Today we began a plaster cornice restoration in Orchard Park NY. These plaster features require a high level of skill to restore properly, it’s easy to get in over your head without the right experience. We take on these repairs selectively, on a case-by-case basis. Generally, the more intricate the detail, the more skill (and costly) the restoration. But done right, the results are incredible.
We begin by covering the entire area with plastic and isolating the room from the rest of the house. We want to contain our mess as much as possible. After the room is set up and the lights are on, we begin chipping away at the damaged plaster taking care to not remove what isn’t damaged. While it sounds like random banging, its actually precision work. Once the damaged plaster is removed, we apply the pink stuff, and then re-create the profile out of plaster. Today we got the repair 90% complete and will finish it tomorrow. On Monday we will prime and paint the plaster crown.
Plaster Restoration
The patch is completed. Now we let it dry over the week end and check on it Monday. If its dry, we will prime it with oil based primer and do another pass to make sure we are satisfied. If not we will work on it more.
The Monday Update
We left Friday, with a small fan on the patch to help it dry, as some areas of the patch were almost an inch thick. So on Monday, after playing with it more, after priming, and the first coat of paint, I decided that I am not happy with it, and decided to play with it more. Didn’t meet my standards. The homeowner is happy with it, but I am not. So I worked on it more, and tomorrow it’ll be completed.
It looks good, and we could have finished it today and got paid, but when you look at it from a different angle? I can’t leave it like that. Plus the paint is satin, so imperfections show even more!
All done.
