HOW TO: Repair plaster walls & ceilings

Introduction
This 'How to' shows how to repair minor and major faults in plasterwork.
You'll learn the techniques for patching and finishing the different types of
plaster surfaces: plastered masonry, brick in-fill stud walling, lathe and
plaster and plasterboard.

What you’ll need

Materials Tools & equipment
Decorator's filler – powder Block Surform Plasterboard saw (utility saw) or padsaw
Expanded metal, available in: Bolster chisel Plasterer’s small tool – leaf and square
• 100 and 150mm width rolls Broad knife 200mm Plasterer’s trowel
• 600 x 200mm sheets Claw hammer – 16oz or 20oz Scratcher – a piece of thin timber 18mm x
Galvanized clout nails (large head) 25mm Clean bucket 100mm x 200mm into which nails have been
partially driven, so that the points just appear.
Galvanized jagged plasterboard nails 30mm Club or lump hammer See How to Prepare walls and ceilings.
and 50mm Cork sanding block Spirit level – minimum 900mm
Masonry nails 50 and 65mm Craft knife Spot board – 750 x 750 x 18mm shuttering ply
Plaster Decorator's brush – 100mm or 125mm with 3 x 25 x 50mm battens fixed to underside.
Plaster bead Dust sheets Steel tape measure
Plaster of Paris – for repairing moulded ceilings Dustpan and brush 2 Step ladders with tool platforms and 1
and decorative mouldings scaffold board – these items may be hired.
Empty plastic bottle for water
Plaster repair scrim or hessian scrim Stirring stick
Filling knife 100mm
Plasterboard offcuts 1200mm straight edge
Gauging trowel
Plasterboard screws 32mm Wire brush
Hard point handsaw or jigsaw
25mm x 75mm prepared timber batten Workbench
Hawk – for holding wet plaster
Sawn timber 50mm x 100mm for making ceiling
props and folding wedges (secondhand material Large sponge
is ideal). Alternatively, screw jack 'Acrow Props' Metal shears
may be hired.
Sawn treated timber batten 25mm x 38mm
String
Panel adhesive

Types of plaster

• Thistle Hardwall
An undercoat plaster with quick-drying properties, pre-mixed with
impact-resistant aggregates.
Bag weight: 40kg
Approximate coverage per bag: 4.6m2
Approximate setting time: 2 hours

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 HOW TO: Repair plaster walls & ceilings
What you’ll need (cont.)

• Thistle Multifinish
A final smooth-coat plaster used over Hardwall. Can also be used as a finish on
plasterboard.
Bag weight: 40kg
Approximate coverage per bag: 10.4 to 16m 2
Setting time: 1/2 hour
Hardwell and Multifinish are not the easiest plasters to use. But they are
by far the most economical, particularly if you have a large areas to fill.
fig. 2
• Undercoat plaster
Similar to Hardwall, but available in a range of smaller quantities.
Bag weights: 7.5kg, 12.5kg, 20kg
Coverage
11mm thick – 12.5kg: approximately 1.252m2
8mm thick – 12.5kg: approximately 1.8m2
Setting time: 11/2 to 2 hours

• Finishing plaster
Designed to complement undercoat plaster. Use 2mm thick over undercoat plaster
and 3mm thick onto plasterboard.
Bag weights: 2.5kg, 12.5kg, 20kg
Coverage
2mm thick – 12.5kg: approximately 5m2
Setting time: 1 to 11/2 hours

• One-coat plaster
More expensive than Hardwell and Multifinish plaster. Formulated for easy use by fig. 3
an amateur and doesn’t require a separate finishing plaster. It can be built up in
layers and the final layer can be polished smooth. Use 13mm thick on brick and
blockwork, 10mm thick on concrete blockwork and 5mm thick on plasterboard.
Maximum thickness is 50mm.
Bag weights: 2.5kg, 12.5kg, 20kg
Coverage:
13mm thick – 12.5kg: approximately 1.1m2
10mm thick – 12.5kg: approximately 1.3m2
5mm thick – 12.5kg: approximately 2.6m2
Setting time: 2 hours

• Patching plaster
Available in 1.8kg boxes. Suitable for odd small patches. Doesn't require
a finishing coat. Build up in 3mm layers.
Setting time: 11/2 to 2 hours

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 HOW TO: Repair plaster walls & ceilings
Patching a plastered masonry wall

1. Remove loose material

Use a bolster chisel and club hammer to remove all loose material round the area
to be patched (fig. 2) and undercut the edges.

