Nov 29, 2008 plaster is applied in three coats and built up to a thickness of 34 inch to make the finished wall. If youve cut all the way through the lath, the patch should fall right out as you make your last cut. These stepbystep instructions demonstrate how to patch a ceiling hole where an old electrical box used to be. Once the texture on a popcorn ceiling is scraped away, there is bound to be some damage to the ceiling. Jan 19, 2015 yes, there are times when you need to cut a hole in a plaster wall. Scrape in the crack with your putty knife to open it up a little and give the plaster a bit more surface to stick to. Measure the depth and diameter of the existing hole to. Jul 12, 2016 anyone can fix a wall with this method.
A lath and plaster ceiling may need to be repaired over time. Surround the crack, hole, or otherwise failing area with lots of screws and buttons to fully support the fragile plaster areas. How to repair cracked plaster on walls, ceiling sfgate. Drywall repair patch 6in x 6in drywall repair patch. Use a saw blade or utility knife to cut along the lines you just drew. Use a handheld jab saw to patiently file away drywall until the recessed light fits into the hole. Hanging items on plaster almost always involves drilling a hole first, since nails may not penetrate. Cracks in ceiling keep reappearing renovation headquarters. A plaster ceiling is made out of a mixture of limegypsum, sand, water and some form of fiber. Cutting holes in plaster ceilings hole cutter store. Just the other day i had 2 pendants over the kitchen island, a ceiling fan in. Over time, these keys can disintegrate, causing the plaster to crack, crumble, and fall away from the lath. If you have a patch of ceiling with crumbling plaster, or you have a crack in it, heres what you can do to fix it. Make sure that you screw the drywall into the ceiling rafters and not just into the current drywall or plaster as the case maybe.
Apr 18, 2016 if you see bulges in your wall or ceiling and the plaster can be pushed back up against the wall, then its time to reattach that section of plaster. Yes, there are times when you need to cut a hole in a plaster wall. Depending upon the lath i find i will cut it out with a reciprocating saw with a carbide grit blade if the lath is metal, with a fine tooth reciprocating saw blade if it is wood. Danny, jamesthefirst, thebearbeef and 1 other person. Though not perfect, the adjustable hole cutter provides the best combination of cutting speed and no vertical movement as with a reciprocating saw to loosen or crack the plaster layers. In retrospect, it was ott, but it did not move or ceiling crack for at least 31 years. No skills needed cut a perfectly round patch in seconds. This will make the hole easier to repair when the time comes. While unattractive, cracks in your ceiling usually arent a cause for alarm, unless they accompany other problems, such as blackened drywall or a known leak. Hole pro professional hole cutting tools for audio. Lath tends to loose moisture and shrink, while plaster wont do this. When you hit lath, stopthe bit wont go through woodpull out the bit, and drill another hole about 3 inches from the first and about 2 inches from the crack. Plaster repair for diyers no need to rip it out old town home. Certified contractors for drywall hole repair in augusta, georgia.
The first order of business is to protect the floors of the work area with drop cloths. To avoid cracking the plaster and creating an even bigger repair job, dont pull the plaster tight to the lath in a single motion. Aug 30, 2017 start the repair by trimming the opening in the ceiling into a square or rectangle, enlarging it as necessary with a drywall saw or utility knife. Try to hit a strip of lath with every hole you drill. Plaster walls consist of several thick layers of cementlike plaster over a wood lathe frame. When this happens the plaster will break away from the lath and start to fall.
This will enable you to get all the way into the wall. After correcting whatever problem made the ceiling loose in the first place leaky roof, structural alterations, the first step is to assess how far the ceiling has pulled away. Plaster is applied in three coats and built up to a thickness of 34 inch to make the finished wall. There is no better tool for cutting holes in plaster. Cutting 6 holes in plaster ceiling ask me help desk.
