wrote:
I am an IT guy and have ignored the plaster problems in my old
townhouse-style home. The previous owners white-washed everything
prior to the sale. 6 years later I need to repair the plaster.
Essentially there are cracks where the ceiling and walls meet in about
50% of the corners in

wait for it

my entire house. So easily 20 cracks if not more.

I also have a major 4 foot crack with some folding/bulging in an
upstairs hallway and a large 2 ft bulge/crack in my basement.

3 years ago I repaired drywall (not plaster) after electrical work and
overall the repairs worked and still look good.

I have no experience with plaster and my parents had recurring problems
with plaster, plaster repairs and leaks, so I'm hesitant to start.

Would Crown Molding be a reliable way to cover up these corner cracks
or should I be concerned that in a house like this, with known
shifting, crown molding could become an issue. I have never seen
problems with crown molding in my neighborhood, fyi.

But what about the other cracks? can I repair a 1x4 ft patch with
reasonable success or the 2 ft square patch? I also don't believe
these cracks were caused by water. I believe it was shifting between
my house and the ones attached on either side.

I found instructions like:
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_wal...685862,00.html

Do those make sense or are they leaving out critical details?

Thanks for any advice and other info.

Don

First of all, I'd like to commend you for wanting to fix the cracks
rather than wanting to tear out the plaster and drywall the whole
thing. Some people will tell you that you are better off drywalling
because you will always have problems with plaster. That has not been
my experience. Unless the entire wall is falling in, I think it is
better to fix the plaster than to rip it out and drywall it. And it
sounds to me like your house it not at that stage. And besides, if you
want to live in a house where everything is perfect, then you shouldn't
be living in a 100 year old townhouse.

Ok, editorial opinion over.

Putting up crown moulding will certainly hide the cracks between the
walls and ceiling, and if you are willing to do the work and will like
the look when it is done, then go for it. A quick and easy option,
assuming the plaster is not pulling away from the lath, and the cracks
are narrow (say 1/4 inch) is to just caulk the crack so that future
flexing will not reopen the crack. Another way is to finish the joint
as if it is drywall by applying drywall mud and tape in the usual
manner.

For areas where the plaster is pulling away from the lath, but is
otherwise reasonably sound, the use of plaster washers is highly
recommended. Try to sink screws through the plaster washers into studs
if possible, if not possible, then at least sink the screw into the
lath rather than into the key between the strips of lath. Then you
will need to put drywall mud over the plaster washers to hide them when
you are done.

For cracks in the wall or ceiling surfaces that are not at a corner,
then cutting out with an inverted V and filling with plaster is the
usual fix. Again, if there is any plaster pulling away from the lath,
then use more plaster washers. If the section is badly cracked and
pulling away, then it is usually best to just rip out the section of
plaster and redo the plaster starting at the lath. As you are ripping
out unsound plaster, you need to know when to stop ripping, because if
you don't, then before you know it, you have ripped out a whole wall.
Your 2x2 section all of a sudden turns into a 4x4 section. Redo these
sections with a basecoat and a finish coat of plaster. It is also best
to use a bonding agent such as Larsen's plaster weld:
http://www.larsenproducts.com/plasterweld.htm When you plaster a whole
section like your 1x4 or 2x2 sections, you may need to practice a bit
first. And if the final result does not have a satisfactorily smooth
surface, then you can just put drywall mud all over everything and sand
it smooth. Even though that is "cheating", there's nothing wrong with
doing that (assuming that you have keyed the new plaster properly into
the lath), it will hold up just fine and no one will be able to tell.

Ken