness, but we are really excited about this great method (from the Nash book, see below right) on how to make crappy new drywall and repairs look like vintage lime plaster. Basically, you add sand to joint compound, apply it over the repair, then add just JC to fill in the teeny divots, then sponge and buff. Turns out it doesn't just make the drywall look like plaster, it also does a fabulous job of smoothing over plaster washers, fiberglass tape, bits of painted-on wallpaper that wouldn't let loose their grasp on the wall they so dearly loved for those many years, and all the other repairs and messes on the old walls. Here's how it looks; we're not quite done but are so happy with the results so far we just had to share:
This is a typical (messy) area needing covering. Join compound & other repairs on the left, old plaster on the right (note that, because the walls in the bathroom were so toasted anyways, we're skimming the whole wall so we're not trying to feather in).

And here's a look at how gorgeous the original plaster in our house can be, for reference. Don't tell me you've never spent time looking at old plaster before! It's terribly aesthetically pleasing.


And here's a picture with all 3: new fortified joint compound (left), old plaster (center), old crummy repair about to get skimmed (right):



And, just when you thought it couldn't get more boring, here's a closeup of plaster (yes, this is the kind of stuff we get excited about nowadays). This is the final look of the new skim of fortified JC, ready for filling (the vertical lines will disappear) and buffing. Pretty excellent! You can see the teeny little grains of sand.


So the short story is that the bathroom is really coming together; finishing wall repairs; electrical and plumbing are all roughed in; and next we'll tackle the floor.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am preparing to finish the recently hung drywall in our country-style kitchen which was previously plaster and lathe. I have been researching ways to make drywall look like plaster and your pictures are exactly what I have been looking for. Can you provide any details about the mixture you used to achieve your finish? What type of joint compound? What type of sand? Mixture ratios? Where did you buy your supplies? Thanks in advance! ben3843100@hotmail.com

Dixie Redmond said...

That is a very cool technique! I used to live in an Aladdin Home in Hampden. I loved that house, but we needed a bit more room. I still miss it, though.