Also, do not get lazy with the amount of screws that you use to hang the drywall to the ceiling. How to cut a circle in the ceiling for recessed lighting home. Sucking away the drywall dust with a shop vacuum as you file helps to reduce dust. So if i repaired that particular hole, the lathe would need to be replaced, which leads me towhy not just do the whole thing since there is a good chance im just. For more about how plaster walls are built, see plaster wall construction.
If you know how to cut plaster walls and ceilings you can avoid. Its not just cracks that mean plaster has come loose of its lath. Once the plaster dries, it becomes a hard and durable concretelike substance, which makes it fairly difficult to cut a hole in a plaster ceiling. How to repair walls and ceilings with video homebase. With wood lath the hole cutter will continue to cut through the lath as well as the plaster. If your ceilings are plastered, cracks are often attributable to weathering of the plaster. And before you do it wrong and knock big chunks of plaster from your walls or ceilings, i thought id give you some tips on how to cut plaster walls the right way. To reattach the sagging plaster to the lath, drive the washer with a power screwdriver or drill so that it penetrates the wood lath, wall studs, or ceiling joists. Plaster ceilings have been done in different ways in different parts of the. Using a sanding sponge, work in a circular motion and smooth out the surface of the ceiling.
If the plaster is discolored, youll need to remove an area and patch it properly. Depending upon the lath i find i will cut it out with a reciprocating saw with a carbide grit blade if the lath is metal, with a. Hole pro professional hole cutting tools for recessed lights. Because i am prying only the center piece if it cracks or breaks it does not matter. When using a reciprocating saw, go slow and steady to make a clean cut instead of a jagged edge. The saw performed perfectly through the two holes i drilled. I did a house long ago with plaster walls and ceilings. How to cut a circle in the ceiling for recessed lighting.
Score through the top layer of the drywall and paper backing with a utility knife, about 2 to 3 inches beyond the opening. A hole saw or an adjustable ceiling hole cutter, with its hood to catch dust. If the crack becomes more than 14 inch wide, simply filling it with patching plaster may not be enough. Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems, including cracks, holes, and sagging. With the circular scoring motion of the tungsten carbide cutting blades the two layers of the plaster are not likely to separate and cause a crack in the ceiling. Leave the supporting prop in place until the plaster has dried and bonded to the laths. Best method cutting holes in plaster ceiling for can. Then sand around the crack to roughen up the paintwork. Finally, without making the actual hole any bigger, gently chip away a 25mm strip of surface plaster from around the hole. How do i cut an electrical outlet in plaster walls without. Every time i am removing the screws all three holes get slightly larger as. Mix fairly runny bonding undercoat plaster and pour it over the damaged area to replace the broken plaster. A hole saw or an adjustable ceiling hole cutter, with its. The hole pro power series adjustable hole cutter kits are ideal for quickly cutting exact size holes in sheet metal, sheetrock, plywood, plaster, hardi fiber cement.
If there arent any, use a plasterboardutility saw or pad saw to clean up and straighten the damaged edges of the hole. Hole saws are fine for cutting holes in plastic or metal where the hole size required is a standard hole saw diameter. The edge of the patch should be directly over the stud so both the existing drywall and patch have support. If you see bulges in your wall or ceiling and the plaster can be pushed back up against the wall, then its time to reattach that section of plaster. The hole pro adjustable hole cutters make a clean straight cutout hole in the plaster for the can light or ceiling speaker and with the straight edge the grill or trim rings will sit flush against the surface of the ceiling. I got about 12 holes out of each dust shield before it cracked. May 06, 2018 put an offcut of plaster board above the hole and troweled up with csr cornice cement. How to patch a plaster and lath ceiling ask this old house. You can also use the lath as backer for screwing in drywall patches cut to the size of the hole. Do they make a hole saw that could cut plaster without getting dull quickly. Since plaster tends to be about a half inch thick in our house, its almost perfect to just put in a half inch piece of.
