Plaster Restoration

drywallfinisher · 10-20-2012, 09:22 PM

So a Chicago commodities trader buys a 5000sq ft home in Biltmore Forest NC and she calls me up to remove the popcorn ceilings and finish them to a slick finish. When I show up to look it over I discover the ceilings are drywall hung over the old plaster..the house was built in the 30's.
It was a huge job and I priced it accordingly and started the next day. Myself and two other finishers completed the job in four days. In the process though, after removing the popcorn , we discovered that whoever installed the drywall over the plaster used course thread drywall screws

HAMMERED

in as fasteners. Apparently they didnt have screw guns...mind that this is a huge house in an upscale historic district. The builder who renovated the house in the 70's used crown molding as a fix to the mess created in the angles when resurfacing ceilings over plaster and NOT resurfacing the walls. So there was reason this 2 million dollar home had popcorn ceilings.
We coated all the nails after the popcorn removal and with 50% of them the paper turned loose at the point of the hammered impact. "Waffling" is a term we use for this. We spent several hours cutting out the loose paper, renailing(with nails), and taping the areas where the damage was through and through to the plaster.
We didnt use screws because the lath/plaster would spin the heads right off. tough stuff...the structural integrity in building was outstanding in the 30's
story short..the ceilings are beautiful now...and we made good money

I have a technique I use when slicking out aggregated plaster. Making repairs to aggregated walls, you have to use an aggregate in your repair compound or you create slick spots over the repair area. The home owner has asked me to come back and begin a resurfacing of the secondary stairwells. It's a lot of work that needs to be done efficiently. I wont be using drywall...just quick set joint compound and a lot of straight flex.
I want to document this process here w/pics and conversation....It should be interesting.
I should begin this project within the next two weeks.

**BigJim** · 10-21-2012, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drywallfinisher

So a Chicago commodities trader buys a 5000sq ft home in Biltmore Forest NC and she calls me up to remove the popcorn ceilings and finish them to a slick finish. When I show up to look it over I discover the ceilings are drywall hung over the old plaster..the house was built in the 30's.
It was a huge job and I priced it accordingly and started the next day. Myself and two other finishers completed the job in four days. In the process though, after removing the popcorn , we discovered that whoever installed the drywall over the plaster used course thread drywall screws

HAMMERED

in as fasteners. Apparently they didnt have screw guns...mind that this is a huge house in an upscale historic district. The builder who renovated the house in the 70's used crown molding as a fix to the mess created in the angles when resurfacing ceilings over plaster and NOT resurfacing the walls. So there was reason this 2 million dollar home had popcorn ceilings.
We coated all the nails after the popcorn removal and with 50% of them the paper turned loose at the point of the hammered impact. "Waffling" is a term we use for this. We spent several hours cutting out the loose paper, renailing(with nails), and taping the areas where the damage was through and through to the plaster.
We didnt use screws because the lath/plaster would spin the heads right off. tough stuff...the structural integrity in building was outstanding in the 30's
story short..the ceilings are beautiful now...and we made good money

I have a technique I use when slicking out aggregated plaster. Making repairs to aggregated walls, you have to use an aggregate in your repair compound or you create slick spots over the repair area. The home owner has asked me to come back and begin a resurfacing of the secondary stairwells. It's a lot of work that needs to be done efficiently. I wont be using drywall...just quick set joint compound and a lot of straight flex.
I want to document this process here w/pics and conversation....It should be interesting.
I should begin this project within the next two weeks.

We will be looking forward to your pictures, (sorry for the mess up)

chrisn · 10-21-2012, 06:19 PM

I remember

My question is why you did not remove the inferior drywall and work with the original plaster?

joecaption · 10-21-2012, 06:24 PM

Run into that problum again and you can use ceramic coated bugle headed decking screws and they will go though the plaster without snapping off.

fixrite · 10-23-2012, 10:55 AM

I too am interested why you did not go down to the original plaster and work with that. I would think having another layer on top of the drywall would give cause for sag, just a thought, not a criticism.

drywallfinisher · 10-23-2012, 12:58 PM

this is what the ceilings looked like after we removed the popcorn.
one guy(me) using a garden sprayer and two guys coming behind taking off the popcorn into their pans and than into a trash can placed into the center of the room.
we started in the room in the picture, later that same day the movers show up and she fills the room up with furniture before we are finished. This room is on hold until the tile gets finished in the room its going to. The wood floors are being refinished, that sub needs this room too.

fixrite · 10-23-2012, 01:07 PM

sounds like a communication challenge. Hope that one get resolved quickly. Poor communication can really make a job painful at best.

drywallfinisher · 10-23-2012, 01:10 PM

More of the one room and then the final slick ceilings

drywallfinisher · 10-23-2012, 01:19 PM

Stairwell with heavy aggregate and broken angles [
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