AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Lap and plaster walls11/14/2023 ![]() You can simply use a stud finder to find the perfect spot these days, but this won’t work reliably on older homes. Imagine hanging a 50 pound framed piece of artwork on nothing but drywall.Įnsuring your wall décor is anchored to these studs means they’ll stay in place until you decide to take them down again. Studs are the wooden or metal beams that support the walls in your house. This means that your standard stud finder won’t be able to detect a change in density because it’s all dense.Īnytime you want to hang something on your wall- whether it’s 0.5 pounds or 50 pounds- you want it to be attached to a stud. Vertical studs, wooden beams, and plaster make up the structure of older homes. Here are five ways to find a stud in a plaster wall: How To Find a Stud in a Plaster Wall But don’t worry- there are still ways to locate studs in these walls! So what’s the solution to finding studs in older homes? Some people say to use a magnet, but that also won’t work if you have metal lath. And if the lath is a metal wire type, instead of older wood lath, a stud finder will produce false readings. Plaster can be too thick or dense to find a stud with common stud finders, which is probably why you’re finding that these don’t work. These were “wet” applied walls (not to be confused with the similar-sounding “wet wall” that contains plumbing pipes). Learning how to find a stud in a plaster wall takes some patience, but we have a few tricks up our sleeve that will save you time.īack in the day, home builders had to trowel the wall finish on with plaster over a lath base (kind of like how stucco is applied). But on some older homes from the mid-1970s and prior, there’s a good chance you may have plaster walls instead. As before, use a low-grade sandpaper to gently smooth the edges of the repairs area so that it blends in with the surrounding wall.It’s pretty simple to find a stud in common drywall. When this is dry, apply a finishing layer so that it is up to the level of the surrounding plasterwork. This coat should reach a level just below the surrounding plasterwork. When you have applied this set of render and left it for a few days to fully set, you should apply another coat on top of it. A new coat of render will be needed and this will need to be firmly applied to the laths so that it gets forced between them. To repair a wall in this situation, it is similar to repairing a small hole in the wall as outlined in the previous step. If the laths are still intact, you can be relieved that no major repairs are needed. Step 2 - How to Repair Larger Holes in Lath and Plaster Walls ![]() This will help to ensure that the repaired area will blend in seamlessly with the rest of the wall. When each application of the filler is dry, you should gently rub it down with sandpaper to get a completely smooth surface. You may also need to apply a second coat. To make it as level as possible, use the scraper held at a 45-degree angle over the surface to smoothen it out. You can then apply the filler to the hole, making sure that it is thoroughly level. Using a sponge, dampen the sides of the plasterwork inside the hole. Mix the plaster filler as directed to by the instructions that come with it. To prepare for applying the filler, try to undercut the plasterwork at the edges so that there is a good grip available for the new filler. First, you should be sure to clean the surface from any loose plaster. Repairing small holes in plasterwork is much simpler than replacing laths or fixing major holes in the wall. Step1 - How to Repair Small Holes in the Plasterwork
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |