What is the best way to fix plaster walls?

Marie Smith
by Marie Smith
I have cracks and whole patches of loose paint(falling off the walls).
I have used joint compound with limited success. HELP!

  10 answers
  • 2dogal 2dogal on Jul 14, 2017

    If you are having limited success with scraping off the old paint, spackling and sanding, then priming and painting, you will have to get to the root of why your walls continue to crack. Is it a house settling issue? Is it a moisture issue?

    • Marie Smith Marie Smith on Jul 14, 2017

      How do I find out if it is a moisture problem? There is a window close by and I also have gutters running over this area? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

  • Karen Krysowaty Karen Krysowaty on Jul 14, 2017

    Clean out the cracks by making them a little wider and deeper and scrape all areas of loose paint . The compound has to have something to grip to. If the cracks is really deep fill it in in stages.

    • Marie Smith Marie Smith on Jul 14, 2017

      Sounds very helpful, Karen. Do you ever use dry wall tape over cracks?

      I heard it may work. Thanks.

  • Elizabeth Moeller Elizabeth Moeller on Jul 14, 2017

    looking for suggestions for a fence type garden to help add privacy from close neighbor, hoping to block out sound and smells

  • Kim Kim on Jul 14, 2017

    Once you figure out the reason for the continuing ope up of cracks on your wall and address those issues, there are repair screens for your plaster walls avaliable at the hardware store. The screens give the mud something to stick to and give some stability to the area to prevent the new mud from cracking.

    Hope that helps

    : )

  • To me plaster is an art, and even though I am fairly good at feathering in old with new, I called a true plaster master to fix for me, wasn't expensive.

    • Marie Smith Marie Smith on Jul 15, 2017

      If I can not get a decent result, then I call in the pros.

      Trying to save some money. We are retirees-little money but a lot of time. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

  • Karen Krysowaty Karen Krysowaty on Jul 14, 2017

    No the best way is to deepen and widen the cracks If you use dry wall tape then you are looking at plastering over and evening out and unless you are good at it you will be frustrated. I only use drywall tape over seams on new dryboard-and It is hard to plaster over it and get it not to show when you paint

  • 2dogal 2dogal on Jul 14, 2017

    I'd go into the attic and see if there are any water marks, maybe running along a beam.

  • Marie Smith Marie Smith on Jul 15, 2017

    This may be a job for my husband. Don't like the attic.

    Thanks for your help!

  • Karen Krysowaty Karen Krysowaty on Jul 15, 2017

    You are very welcome