Tips for working on drywall

If you live in an older home, say 50 or 60 years or older, there is a good chance you have plaster on the walls. Plaster walls were very common, especially in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Plaster was widely available, workable, and capable of producing very smooth walls and ornate trim. However, it was and is very difficult to be worth it. It took a good plasterer many years to learn the trade from him under the careful instruction of a master plasterer.

The plaster is still widely available, although it is rarely used. Just check the paint aisles of

your local home improvement center and you will see it mixed with putty and

patching compound. The reason for its disappearance was the invention of the joint

compound. Unlike plaster, joint compound (or drywall compound) is easy to work with

with. It is slow to set and harden, is very easy to sand, mixes easily, can be

bought already mixed, and it is easy to clean up. Joint compound works simply

letting the water evaporate, leaving the hard, white stuff on the wall.

Plaster, on the other hand, sets quickly, hardens like cement, is very difficult to

work with once it starts to set it is difficult to clean up and needs to be mixed as

needed and in quantities that can be worked with quickly. The plaster as it sets, is

actually a chemical reaction between solid plaster and water.

For this reason, joint compound is the natural choice for most new homes and

patching jobs. However, plaster is by far the superior product. A plaster wall is rock.

tough, has a solid sound and feel, is not easily damaged or scratched, and can

endure some abuse. These properties allow for interesting remodeling and

repair.

A simple task, such as hanging a picture frame hook, can cause large chunks of

plaster coming off the wall and collapsing. Try to drive a drywall

screwing into drywall can be an exercise in frustration as chunks of the wall come loose

and the screw dulled by plaster, drill bits and saw blades dulled instantly

we contacted.

Because of these challenges with casting, I’ve put together some tips for working with

it’s. Note that these work for me in most situations, but the cast may be different.

and behave differently in different places, so work very carefully.

1. When hanging a picture frame on a hook with a nail, tape it first

piece of masking tape over the area where you will place the nail. This will help

prevent chipping. Once the nail is in place, remove the tape.

2. Another way to insert a picture frame wall hanger is to drill a small pilot hole.

nail hole. The pilot hole need not be deep. Deep enough to penetrate the

top layer of plaster. If you see brown dust coming out of the bit, you’re done.

the top layer and in the brown layer.

3. To drive a screw through the drywall, always drill a pilot hole!

4. Never use a drywall screw in plaster to fasten anything! Although it may seem

that the cast is holding it in place, you risk tearing off a large piece of cast

if you find a weak point. Always screw through the drywall and into the studs.

5. When screwing drywall and wall studs, make sure you are

the wall studs and not the wooden lath that holds the plaster to the wall! shoot down

The lath is one of the worst things you can do as it will bring down large chunks of

plaster with it!

6. Standard stud finders will not work on drywall. You need stud sensors that

they have some kind of deep penetrating technology. Common stud finders are

designed for half inch drywall walls and can distinguish the thickness of the plaster very well.

7. Use the tapping technique to find studs. Plaster has good harmonics and for

by tapping or rapping it with your knuckles, you can usually hear the gaps between

the studs quite easily.

8. Like anything else in an old house, be very careful! there was no construction

codes when many of these houses were built, so there is no guarantee that the walls

studs are evenly spaced, no old or abandoned pipes in walls

and there are outdated plumbing and electrical lines in the walls.

Remember, work slow and smart! Never rush an old house project. take a few

minutes to think things over several times. You’ll still be in for surprises, but if

Work slowly and deliberately, hopefully they won’t ruin your day!

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