Smarten Me Up Re: Plaster/Drywall
I am in the middle of a (DIY) brownstone renovation, and have some specific questions about making the sheetrock work with the walls we saved. To be honest about where I am coming from… as an artist, every time I get a new studio it involves hanging and taping sheetrock… so I am no stranger…
I am in the middle of a (DIY) brownstone renovation, and have some specific questions about making the sheetrock work with the walls we saved. To be honest about where I am coming from… as an artist, every time I get a new studio it involves hanging and taping sheetrock… so I am no stranger to the white board. But I have never had to make sheetrock look *good* before. I am going to hire a taper, and want to clearly communicate what I want.
Specific questions:
1. I am assuming that in order to get a nice creamy flatness on the sheetrock, you have to skimcoat the whole thing with thinned joint compound. The first couple of guys I’ve talked to have told me that this is a waste of money, that I just want taping done. Who is right?
2. Some of my original plaster walls have a very nasty stucco all over them. Is the best way to get rid of this a new skimcoat of plaster?
3. I have heard that some people double up drywall to get more of that thick lath-and-plaster feel. Is this true?
4. Any other tips for maximizing sheetrock for the value-oriented but certainly not chintzy remodeler?
3:09, thanks! This is exactly the information I was looking for!
Now I just need a plaster guy who returns my calls…
Go to http://www.masterofplaster.com I have used there product to restore plaster walls and they came out perfect.No bonding coats , no sanding and no dust every thing is smoothed out with a water mist bottle.Check out there site look at the before and after,the guy who makes the product has been in the business over 50 years
I actually prefer fibermesh tape over paper tape – and I have done drywall work as a professional. If drywall is eventually cracking badly due to settling, you’ve got bigger problems to worry about.
There’s actually a greater chance that the paper tape will come off the wallboard, especially if it wasn’t applied just right. (Don’t let any dust get underneath.) I’ve used both as a pro, and now I would only use fiber mesh…
Skim coating is always the best way to go – You will have a completely consistent surface with no wallboard “bumps” on the paper coating showing through, and your primer and finish paint coats will be absolutely consistent. And you won’t see those horrible paper scuff marks like you see in shitty new constuction where they DON’T skimcoat.
Also, I never thin the joint compound when skimcoating. It’s already the perfect consistency to work with…
The key is to build up three, sometimes four layers of compound over all seams – sanding carefully between each application. When you are done, you should not be able to tell where any seams are, even if you “rake” a light across the wall at different angles. (which I recommend doing so you can see if you’ve missed a spot that needs additional compound and sanding.)
Getting rid of stucco textures can be a real pain in the ass. You can try scraping off the high spots with a thick drywall knife (which is not technically a knife but a trowel) and then skimcoating several layers, but in some cases it might be easier to simply apply veneer drywall (3/8″) over the rough surface. I absolutely love that veneer stuff – lightweight but saves a ton of work when restoring walls in bad shape.
Unless you are doing a real plaster restoration…
This is the OP. First of all, I called Luis, and he made an appointment to show up at my house and didn’t come and didn’t call, so feh on Luis.
And yeah, Mr. Legs, I agree.
1. i don’t really know all the answers but it seems suspicious to me if drywallers were trying to talk you out of something that would have ‘wasted’ more money their way 🙂
I have learned that fiberglass mesh tape is actually not the best way to go. When applying compound, you may inadvertently cut the mesh with the compound knife without knowing, the mesh will then crack as an old house shifts; whereas by using the paper tape, while a bit harder for the novice to handle, will hold up.
call luis!
I live in very old house with plaster walls and sheetrock ceilings. I skim coated the ceilings myself with diluted lightweight joint compound. IMHO, the key is a substance called plaster-weld, which you might already know about. This stuff–it’s pink–helps the joint compound stick. Also, to fill gouges/separations/holes, I use newspaper saturated with joint compound, really pack it in, let it dry, then smooth over with more joint compound. As a final suggestion, use an eggshell-finish paint. It gives a plaster-esque texture to flat sheetrock.
Wow, thanks for the post.
I am definitely not doing it myself–there are other things to do, and I will feel like such a turd looking at my bad skimcoat job for years to come… it seems worth the effort.
But this is helpful for talking to the person I hire… I want to know going in what their strategy is for blending old and new, and this gives me some specifics.
Thanks!