Don't stint on this job. The cost of extra plaster is far outweighed by the benefit
of a long-lasting perfect job.

Wire brush the brickwork to remove all traces of loose material.

2. Prepare plaster fig. 4

Mix the plaster according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use the gauging trowel
to sprinkle powder into the water, while stirring with a clean stick (fig. 3). When the
plaster is a thick, creamy consistency without lumps, turn it onto a dampened
spot board.

3. Fill the patch

Thoroughly dampen the area to be plastered. Use the plastering trowel to
slide a large sausage of plaster onto the hawk (fig. 4).

Standing close to the patch, tilt the hawk towards you and, with a continuous
movement, lift off half the plaster onto the trowel (fig. 5).
fig. 5
Hold the trowel horizontally but slightly angled towards the wall. Press the plaster
into the patch and move the trowel up the wall, gradually flattening it towards the
brickwork. Don't completely flatten the trowel as this will cause suction and pull
the plaster off the wall (fig. 6).

Repeat this procedure until the patch is slightly overfilled. Don't overwork the plaster
as this will weaken it and cause it to fall to the floor.

4. Ruling off
Hold the straight edge tool horizontal to the floor, but angled slightly down on its front
edge. Start below the patch and move it from side to side up the patch as you
go (See main image pg. 1). If there are any hollows, flick a dab of plaster onto the bare
patch and re-rule. Once the plaster has set, apply a finishing coat. You won’t need a fig. 6
finishing coat if you're using one-coat plaster or patching plaster.

The plaster will start to set after approximately 45 minutes. Go over it lightly with
a dampened trowel to smooth the surface (fig. 7). After a further 20 to 30 minutes,
splash the surface with cold clean water then trowel to a fine smooth surface. Keep
the trowel damp and don't over-trowel.

Deep patching

If the patch is deep you may need to apply two layers of plaster.

Apply the first layer to half the depth of the patch then, when it has partially set,
scratch up the surface and leave it to set fully without drying out. Apply a second
coat and rule it off. When set, apply a finishing coat. fig. 7

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 HOW TO: Repair plaster walls & ceilings
Patching lathe & plaster

1. Remove loose material

Tap the surface to determine the extent of any loose plaster. Mark the perimeter of the
bad area with chalk then score this line deeply with a heavy-duty craft knife. Remove
the loose plaster and wire brush the lathes and studs.

Dampen the lathes and edges of the surrounding plaster, then apply a coat of plaster
to half the thickness of the old plaster. Use enough pressure to force plaster between
the lathes while still leaving a covering of plaster on them.

When this first layer is partially set, scratch up the surface and leave it to set fully fig. 8
without drying out.

2. Ruling off
See above Patching a plastered masonry wall: step 4

Repairing brick in-fill stud walling

Treat in the same way as other walls, except where a wooden stud is exposed. Use
galvanized clout nails to fix 150mm wide galvanized expanded metal to the studs
so that the metal extends over the brickwork (fig. 8).

Safety tip
Wear thick leather gloves when cutting and handling expanded metal. It can tear
your skin.

Repairing plasterboard – small holes

1. Smooth edges
Feel inside the hole to check for concealed pipes or cables. If you find one, push
it to one side. Trim round the hole with a heavy craft knife.

If there are no pipes or cables, use a plasterboard/utility saw or pad saw to clean
up the damaged edges of the hole. Remove a 25mm wide strip of finishing plaster
from round the hole.

Safety tip
Turn off the electricity while you check for pipes and cables. fig. 9

2. Fix backing
Cut a piece of plasterboard 25mm longer than the hole and pass a piece of knotted
string through a hole in the centre. Holding onto the string, check you can feed the
patch through the hole and pull it into position behind the plasterboard.

