awful textured plaster stairwell
Does anyone know the best way to redo the plaster on a curved stairwell, that has been highly textured (like a scary Hitchcock movie). Its an old house with plaster walls, I would hate to knock it all down and then sheetrock, but I am being told its the best and easiest way to go-…
Does anyone know the best way to redo the plaster on a curved stairwell, that has been highly textured (like a scary Hitchcock movie). Its an old house with plaster walls, I would hate to knock it all down and then sheetrock, but I am being told its the best and easiest way to go- we already did this to our parlor floor and I really regret loosing the original plaster- Thanks
I know of a company that uses a product called master of plaster, a historically accurate restoration plaster it is a ready mixed wet plaster that needs no sanding the plaster web site is (www.masterofplaster.com)I beleive you can find a distributor and or a installer on this site I am not sure but this info may be helpful.
Yes I think the texture was an easy way to hide the everyday bumps and scratches you get in hallways. Many times unskilled people used this technique because they couldn’t do it smooth. Sometimes it may have been a ‘design’ decision. It’s like popcorn ceilings in the suburban ranch house. Covers all mistakes. Take some duct tape and press it on to the surface and yank it off. If the stucco layer doesn’t come off, then it is stable enough to skim coat over. If it comes off to reveal smooth plaster you my decide you want to scrape it off.
Try this if you are not a professional plaster person. Take half joint compound and half regular mixing plaster (the kind every hardware store sells) and mix them together by slowly sifting the plaster into the wet compound. Do a small batch first to figure out the set time, as the plaster will make the j.c. harden faster but not as fast as straight plaster. Where j.c. can’t be retouched once applied, this mix will allow you to spread a layer to fill in the valleys between the peaks and rework any areas that need it. When mixing, make sure there are no lumps. It helps to mix it on a flat smooth board and then use a hawk to work from. Remember to build up the surface slowly and work in an orderly manner moving down the wall. If the mix is too thick it will be too hard to spread out. It should be like peanut butter and not the chunky kind. You can add a little water if you have to. This technique is very forgiving and allows you to learn as you go. Joint compound is very forgiving. I have done this method for my entire house and can get the stuff to shine like real plaster. It is been on the wall 12 years and has held up better than my neighbors professionally done plaster job, which was done at the same time and is now peeling and cracking. If you are not a DIY kind of person than by all means hire a qualified professional. In my mind, a good wall-paperer is worth their weight in gold especially if the papers are $75 a roll. Skim coating is something you can learn without ruining valuable materials.
Similar “textured” walls on the fourth floor of my house. Big semi-circular swirls. Seems to have been done in the 70s, evidently with joint compound. The original plaster underneath is generally in good shape. Can I sand or scrape the texture off, or just skim over it? And with what — more compound, or a veneer plaster?
The hallway/stairway in my house had thick stucco, which was very ugly. It had been done to cover up where the previous owner had upgraded the electrical system I was able to scrape it off myself by wetting it and using a simple scraper. It wasn’t fun – but it worked.
Thanks for the info. The texture is not for wallpaper though, it is actually quite thick and meant to be a decorative thing, although it couldn’t be uglier. My guess is that it covered other flaws more easily and cheaply. Tom, would your suggestion work, even though the stucco is quite thick?
The bumpy plaster was probably for wallpaper originally. The texture gave it bite. You might want to paper. But you should get a plasterer to skim coat for you to make it like new and smooth. They usually put a mesh over the existing plaster and apply the veneer plater over that. Sometimes they just use plaster weld (pink glue), or they use both mesh and weld. It should cost between 1,000 and 3,000 dollars to have done depending on how many stories the stairwell is.
The entire staircase top to bottom? No need to remeve the plaster. If the wall is sound structurally, you can knock down the high spots with a heavy sandpaper and then skim coat. I guess you have to check for lead paint first. BY THE TIME YOU ARE THROUGH YOU WILL BE AN EXPERT SKIM COATER.