[naf]

Looking for advice on fixing a large floor to ceiling crack in a plaster wall. (see attached picture)


I've never had plaster walls before, so I'm a little lost. I'm not even sure which layers of the wall covering are showing.


Does it look like the finish coat of plaster is peeling from the bottom coat, or is that just a layer of texture/paint(/wallpaper?) coming loose from the actual plaster wall underneath.


In addition, I can push in and feel a lot of movement on the bottom plaster layer, so it appears to have become disconnected from the underlying lath. Looking at the internet it seems that the plastermagic drill holes/spray bonding agent/fill with adhesive/temporary screw method would be required here. Any recommendations on products available in US that don't cost $300 like the big wally stuff?

 

[ClarenceBauer]

From the photo it appears that there are two (2 ) finish coats which would indicate that it has been skim coated at some time.
Is this Plaster applied over wood Lath?
As for repair using the Big Wally or Plaster Magic products the method works very well. If you have a small area to repair that the small package of three tubes will cover it is about $ 150.00.
If you have a large area research this article
Morgan W. Phillips formulations APT vol. XII No. 2 1980
The adhesive formula for unfilled is the same as the Big Wally's only you will be mixing your own it will be cheaper but you may not find all the ingredients locally.
If you want to by pass all the proven methods just use Elmer's Glue as you would the Big Wally product along with the plaster washers.
You would save $$$ by just removing the damaged plaster & applying a replacement plaster product with a finish to match the existing.
WHAT PART OF THE WORLD ARE YOU LOCATED?

 

[siffleur]

Looking for advice on fixing a large floor to ceiling crack in a plaster wall. (see attached picture)


I've never had plaster walls before, so I'm a little lost. I'm not even sure which layers of the wall covering are showing.


Does it look like the finish coat of plaster is peeling from the bottom coat, or is that just a layer of texture/paint(/wallpaper?) coming loose from the actual plaster wall underneath.


In addition, I can push in and feel a lot of movement on the bottom plaster layer, so it appears to have become disconnected from the underlying lath. Looking at the internet it seems that the plastermagic drill holes/spray bonding agent/fill with adhesive/temporary screw method would be required here. Any recommendations on products available in US that don't cost $300 like the big wally stuff?

Do you have photos taken from a further distance to show perspective? Hard to put this photo into perspective.

siffleur

 

[naf]

Located in West Florida. Yes, there is wood lath behind (at least based on looking at the same wall in an adjoining hallway where the back of wall is visible above a lowered ceiling)



I've attached more pics for hopefully better context.


You can see the previous owner's attempted repair with drywall tape and I'm guessing joint compound, presumably failing miserably since the plaster itself is detached from the lath near the crack.


Its a 1940s house (not like historic plaster walls or anything) so just replacing a whole section with drywall is always an options too i guess, I was just thinking I would need to learn plaster repair anyway for other smaller cracks elsewhere in the house. But if big wally's cost $300 or whatever, it seems like two sheets of drywall might make more sense?

 

[ClarenceBauer]

You have two options at this point Option
( 1 ) Remove all loose or damaged plaster & replace with a premix like USG Structo-Lite or Gold Bond Gypso-Lite than apply a finish to match existing.
( 2 ) Remove all plaster & lath & replace with drywall to match thickness of existing plaster.

 

[That Guy]

did you fix the leak?

 

[naf]

Yes, roof replaced.