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To the OP: You can get a drill and do a test. Drill in some place where you would like to have a hole anyway. If you go in about an inch and then you hit empty space, that means you have drywall. If you keep going, that means you have plaster. You might have plaster over concrete, as I do. Then follow the instructions online for how to deal with each type.
Heavy Plaster? Oh I always though it was drywall/sheetrock since it had wood studs about every 3 feet and once we broke through one side it was basically hollow till we hit the other side. Door knobs were notorious of leaving holes in the walls when people kept opening the door all the way (we never had door stoppers).
good knowledge to know. I learned today.
The older NYCHAs are heavy plaster, the "newer" NYCHAs (mostly likely anything built after the 1960s) are most likely sheetrock because heavy plaster is more expensive and more time-consuming to put up, and things mostly aren't built the way they used to be. I can put my hand through a sheetrock wall but not heavy plaster. Trust me, I know (I was young once).
Plus, in those older NYCHAs, when you have a leak in your wall, who do they send? The plumber, the plasterer, and last the painter.
I honestly wish more buildings were built like the older NYCHAs but it is just too expensive nowadays. Those older NYCHAs built from 1939-1960 are some of the most structurally sound residential housing in the city.
Farragut (where OP is) was built in 1952.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
The older NYCHAs are heavy plaster, the "newer" NYCHAs (mostly likely anything built after the 1960s) are most likely sheetrock because heavy plaster is more expensive and more time-consuming to put up, and things mostly aren't built the way they used to be. I can put my hand through a sheetrock wall but not heavy plaster. Trust me, I know (I was young once).
Plus, in those older NYCHAs, when you have a leak in your wall, who do they send? The plumber, the plasterer, and last the painter.
I honestly wish more buildings were built like the older NYCHAs but it is just too expensive nowadays. Those older NYCHAs built from 1939-1960 are some of the most structurally sound residential housing in the city.
Farragut (where OP is) was built in 1952.
when I moved out of the PJ's and "upgraded" to a coop, i was surprised and disappointed in the construction. Walls seemed thin and hollow, you could hear neighbors above...etc. NYCHA apartments are very well made, probably better than most luxury housing these days. If they were actually maintained, they could be amazing. Solid walls, concrete between floors...metal window frames. just very solid.
when I moved out of the PJ's and "upgraded" to a coop, i was surprised and disappointed in the construction. Walls seemed thin and hollow, you could hear neighbors above...etc. NYCHA apartments are very well made, probably better than most luxury housing these days. If they were actually maintained, they could be amazing. Solid walls, concrete between floors...metal window frames. just very solid.
It's very rare to hear of a NYCHA building built between the 1930-1960s that has had structural or facade issues. I cannot remember reading any articles on this.
__________________
"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
when I moved out of the PJ's and "upgraded" to a coop, i was surprised and disappointed in the construction. Walls seemed thin and hollow, you could hear neighbors above...etc. NYCHA apartments are very well made, probably better than most luxury housing these days. If they were actually maintained, they could be amazing. Solid walls, concrete between floors...metal window frames. just very solid.
Im in the same boat. Moved out of NYCHA where I had actual cinderblock walls separating the apartments to a coop where the walls are so thin I ca hear my neighbor like they are in my apartment. When I drill into my current walls, it looks like chicken wire covered by a 1" layer of quick dry concrete. I had to use masonry bits for everything otherwise it would crack and splinter the wall causing 1" chunks to fall near where I was drilling.
Took me a while to learn I was doing it wrong by using a screw gun and a drywall screw to punch a hole since thats what I was used to doing in NYCHA. Had to run out and get a hammer drill and masonry bits
Apparently there is alot of technicals into drilling a hole into the wall...something about wall anchors, drywall, plasters, studs etc. I'm not the most handy person and a lot of this terminology is foreign to me.
I live in Farragut House, a NYCHA building. What are the walls NYCHA buildings typically made of? Will I need to buy a stud finder and drill into a stud? Do I need plastic wall anchors?
I'm looking to hang curtain rods primarily.
Excerpt: What are the walls NYCHA buildings typically made of?
Opinion: Do not Drill anything into those walls. Instead go to your local hardware store and purchase
HyperFix Super 7 caulking adhesive. This stuff is great. They usually have those little advertisement
videos running constantly and a tube only costs about $5 bucks. Just the other day the misses wanted
me to add a towel ring in the bathroom. I pulled out my drill,diamond bit,masonary bit,oil,tape,etc,.....to start
drilling and I remembered at the last second I had some of this stuff left. I placed a dab on the ring holder.
Held it in place against the tile with a little tape. Came back an hour later and presto. If I tried to pull
this ring off the wall the tile would probably come with it. Hope this helps.
P.S. Back in the day they used to call the playground needle park. How are the projects doing today.
Great Brooklyn Location just up the block from the Gold street tow yards. Yup that's where you
go to pick up your car once ticketed and towed. Good Luck...............
Last edited by Mr.Retired; 10-04-2019 at 01:52 PM..
You will need hammer drill for most areas of the apartment. Some walls (between the bedrooms, hallway, etc.) will be plaster while others on the perimeter might be plaster first then cement or cinderblock. In either case, you can rent/borrow a hammer drill with masonry bit to manage those things. Place a piece of masking tape over part you plan to drill to avoid the wall breaking apart too much then remove it when the work is done. As for window curtains, I was told (in these buildings) its best to drill into the metal encasing not the surrounding wall (this advice came from a trusted maintenance worker). Home Depot rents hammer drills if you can't get someone to loan one to you. Good luck!
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Took me a while to learn I was doing it wrong by using a screw gun and a drywall screw to punch a hole since thats what I was used to doing in NYCHA. Had to run out and get a hammer drill and masonry bits
