Learning to repair plaster with plaster ...

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Bolthosue

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Hey All, just purchased a 100 year old house in the US and wanted to repair the lathe/plaster walls with actual plaster, not joint compound as I had done in the past.

Been learning about the dramatic differences between drywall mud and plaster, which I didn't fully understand until recently.

I lived in Hong Kong the last 6 years which used British construction techniques/standards, so I had gotten quite used to living in flats with solid walls, chased wiring, and plaster. Come back to the US (just in time for the pandemic) and it's like none knows anything about plaster in this country anymore!

Also watching a lot of YouTube: Plastering for Beginners, Kirk Giordano, and See Jane Drill.

Went to Home Depot to get started with my learning and was surprised to find that they didn't sell a single plastering tool (lots for drywall though)! What's even weirder is that they sold blue board, numerous kinds of plaster, bonding agent, accelerator, retarder, wood and metal lath, as well as corner bead for plaster applications … but they didn't have a single plastering trowel or darby!

Ended up buying a set of tools off Amazon from Ox Tools … pro 14" trowel, 1200 mm Speedskim, and a 14" Ultraflex trowel.

I'm presently remodeling a clients kitchen and talked them into letting me install plaster over blue board, instead of using drywall and joint compound.

The sanded basecoat has gone on very well, though I need to work on my speed, as nearly ever mix has hardened on me before I've been able to get it all on. I've got quite a few unsightly seams, but everything is surprisingly flat for my first attempt … quite happy with it. I'll focus on one wall at a time for my finish coat and use a retarder to extend the curing time.

The way in which plaster can be laid on and then troweled to a glassy finish has been one of my biggest revelations, though I'll also be very happy to finish the job without having sanded anything!

Moving into our new home after Christmas and will spend 2 months there ahead of my family to get everything in order. Looking forward to using my new plastering skills to get the house shipshape.
 

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Welcome

I’ve not a clue about the gear they use in the US. Don’t polish it to ‘a glassy finish’ though. Nightmare to paint and amateurish.

mall the best!
 
Went to Home Depot to get started with my learning and was surprised to find that they didn't sell a single plastering tool (lots for drywall though)! What's even weirder is that they sold blue board, numerous kinds of plaster, bonding agent, accelerator, retarder, wood and metal lath, as well as corner bead for plaster applications … but they didn't have a single plastering trowel or darby!

Marshalltown, Curry, and Kraft manufacture plastering trowels in the USA.
 
Welcome

I’ve not a clue about the gear they use in the US. Don’t polish it to ‘a glassy finish’ though. Nightmare to paint and amateurish.

mall the best!
Yea, it's not that exciting. I just like the channel because she presents the material in a very simple and straight forward manner. She's also one of the only Americans I've found that covers plastering with any depth.
 
Marshalltown, Curry, and Kraft manufacture plastering trowels in the USA.
Marshaltown sells concrete trowels in all the home stores. They're curved in the right direction for plaster (unlike the drywall trowels), but they're usually very heavy steel with a rough texture in the bottom that's not great for a smooth plaster finish. I've also seen Anvil brand trowels, but again for concrete. Never seen Curry or Kraft.
 
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