In article , Dan_Musicant wrote:
A book I have (Renovating Old Houses by George Nash) noted as an aside
in one sentence that plaster will only stay usable for around a year. I
just bought 100 lb. of plaster (50 lb. USG Struct-o-lite and 50 lb. USG
Diamond Veneer Finish plaster) and wonder if it will last longer if I
store it in air-tight containers

Yes, absolutely. In an air-tight container, it will stay fresh for a long time
(at least two years, in my experience, and I live in an area with fairly
humid summers).

and store in a cool location.

Temperature doesn't really matter that much. What's important is keeping it
dry.

When I
bought these last week I had no idea it wouldn't keep indefinitely. I
have a lot of plaster work to do, but may well not get around to 95% of
it for a year or longer. Anyone have experience with these things?

It's better to use your plaster as soon as possible after opening the bag, but
the stuff will keep a long time as long as you keep it dry.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.