If you are just fixing to a plaster board surface then see our project on fixing to plasterboard for exactly how to do this. This inevitably involves making a hole in the wall to access two studs to fix across or between. The only solid fixing therefore is to replace some of the lath and plaster with a solid surface to fix to or provide a solid fixing behind it. Many years of experience has taught us not to take chances with wall plugs, toggles and other types plasterboard fixings, they simply don’t work and when the slightest bit of force is applied, they pull out the wall. The plaster is thin and has no holding strength and the same goes for the laths that support it, so fixing in to either isn’t an option.Įven with the volume of fixings that are available today, as far as we are aware, no fixing is available for a good, solid, reliable fix to lathe and plaster. The major problem when fixing to lath and plaster is the fact that there isn’t anything strong to fix to. Image coutesy of Museum Resources The Problem of Fixing to Lath and Plaster When this happens, holes can easily form and the surface becomes very unstable and often becomes powdery to the touch.Ī section of a lathed wall with plaster removed. As the laths are very flexible they allow the wall to move, and as the plaster has degraded it often crumbles behind and in between the laths. The gaps between the laths allow the plaster to be pushed in, where is spills out behind each lath and once set, clings there forming a flat and solid surface.ĭespite this however, most lath and plaster walls and ceilings in homes in this country are at least 60 years old and due to this are well past their “sell by” date. It became widely used and started to replace lath and plaster by the 1930’s.Īs mentioned, to create a lath and plaster finish, the plaster is pushed onto and into the timber laths, which have been nailed to upright studs. Plasterboard took a while to catch on and was introduced to the UK in 1917. Lath and plaster is an extension of the wattle and daub idea and was used long after the invention of plasterboard by Augustino Sackett in approximately 1888. The daub was pushed, usually by hand, into the web of branches to forming a weatherproof surface, protecting the inside of the dwelling. Wattle was the name for twigs and branches that were interwoven between the upright timber posts that formed the framework of a dwelling.ĭaub was the name given to the various forms of mud, clay, lime, manure or other locally available, easily workable fillers that could be applied and smoothed onto the wattle. Lath and plaster was used as a wall finish long before plasterboard took over from the centuries old Wattle and Daub finish. It uses thin strips of timber spaced and fixed an inch or so apart that’s then fixed to a stud work frame that provides a surface for plaster to be applied to. Lath and plaster is a type of traditional wall finish, similar to plaster, that was first used around the 1700’s all the way up to the mid 18th century. There are several ways in which to repair lath and plaster - using modern or traditional techniques, or by learning how to patch plaster.Fixing to lath and plaster walls has always been a tricky problem and one that has always puzzled first time DIY’ers, however there are several solutions to this conundrum which we run through below. If, on the other hand, large chunks of your wall or ceiling are coming away, more significant repair work will be necessary. Simply check them regularly and keep an eye on any new cracks that appear - often simply skimming over them with a suitable, lime-based, plaster mix is sufficient. Of course, if your walls are still in good condition, there is no need to touch them. If you live in a house with lath and plaster walls (likely if your house was built before 1940) then you might be wondering how to repair damaged lath and plaster. How do you Repair Lath and Plaster Walls? These mixtures usually used a 1:1:6 combination of gypsum or cement, lime putty and sharp sand for the initial two coats, then equal parts of lime putty and gypsum for the final layer. Later on, it became common to add in gypsum or sometimes cement - this was to speed up the setting process between each layer. The third layer was commonly made up of lime putty and a fine sand in a 3:1 mixture - or sometimes just lime putty. The first two layers of plaster that were applied to the lath were usually made up of lime putty and sharp sand in a 1:3 ratio - often with animal hair added in to help bind them. (Image credit: Getty) What Type of Plaster Was Used For Lath and Plaster? Lath and plaster walls were commonplace in house right up until the advent of plasterboard in the 1930s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |