#REPAIRING LATH AND PLASTER WALLS HOW TO#
#REPAIRING LATH AND PLASTER WALLS CRACK#

In some cases, the weight of heavy objects or furniture can even cause entire sections of lath and plaster to collapse.

#REPAIRING LATH AND PLASTER WALLS CRACK#

People moving about, moving furniture, and objects bumping against walls and ceilings subject lath and plaster to decades of use in older buildings.Īll of this activity can create stress on the material, causing it to crack or break. Wear and tear can also take its toll on lath and plaster. Over time, these cracks can grow larger, and pieces of the material can break away, creating a hazard for building occupants. This can be accelerated by factors such as moisture, temperature changes, and vibration. Aging and Wear and TearĪging and wear and tear are two major factors that contribute to the dangers associated with lath and plaster.Īs a building ages, the material begins to deteriorate, becoming more brittle and susceptible to cracking and crumbling. In short, while lath and plaster were once popular and effective building materials, its age and potential for deterioration make it a potential hazard to the occupants of buildings that still contain it. This, combined with the often highly combustible nature of older buildings, can make a fire in a building with lath and plaster especially dangerous. While the material itself is not highly flammable, it can provide a path for fire to spread quickly throughout a building, as the spaces between the laths can act as conduits for flames. Additionally, the failure of lath and plaster can also lead to more serious structural issues, such as the collapse of a wall or ceiling.Īnother danger associated with lath and plaster is fire. This can lead to pieces of the material breaking away and falling, potentially injuring occupants. Over time, the combination of wear and tear and the natural settling of a building can cause the lath and plaster to crack and crumble. Lath and plaster are largely dangerous to its age and state of repair.

#REPAIRING LATH AND PLASTER WALLS HOW TO#

There are several ways in which to repair lath and plaster - using modern or traditional techniques, or by learning how to patch plaster.10.3 Why seek professional assistance with lath and plaster? The Dangers of Lath and Plaster 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.

Repairing lath and plaster walls