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In the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, our house had a drop on one side of four of inches. During the fix — the house was made more level.
But.
Our lath and plaster walls cracked. We’ve had a number of small shakers on the Hayward fault, too, so the cracking has become more noticeable. On this paint job, I thought by filling the cracks, this would make it look fine. Didn’t work. It’s character.
The plaster is still tightly keyed to the lath, so the idea of removing the lath and plaster and using drywall is a no go. Besides in a couple of years we’ll be selling and the next person will gut the place to HGTV it. Everyone is doing it, and it’s NOT to my liking.
And all the fixes I’ve seen are geared to fixing unkeyed plaster. Mine just looks like I should faux marble it and no one would noticethe cracks ...maybe next painting I should go with a couple of skim coats of plaster?
On this paint job, I thought by filling the cracks, this would make it look fine. Didn’t work.
What was used to fill the cracks, and how did it not work?
I was working as a painter through college around the time of the Loma Prieta quake down in the South Bay and Peninsula and we did a ton of work patching and hiding cracks - I can't think of many times that it "didn't work".
Elastomeric Caulk does work, but it takes an experienced hand to get it to blend right on an interior repair - well, pretty much all plaster cracks take some work to get to look right, but it can be done.
In the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, our house had a drop on one side of four of inches. During the fix — the house was made more level.
But.
Our lath and plaster walls cracked. We’ve had a number of small shakers on the Hayward fault, too, so the cracking has become more noticeable. On this paint job, I thought by filling the cracks, this would make it look fine. Didn’t work. It’s character.
The plaster is still tightly keyed to the lath, so the idea of removing the lath and plaster and using drywall is a no go. Besides in a couple of years we’ll be selling and the next person will gut the place to HGTV it. Everyone is doing it, and it’s NOT to my liking.
And all the fixes I’ve seen are geared to fixing unkeyed plaster. Mine just looks like I should faux marble it and no one would noticethe cracks ...maybe next painting I should go with a couple of skim coats of plaster?
What was used to fill the cracks, and how did it not work?
I was working as a painter through college around the time of the Loma Prieta quake down in the South Bay and Peninsula and we did a ton of work patching and hiding cracks - I can't think of many times that it "didn't work".
Elastomeric Caulk does work, but it takes an experienced hand to get it to blend right on an interior repair - well, pretty much all plaster cracks take some work to get to look right, but it can be done.
I used spackle. Filled nail holes, small but long cracks. But it’s like there are levels. Like there’s the crack, and the left side is lifted or the right side receded. When I press on the sides, there is no movement on the plaster part of the wall, like you’d expect with unkeyed plaster, which I have felt. The wall doesn’t look level or flat.
There are also similar products with a smooth finish that can help bridge areas that have buckled which is what the OP describes just above; search for "wall lining paper." Sanding down high areas would be an essential part of releveling a wall surface as much as filling in low areas would be.
I used spackle. Filled nail holes, small but long cracks. But it’s like there are levels. Like there’s the crack, and the left side is lifted or the right side receded. When I press on the sides, there is no movement on the plaster part of the wall, like you’d expect with unkeyed plaster, which I have felt. The wall doesn’t look level or flat.
If there are many hairline cracks, the best solution might be to apply a thin coat of plaster on all of the walls that have cracked. You would first apply a bonding agent with a roller and then plaster the entire wall from corner to corner, floor to ceiling. Obviously any uneven areas due to the settlement/cracking would be addressed individually before applying the finish plaster coating.
I used spackle. Filled nail holes, small but long cracks. But it’s like there are levels. Like there’s the crack, and the left side is lifted or the right side receded. When I press on the sides, there is no movement on the plaster part of the wall, like you’d expect with unkeyed plaster, which I have felt. The wall doesn’t look level or flat.
It’s going to take a combination of sanding and joint compound.
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Solly says — Be nice!