Repair plaster walls to get things stabilized again. If the ceiling is plaster, add the suspense of finding the right bit and running at the right torque to avoid starting an unsightly crack. Time will tell how many holes it is capable of cutting before the teeth wear out, but i imagine it will more than pay for. Using a 316inch masonry bit, drill a hole in the plaster about 2 inches from the crack.
Where the hole diameter is not a convenient hole saw size, then a powered cone cutter or a hand tapered reamer is invaluable. How to repair cracks in plaster bunnings warehouse. Learn how to repair a damaged ceiling with these easy steps. If no crack, then probably just peeling joint paper. This will make the ceiling stronger and may prevent the cracks from appearing. Dec 19, 2018 plaster walls consist of several thick layers of cementlike plaster over a wood lathe frame.
Just like delaminating cracks, bulging plaster looks exactly the same, except this time there arent cracks in the surface. Use a utility knife to cut away any loose paper from the. When youre installing a recessed light and you accidentally make the ceiling hole too small, but only slightly, the fix is simple but messy. Use a drywall saw or utility knife to cut a square patch out of a new piece of drywall. Bought this hole saw kit to drill out some holes in my plaster ceiling for. Drywall repair patch 4in x 4in drywall repair patch. Hole pro for electricians hole pro professional hole. Feb 27, 2011 first cut the plaster and remove the plug. The first couple holes are perfect, no cracking, just a clean smooth cut. Quickly and smoothly cuts cleaner holes in drywall and ceiling tiles.
Best method cutting holes in plaster ceiling for can lights. For areas where the washers dont hold or the plaster is very damaged, cut out the plaster and create a patch using drywall. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath. The reason the hole saw works the best is these other tools get hung up on the lathe and crack the plaster and then your are going to be late for dinner patching that mess. Start the repair by trimming the opening in the ceiling into a square or rectangle, enlarging it as necessary with a drywall saw or utility knife. Stained cracks and suspicious shadowsthe telltale signs of a delaminating plaster ceiling. Put an offcut of plaster board above the hole and troweled up with csr cornice cement. How to repair sagging plaster on walls and ceilings dummies. Every time i am removing the screws all three holes get slightly larger as a bit of the plaster comes out too. In this case, use mesh drywall tape and quickdrying drywall mud to give the best chance of. Dec 17, 2019 plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath.
Diagnose common plaster problems the craftsman blog. Roll crack tape composite tape use to repair difficult cracks on flat surfaces and corners. This is a right pain that is sawing off the joists that are running across your hole, it would be good if the cut is vertical, if its problematic, taper the top away from the hole. The plaster in the dining room fell due to lathing that was warped. I have an older house with plaster over wood instead of sheetrock. Now dust the surface down with a rag and cover the crack with a piece of jointing tape. Piece of 9mm ply screwed to the ceiling first, then cut through the ply, plaster and lath in one with a sharp hole cutting bit, the ply should hold it all together.
If you have a small crack in the plaster on your ceiling, you can get away with filling it rather than patching it. Second cut the lath using the hole in the plaster as a guide. This will be the mounting point for the filler piece of wood to which the drywall patch will be secured. When you run into a stud, mark and measure a 34 inch farther in, which will be the center of the stud.
Use instead of fiberglass mesh tap on tile backer board. Im doing some minor remodelling and am trying to have an electrical outlet in the bathroom moved to make way for a mirror. I believe that those two screws do not touch the lath board that is behind the plaster. The saw is going to cut through both the lathe and the plaster. First, locate the existing framing that supported the old electrical box. How to fix plaster ceilings old house journal magazine. Cutting holes in plaster ceilings hole pro built for speed. Locate the joists each side of the hole with a stud detector.
How to safely drill in old plaster walls home guides sf gate. Remember, plaster is the canary in the coal mine and these are just some of the most common plaster problems. I cut the plaster out with the hole pro hole cutter and then pry out the plaster. To make the hole for the boxes themselves, i use a grit holesaw. The top two holes are stripped where the screw will spin freely. How should i fix the stripped hole in the plasterboard.
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