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If there is evidence that the lath is not securely fastened to the framing, use longer drywall screws in combination with the plaster washer and drive the screws through the plaster and lath and into the framing.
PLASTER WASHERS INSTALL
Install several plaster washers around the area to be repaired. Keep in mind that there is a slight space between each strip of lath. If the plaster does not pull up and/or the screw does not tighten up, you have likely missed the lath and should back out the screw and move it slightly in one direction or the other. Tighten down the drywall screw just enough to pull the sagging plaster up against the lath and flatten out the convex shaped washer. Drive the screw through the plaster and into the wood lath a couple inches back from the edge of the hole or crack to be repaired. Next, insert a galvanized drywall screw (1 5/8 to 2 inches) through the center hole of the plaster washer and place the screw head into a #2 bit on a screw gun. Use a vacuum with an upholstery attachment along with an old paint brush to remove dust and surface debris. Slightly undercut the edges of the existing plaster to create a solid bond with the new plaster. First, using an old chisel or putty knife, remove any loose or crumbling plaster in the area that is to be repaired.
PLASTER WASHERS HOW TO
Here’s how to take the sag out of your plaster ceiling using these nifty little gadgets. The disc also has many smaller holes scattered throughout its body into which spackle or drywall joint compound attaches itself to conceal the repair. The disc has a countersunk hole in the center through which a drywall screw is inserted. Many years ago a caller to our nationally syndicated radio program made us aware of a little known plaster repair device called a “plaster washer,” – a round metal disc about the size of a quarter (actually about one inch in diameter), which is used to hold up a sagging ceiling.
PLASTER WASHERS MOVIE
Such was the case in the holiday classic movie National Lampoons Christmas Vacation when a bumbling and unsuspecting Chevy Chase went crashing through the ceiling onto a bunk bed below. Often it is caused when someone missteps in the attic – setting foot on the lath rather than on ceiling joist. However, a sagging ceiling isn’t always caused by a broken key. This occurs when the key breaks and positive connection to the lath is lost. One of the most common problems with plaster is a sagging ceiling. Anyone with plaster can tell you how it cracks and just try hanging a picture in plaster – yikes! And a plaster finish is infinitely more difficult to patch than drywall. Like anything else, plaster has its drawbacks – price aside. Drywall is cheaper to produce and install. The obvious question is “why isn’t it used as it once was?” The answer is simple – money! Interior lath and plaster is expensive.
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It is strong, has a uniform finish and can last forever. Thus, the best laid plans of mice and men. Ample fastening prevents the lath from pulling away from the framing. The key prevents the installed plaster from pulling away from the lath. The excess plaster that dries behind and around the lath is referred to as the “key” – essentially locking the plaster to the lath.
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Portland cement plaster was painstakingly hand-troweled onto wood slats (lathing) nailed to the wall and ceiling framing. Before the advent of prefabricated wallboard or “drywall” in the 1940s and ‘50s, plaster was the material of choice for interior walls and ceilings in American homes.
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