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I was replacing some old knob and tube wiring that was running from my attic to the first floor (2 story house). The old wiring was running parallel to the studs so I couldn't simply pull the new wiring through. I just need to know how to fix my big mess!
This is from the second story. This is damaged drywall here. The wall was stuffed with something, maybe insulation, and I was unable to just drop the wire down. I only had an electric drill with a wood bit so I drilled a lot of holes and painstakingly pulled the wire through.
This first picture is the "entrance" from the attic. I could not drill straight down because of the pitch of the roof.
These next pictures are from the first floor. The damage was above a drop ceiling. This was actual plaster and lathe. At least this wall was hollow between the studs.
There is a lot of plaster and mud choices and I have no idea what type to use and where. I'm also assuming on the first floor I will need some type of backing. Also, I have some drywall tape that is starting to show on our kitchen ceiling because of a water leak. How do I fix that? Just sand and tape again? How do I make it smooth? Please help me!
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
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Oh man... first, I know nothing about plaster, so I'm going to skip over fixing the paster. What I will tell you, if you have more electrical work to do, go spent a few bucks on a fish tape and a jab (drywall) saw. Please. While you are at it, spend a couple more bucks and get a home repair book (I love this one.. I think these three things should run you about $60., and the book will cover these questions and so much more
The drywall tape in the kitchen ceiling, first - fix the water leak!! No point in repairing the ceiling until you fix that. Make sure you don't have mold in your drywall - if you do, rip it down, dry out the space, then put a new piece of drywall up. Just cut out a square around the stain and replace it. If you don't have mold, let it dry, mud and sand the tape, then prime it with a stain blocking primer (Kilz, Zinzer) and paint.
DH (the residential electrician) says you can repair plaster like drywall. So the small holes, tape over (get the mesh tape), then mud and sand. The bigger holes, they make drywall patch pieces that are mesh tape with a hard backing to patch over holes. Oh, and those chewed up studs - they aren't your headers or lead bearing are they? Also, technically, you need a plate on the stud over where the electrical wires run (so no one down the line drills into the stud and hits the wire).
Hope that gets you started But really, I highly suggest a home repair book. DH and I have a shelf full of them, and they have walked us through replacing sliding doors, reframing walls, sistering joists, and got us through code inspections.
Thanks for the reply. The drywall saw would of helped! The fish tape would not of though. There were a lot of tubes and knobs between the floors that I could not access. They were all drilled into the studs. Luckily that is the end off all of that old wiring, at least the 100 year stuff. I couldn't believe it when I saw that some of it was still being used.
I have never sanded drywall tape before. Wouldn't I just be sanding it all off?
Finding the kitchen ceiling leak is another problem in itself. I know my two young boys were playing with the cat's water bowl upstairs. Somehow there is a quick and easy path for the water to go through the floor.
You mentioned a metal plate. Is that something I just nail/screw into the stud so that a drill would hit that before the wire? That does sound important!
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
1,501 posts, read 11,751,890 times
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When you put down drywall tape, you mud over it. So you aren't sanding the tape, you are sanding the mud. Did you not mud over the tape before? No wonder its coming off!
The fish tape wouldn't help you get through studs, the fish tape is to get the wire from the top of the wall down to the outlet without drilling a line of holes.
Nail plate. No, its not $50 each. I'm sure thats a box of probably 1000 LOL
I will find a nail plate. And no, I have never installed drywall or done any repairs to it. In the kitchen the water, apparently, just sat between the sheets of drywall and the tape has "bubbled" out. I would like to know what kind of mud to buy. It seems like there is quite a few choices.
For small to tennis ball size holes try wadding up some newspaper to stuff the whole and buy a sack of FIXALL to fill the holes... you will need to apply several times... it sets quickly so don't mix more than you can use in a few minutes.
The idea is to gradually fill the hole. The first application is just to set the backing... don't go for anything pretty, just fill and leave concave.
For the top coat... make it pretty with drywall joint compound and finish with topping compound.
Another way to work old walls is to do what was already done in your home. If the molding and trim allow... you can overlay the entire wall with new drywall... it is available in 1/4" and 3/8" thickness if you can't use the standard half inch.
Unless the NM cable is dead center in the stud or plate... you need to use the metal cable plates in my city...
I added some outlets in my brother's ancient home at the same time he was having the roof redone... I had lots of room to use a 54" drill bit to drill and fish the romex through the outside walls with the roof off.
I still have unmolested knob and tube in one of my homes and have no plans to change it... I'm not concerned about a knob and tube job done properly...
I still have unmolested knob and tube in one of my homes and have no plans to change it... I'm not concerned about a knob and tube job done properly...
Absolutely right! I have seen some fabulous Knob and Tube jobs that were as good as the day they put them in. Safe as well! I have seen some nightmarish jobs as well though (today is a prime example).
The light that was connected to that old wiring would intermittently flicker. I have two young children so I decided to play it safe. I here of so many electrical fires but don't really know what causes them. I will post a picture tomorrow of an outlet in my house that started to melt. It was on a different circuit though. It was bad. Luckily it tripped the breaker. The outlet was behind a curio cabinet, had nothing plugged into it, but we kept smelling something burning. This happened of the course of several days. We had a space heater plugged into another outlet on the same circuit. I'm assuming that load caused the other outlet to melt. Perhaps it wasn't wired properly, I'm not sure.
You really need to re-do that wiring or install safety plates the entire length. The wire should be at least an inch and a half (or two inches cant remember) into the stud. Otherwise when someone goes to hang a picture, they will electrocute themselves.
There are many good patching products on the market to patch up the plaster. You will need some king of mesh, i prefer steel mesh. Then put on a coat of hard patch mix. Use thinset or something similar for the top coat. the top coat is basically drywall mud, but you need something that will stick to the underlayer. It needs to be soft and sandable or spongeable. If you use a hard product on top, you will be sanding at it forever. You will not be using plaster which is installed in three layers. Just use the new stuff the hard material is stronger than plaster and thinset or mud is very easy to work with.
Brand names for materials depends on where you are located. I can get brand names for you for prdocuts avialable in California and in Michigan. Where are you?
Drywall is very easy to patch. Cut out a square, cut the drywall to match. Make certain that you cut out a large enough area to catch a stud, or add a connecting stud beneath the place where you will put your patch in. Screw the patch in place, mud and tape and mud and then start sanding.
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While you are at it, spend a couple more bucks and get a home repair book (I love 
Here is a couple of quick fixes...
