This is what the plumbers left this homeowner to contend with. We do a lot of ceiling repairs, and often follow behind plumbers. This home is wood lath and plaster. As such we couldn’t use blueboard as the gypsum board is too thick and wouldn’t allow for proper finishing. Also installing gypsum board in this hole would create a flat spot in an otherwise non flat ceiling. Blueboard looks a lot like drywall, however has a special paper that allows plaster to stick to it.
So we opted to use metal lath, and plaster base coat. Then finished with lime & plaster of Paris, at which point we textured the patch to match the existing swirl as best we could.
The patch is about 1″ thick so will require 1-2 weeks to dry prior to returning to prime and paint the ceiling. Below is the process for this repair.
It needs to be noted that the walls are covered with old wallpaper, taping plastic to the wall could potentially damage the wallpaper, so we had to be careful.
Ceiling Repair
Notice how much BIGGER the actual patch became? This isn’t because we are “feathering” out the patch like you have to do with drywall compound. With plaster, you only apply new material, to the areas where the old damaged material was removed. In this case, the finish coat pealed off with our 5in1. Once we made it to sound material we stopped. We cleaned up the edges with a hatchet, hung metal lath and are applying basecoat.
The shiny stuff in the middle is metal lath. It will be covered with basecoat. The metal lath holds the basecoat which holds the finish coat. That is wet goopy plaster in this photo. We had to make another batch. Almost enough.
The pink stuff around the edges is a special bonding agent for the plaster. We let the plaster basecoat sit for about 90 minutes so it would go hard
We finished the patch with lime and Plaster of Paris. After this, we will texture the patch by adding an aggregate to the plaster to recreate the swirl.
Swirl texture came out better than I thought it would. Now the patch has to dry for at least 1 week before we can prime and paint it. At this stage, it is normal for a brown ring to appear around the patch. This will be taken care off when we prime the area with oil primer.
From start to finish, this took about 4 hours to complete.
Update 9-19-24
We spot primed the patch with Sherwin Williams Problock HS oil, and then applied (2) coats of paint to the ceiling.
We are the only painting company in WNY doing traditional plaster repairs.
With over 25 years of experience in residential construction, Dave specializes in ceiling repairs and high-end interior painting, often exceeding contractual obligations to ensure the highest level of craftsmanship. His ability to maintain exceptional customer satisfaction in such a demanding field is a testament to his expertise, integrity, and dedication to quality.
Dave Carrigan Jr. is the owner of Carrigan Painting, a 5-star-rated residential painting and plaster repair company serving the first- and second-ring northern suburbs of Buffalo, NY. For 15 consecutive years, Carrigan Painting has maintained a perfect 5-star reputation—an achievement nearly unmatched in the industry.
As the author of The Painter’s Plastering Blog, Dave shares expert insights on home improvement, plaster restoration, and industry trends. He also personally manages Carrigan Painting’s website and YouTube channel, providing homeowners with valuable resources and a firsthand look at the company’s craftsmanship.
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