Elaine

Old ugly or damaged plaster walls and ceilings are truly a headache and an eyesore.

But don't throw up your hands in despair. The problems are often not as grevious as they might appear. Damaged plaster is certainly fixable, often even by the homeowner himself.

Many years ago, when I was a young man being trained in drywall finishing, we encountered a problem on one of our jobs. As we worked to install and finish new drywall partitions in a drugstore, the owner complained to us about his old plaster ceiling.

Damaged it certainly were. Old lath and plaster from the early 1900's, the ceiling was riddled with cracks and scaling paint. An eyesore of the first order.

The customer wanted to know what could be done about his plaster problems. We said we would deal with it, without knowing immediately what we were going to do.

My boss and I talked about it and decided that we could treat the cracks like drywall seams. Apply paper drywall tape in a bed of joint compound over each crack. A couple coats of topping and each crack was out of sight and reinforced against reopening.

The final step was to apply new texture over the whole big ceiling. We chose a sanded skip trowel texture that would hide minor imperfections and blend all the repairs together.

The result? We had a very happy customer and we had added a new trick to our bag.

In the years since, I had dealt with hundreds of damaged plaster jobs using drywall finish materials and texture compounds. And I am happy to say that I have given all these clients relief from their plaster headaches.

Why not use regular plaster materials to fix ugly plaster?

Certainly that is the approach to plaster repair taken by professional plasterers. But I went the route I did because I was using materials and techniques I was already familiar with.

I do know how to use regular plaster, but for ease of handling I like drywall finishing materials. And I have had great success with them.

For the motivated homeowner, I believe it would be a mistake for me to recommend he or she use real plaster, which can be a difficult medium and really is, I believe, the province of the plastering professional.

So, for those who want to tackle the job themselves, I show them how to do it my way. And I am delighted to report that I have seen many success stories.

If you are the sort of person who likes to do his own home repairs (and doesn't mind saving money), you can learn how to repair and renovate your damaged plaster. And get the satisfaction that comes from a job well-done.

I have put together an e-course of 10 short lessons to give you the basics and steer you clear of ten common mistakes people can make in fixing their own plaster walls and ceilings. Sign up - it won't cost you a penny.

Wishing you the best!

Edwin Brown is a licensed and bonded specialist in the field of plaster and drywall repair and renovation, with 35+ years of experience. He lives and works on the west coast of the US. To subscribe to his free e-course, HOW TO REPAIR YOUR PLASTER RIGHT, go to http://www.plaster-wall-ceiling-solutions.com/plaster-repair-instruction.html