Budget DIY Project: Repairing and Repainting Plaster Walls

Rather Square
by Rather Square
Our 92-year-old house's main bathroom is in pretty good condition, but its plaster walls had a lot of little cracks, chips, wallpaper residue, and other imperfections. These needed repairing and a fresh coat of paint to help smooth everything out. So we took this job on ourselves as a budget-friendly DIY project.
Since the existing bathroom wall paint was oil-based and we wanted to use latex paint, we needed to do some careful preparation before painting. We patched up cracks, sanded rough areas, and used paintable caulk to smooth out the area where the plaster meets the tile, then we cleaned the walls with a deglosser. We primed the walls and let that cure overnight, and started painting the next morning. Two coats of paint later, the walls look so much better!
Of course, there are still minor imperfections, dings, bumps, hairline cracks, etc. But we’re not looking for perfection here; when you have a 92-year-old house with original plaster walls, you sometimes have to allow its character and history to be part of your modern renovations. Our goal was to get these walls as fixed up and smoothed out as possible. We’re happy with the results!
Read more at our blog post below.
Our main bathroom is in good shape, but the walls needed a little repairing and repainting.
Lots of little cracks, chips, wallpaper residue, and other imperfections!
We patched up cracks, sanded rough areas, and used paintable caulk to smooth out the walls before painting.
A fresh coat of paint helped give the walls a clean and updated finish.
A little DIY repair on these old plaster walls made a big difference!
Rather Square
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Janie Canales Janie Canales on Mar 02, 2020

    I want to plaster my restroom walls. I want to make designs with the plaster. I don't like the smooth texture. How much water do I put in the plaster to be able to work with it?

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