We want to re-paint a room. Walls are old plaster (presumably original, so ~90 yo), with what looks like 3 layers of paint. Based on age, the paint is likely oil-base. Some of the paint has pealed to bare plaster; the rest seems well-bonded. So, primer has to bond to both plaster and old paint.
Question: is there a preferrable primer to use? Or ones to avoid?
Thanks
| Question: is there a preferrable primer to use? Or ones to avoid? |
I wouldn't prime it at all. If it's glossy you might want to wash it with hot solution of TSP. Then use some joint compound to even out the peeled areas. I usually prime if I'm doing new drywall, but not for small areas of joint compound. You can just spot-prime the compound spots, if necessary, with the finish paint. (Assuming you're using water- base paint this time.)
*3* layers of paint? I'd be looking to sand or otherwise "fill" some of those voids so they don't "bleed through" (texturally) the final paint job.
George submitted this idea :
REAL plaster walls? Redwood lath? Love it!
George presented the following explanation :
Try scraping off the paint and use a stone or metal wall scraper to get the old paint off, then use driwall topping compound and a trowel to smooth the wall.
| Try scraping off the paint and use a stone or metal wall scraper to get | the old paint off, then use driwall topping compound and a trowel to | smooth the wall. |
Are you serious? He said most of it's stuck. What you're proposing probably means several *days* of scraping work, then skim coating the entire wall with joint compound after getting it hacked up. All for no good reason. Anyone who had to do such a thing for some reason would be better off drywalling over it.
Mayayana submitted this idea :
I never said it would be easy. Are you afraid of a little work? ^^
Oren was thinking very hard :
I don't believe in painting over primed plaster. After 30+ years as a plasterer, I avoid priming plaster walls, both interior and exterior. A bit of work and you avoid old paint lifting after priming.
| > Are you serious? He said most of it's stuck. What | > you're proposing probably means several *days* of | > scraping work, then skim coating the entire wall | > with joint compound after getting it hacked up. | > All for no good reason. Anyone who had to do such | > a thing for some reason would be better off drywalling | > over it. | | I never said it would be easy. Are you afraid of a little work? ^^
Because a job is difficult and strenuous that makes it useful? You're not making any sense. It's a cruel practical joke to suggest what you suggested. Unless you really don't know any better. In that case you shouldn't be giving people advice.
Mayayana was thinking very hard :
That is how I would prepare a plaster wall. Your milage may vary.
Oren wrote on 12/29/2015 :
If it were savable, yes. You don't see original redwood lath and plaster very often. If it's crumbly and falling off, no. There are other types of plaster and I'm assuming it's hardwall plaster, not thinwall plaster.
Try the crap in my house, renovations are a pain in the ass, it is a wire mesh lath with the plaster over the top of that. Gloves and the right tools are a key for the parts of it I have redone, otherwise expect blood.
Hi George,
We repainted my in-laws 100+ year old house a few years ago. Like you, it had the original plaster and lath.
We used TSP to clean the accumulated grease and grime from the walls, then patched up holes and whatnot with drywall joint compound. The plaster was cracked and separating from the lath in places, so I drove in some drywall screws to secure it. I added mesh drywall tape over the cracks and skim coated over the top for a nice smooth surface.
We applied a coat of "Kilz" brand primer on the walls, then two coats of our top coat paint.
Turned out great and still looks nice today.
Anthony Watson
| The plaster was | cracked and separating from the lath in places, so I drove in some drywall | screws to secure it.
One note: There are stainless steel disks available, usually called ceiling washers or ceiling buttons. They get attached to lath or stud with a drywall screw and have holes in them for plaster/compound to go through. Putting those over loose areas works much better than screws alone, which will often just drive right through.
Try not to get too excited. This is kind of old-school (1920's?) skim coat, about 1/4" thick. In the right light, the lath telegraphs through. (We prefer not to notice.)
| >REAL plaster walls? Redwood lath? Love it! | | Try not to get too excited. This is kind of old-school (1920's?) skim | coat, about 1/4" thick. In the right light, the lath telegraphs | through. (We prefer not to notice.)
I think it may depend on where one lives. I deal with mostly horsehair plaster and lath. I occasionally deal with plaster on concrete on metal lath -- the stuff that came after horsehair. That's much worse to work with. When I come across drywall it's a treat. So much less dust and work involved in the demo.
From the sounds of it you might want to consider putting drywall over your walls. (Which may be fairly easy or very involved, depending on how you have to deal with the trim.)
There are plastic plaster washers as well as steel.
It seems like they have lots of names:
Ceiling buttons Plaster buttons Plaster washers
I would have opted for the washers if I had some available at the time, but it was a last minute repair before we started painting. I had the screws with me, so I carefully drove several around the loose areas which seemed to snug everything up nicely. Not ideal, but it hasn't cracked or pulled away in the last 10+ years.
Anthony Watson
George used his keyboard to write :
Do you want to preserve the plaster or make a solid wall with as little labor and expense possible?
I worked in California, so there are no basements to speak of, and most of the interior plaster walls are 2'X4' 1/2" wall board with metal mesh used in inside corners and fiberglass tape on joints. Gypsum plaster is spread over that lath and when cured and dry, "puttycoat" is spread over the gypsum resulting in a very hard wall. Thin wall is spread over gypsum green board with fiberglass mesh tape on all joints and inside corners resulting in a VERY HARD plaster wall to paint over. Sometimes pigment is added to the mud so no painting is required. Today, most homes are driwall and spray textured.
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