Plaster Walls - Did I screw up?

jamiedolan

Hello everyone;

A description of my situation; (my main questions are underlined below)

I have a porch (heated part of house on slab with footings) that I need to put some kind of wall covering on. The rest of my house has 16" X 8' rock lathboard (durarock style of board) that is 3/8" thick, with 1/2" of plaster on top of that for a total depth of right about 7/8".

The plaster has a slight sanded texture to it, and looks nice. I thought it would be nice to make the porch look the same. I also thought that with plaster it would give it some moisture resistance. Everything I've experienced with plaster walls and read about them says they are a really good and really tough surface.

I was at the home store (menards) and planed to buy 2'X8' by 3/8" thick pieces of DUROCK by USG. They did not carry this size sheet. So what I got was 22 sheets size 2' X 8' X 1/2" of what they called Plaster Board TPRD EDG (tapered edge?) 55LBS (yikes, per sheet?).

My questions:

1: Is this plaster board stuff I got the right stuff (or did I screw up getting the plaster board, is it the same thing as the durrock?) to plaster over to get the same look as my current walls? (2' X 8' X 1/2" - Plaster Board TPRD EDG 55LBS). For areas of my current walls that I am patching, will it matter that it is 1/8" thicker, or can I just use a bit thinner layer of plaster?

2: How difficult is it going to be to plaster? I can get my dad to help, he has not done plastering before, but is very experienced at finishing sheet rock. (he knows how to mix drywall compound to the proper consistency, etc.) I know I need a rod and darby. What is the learning cure like on plastering a room?

I am planning on going and picking up the 22 sheets of plaster board tonight, so I am really hoping I am not making a mistake, :-) and I am wondering if I screwed up and got the wrong stuff or if I did get the right stuff if plastering is just going to be way too difficult.

The guys at menards seemed to know very little about plaster.

Thanks so much.

Jamie

mikey48

I have used sheet rock in my forties house and textured the sheetrock to match. As a remodeler takes a little practice but most of it I can match. I am not sure if you can even but plaster.

Marvin Gardens

Me too.

I can match almost anything that I have seen in plaster.

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Maintenance 6

Why not just drywall it and match the sand textured finish? Sure beats plastering at three times the weight, and unknown amount of extra labor. That's why it's tough to even find a plasterer anymore. Practically any plaster finish can be duplicated on drywall.

jamiedolan

Really? That was one of my primary concerns, duplicating the finish of the rest of the house, which is a ver light / fine sand type texture, but quite smooth still. I am curious, do you just duplicate the textures with regular durabond or plus 3?

My other thought / concern is that I thought that plaster would be more durable and more moisture resistant since this is a room with a hot tub.

I have 22 sheets of "blue board" that I draged home last night, at 55 POUNDS a sheet for 1/2 inch. From what I have learned, it is designed for a veneer plaster only.

The veneer plaster system sound good from what I have read, and sounds much easier to apply. It does list as one of it's disadvantages that it is not quite as moisture resistant as traditional plaster. I am kind of worried about that.
Thanks.
Jamie

Maintenance 6

If it were mine, I would use Georgia-Pacific Densarmor fiberglass drywall. Finish it with their mold resistant mud and cover it with a sand textured coating. About 1/2 of the weight and 25% of the work involved in plastering. In the end, the job will be a lot more moisture resistant and humidity friendly. Plus, unless you have some plastering experience, drywall will finish up a lot more consistant and certainly flatter, meaning that your finish trim will lay nicer on the walls.