Remove the backing patch and coat the contact surface with panel adhesive. Poke
the patch through the hole and pull firmly into position (fig. 9). Tie off the string
until the adhesive has set. Scrape off any excess adhesive. When the adhesive has
set cut off the string flush to the patch.

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 HOW TO: Repair plaster walls & ceilings
Repairing plasterboard – small holes (cont.)

3. Fix patch
Cut another piece of plasterboard very slightly smaller than the hole. Glue in position
with panel adhesive and leave to dry.

4. Finish
Apply strips of self-adhesive plaster scrim over the joints and finish off with finishing
plaster filler.

Repairing plasterboard – large holes

1. Locate studs
With a steel rule or thin batten, find adjacent studs and mark them on the plasterboard.

Safety tip
Check inside the hole for pipes or cables.

2. Remove damaged plasterboard

Use a straight edge to mark horizontal lines above and below the damaged area.

Use a plasterboard/utility saw or padsaw to remove the damaged plasterboard. fig. 10

Clean up the edges with glass paper.

Remove a strip of finishing plaster all round the edges of the hole.

3. Fix battens
Use 50mm plasterboard nails to fix sections of 25mm x 50mm sawn, treated batten
to the studs. Keep the battens flush with the front edges of the studs.

Cut further lengths of batten and use panel adhesive to fix them horizontally behind
the plasterboard. Hold the battens in place with G cramps (fig. 10).

4. Fix patch
When the battens have set, cut and fix a piece of plasterboard to fit the hole, leaving fig. 11
a 3mm gap round the edges. Fix the plasterboard using 32mm plasterboard screws.

5. Finish
See above Repairing plasterboard – small holes.

Repairing corners
Small patches
Cut away the damaged and loose plaster, see above Patching a plastered
masonry wall.

Use masonry nails to fix a length of 25 x 75mm prepared batten to one face.
Position the edge of the batten in line with the surface of the plaster on the adjacent
face (fig. 11).

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 HOW TO: Repair plaster walls & ceilings
Repairing corners (cont.)

Dampen the brickwork and plaster edges, then apply plaster to fill the patch (Fig. 11a).
See above Patching a plastered masonry wall.

When the plaster has set, carefully remove the batten and re-fix it over the recently
plastered face. Plaster the second face (fig. 11b)

Remove the batten when the plaster has set. Make a small chamfer on the corner
with either a block Surform or coarse abrasive paper wrapped round a block. Apply
a coat of finishing plaster.

Large areas fig. 12

Cut away the plaster from skirting to ceiling.

Use Hardwall or Basecoat plaster to apply 'dots' to both surfaces at the corner of the
walls. Cut plasterboard to length and press it into the dots until it's vertical and lines
up with the adjacent old plaster surfaces (fig. 12).

When the 'dots' are set, plaster and finish as described in 'Patching a plastered
masonry wall'.

Repairing a sagging ceiling

Sometimes the ceiling sags where the plaster, usually because of a water problem,
has separated from the lathes. If caught in time, you can easily and relatively cheaply
avoid disaster.

1. Clean above the ceiling

Gain access to the space directly above the ceiling. If the roof space is above the
ceiling, this will be relatively easy. Otherwise you may need to remove furniture, and
lift carpet and floorboards. fig. 13
Use an industrial vacuum cleaner to remove all traces of dust, dirt, soot and old plaster
from the joists, lathes and gaps in-between the lathes.

2. Support the ceiling

From below, place boards up against the ceiling and hold them there. Gently push
the plasterwork back into place, using either jack-up, Acrow-props or wooden
lazy man.

3. Fix plastering scrim

Have cut lengths of coarse plastering scrim ready. Thoroughly wet the lathes and
plaster. Mix plaster of Paris to a thick, creamy consistency and pour it over the lathes.
Spread it quickly and evenly, spreading 6-9mm over the lathes.

Press the scrim into the plaster and 40-50mm up the sides of the joists. If necessary,
pour over more plaster of Paris (fig. 13). Work fast, as Plaster of Paris sets very quickly
(10 to 20 minutes).

Leave the props in place until the plaster has hardened. HB

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