I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

"Schmand" wrote in message
...

I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

You will probably have to go to a drywall supply house as it is NOT a DIY'er
material and is VERY unforgiving if you don't know EXACTLY what your
doing...You can even mess it up just by mixing it wrong.....If you do go the
plaster route you will need basecoat to build up to within a 1/4-1/8 inch of
finished surface and Finish Coat Plaster for the finish coat...We use USG
Imperial Basecoat and Finishcoat...Don't forget to get a jug of bonding
agent as well because new plaster WILL NOT BOND to old plaster without it
and follow the directions EXACTLY... You will not get the plaster off
tools,ect after it sets..Also the new plaster MUST cure 3-5 weeks BEFORE
painting and use ONLY primer that is approved for going over new
plaster.....Go to a real paint store and ASK..I recommend calling a pro if
you REALLY want plaster.....Much easier for a DIY'er to put a piece of
dywall in the patch, apply mesh tape over the joints and use USG Sheetrock
Brand Durabond Setting type joint Compound to bring it up to within a 1/8 of
an inch of the finished surface and USG Easysand setting Type Joint Compound
for finish coat...Regular compound takes forever to dry...Good luck....

In article , Schmand wrote:

I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Your best bet is a drywall supply house. Get out the Yellow Pages and start
phoning. The two most widely used brands are Gypsolite and Structolite.

Some (but by no means most) Lowe's stores carry Gypsolite.

On Feb 24, 9:53*pm, Schmand wrote:
I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

Plaster is a pain to learn and use, I would not bother new products
are quicker to use.

ransley wrote:
On Feb 24, 9:53 pm, Schmand wrote:
I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

Plaster is a pain to learn and use, I would not bother new products
are quicker to use.

Sometimes hiring an experienced person will provide you with a better
end result than you going thru an exasperating learning curve. And a
long learning curve at that.

Yes, you can learn and acquire the needed hand-tool skills, but the
question is do you have the time and energy? Does your wife have the
patience for your to overcome the learning curve? We're not talking
about laying a carpet here, for years and years your learning curve will
be on the Wall. For all your friends to see. All your wife's friends
to see. Right - There - On - The - Wall !

Your learning curve will be touched upon every Holiday for the rest of
your life. By your wife. Even if you move to another home.

But, then again, it is your choice, your home, and your family. Enjoy.

Phil

Phil again-2 wrote:
ransley wrote:
On Feb 24, 9:53 pm, Schmand wrote:
I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

Plaster is a pain to learn and use, I would not bother new products
are quicker to use.

Sometimes hiring an experienced person will provide you with a better
end result than you going thru an exasperating learning curve. And a
long learning curve at that.

Yes, you can learn and acquire the needed hand-tool skills, but the
question is do you have the time and energy? Does your wife have the
patience for your to overcome the learning curve? We're not talking
about laying a carpet here, for years and years your learning curve will
be on the Wall. For all your friends to see. All your wife's friends
to see. Right - There - On - The - Wall !

Your learning curve will be touched upon every Holiday for the rest of
your life. By your wife. Even if you move to another home.

But, then again, it is your choice, your home, and your family. Enjoy.

Phil

LOL.........is this the voice of experience?

"Schmand" wrote in message
...


Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).



The hard coat (white stuff) is sold here at the brick yard where other
masonry supplies are sold. I don't know if the fill stuff is even sold any
more. I made my own using mortar mix and a little extra lime when I needed
some.

I will point out that Durabond 45 is easy to find and makes a wonderful
filler material. Topped off with some easy sand setting type drywall mud
and you have a repair that will stand the test of time. I have been doing
it that way for over 30 years.

If you have a large defective area is easier to chip it out, fill the void
with drywall screwed to the studs and lath and then skim coat that.


--
Colbyt
Please come visit www.househomerepair.com

On Feb 24, 10:53�pm, Schmand wrote:
I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

try a easy experiment, remove all loose material, clean well and rinse
twice, give it a coat of kilz, let dry a few days,

then apply a thin coat of drywall mud.

its pretty easy to work with.

try one poor condition small wall, thats what we did it turned out
great and refinished many of the plaster walls which were water
damaged 20 years earlier

today you would never know............

cheap and easy to work with

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...
In article
,
Schmand wrote:

I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Your best bet is a drywall supply house. Get out the Yellow Pages and
start
phoning. The two most widely used brands are Gypsolite and Structolite.

Those products are typically used in curved walls , eyebrow dormers , ect.
over wire mesh (even on some conventional drywall jobs that have curved
walls , ect.) because you have to put it on really thick (2-3 inches) and it
is MUCH lighter than basecoat and won't pull the mess of the wall or ceiling
due to the weight which is why you see it more...Everyone likes curves
nowadays it seems...Basecoat is used in all other applications as it is much
stronger...Finishing is the same though....

Some (but by no means most) Lowe's stores carry Gypsolite.

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:53:04 -0800 (PST), Schmand
wrote:


I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

I think sheetrock would be easier, but if you study up on plastering,
it can be done. I know I would'nt try it.

I believe the plaster can be purchased in bags from companies that
sell concrete products, such as concrete blocks, bricks, etc.
That's where I recall seeing it sold, but that was years ago.
When I was young, I remember seeing plaster being mixed outdoors in
drum type cement mixers. If you're doing large areas, you might need
to buy or rent one of them.

Hope this helps.

LM

We only use the cement mixer if we have more than one crew plastering (5-6
guys , 5 bag mix)..For one or two bag mixes(1-3 guys) we just use a steel
barrel and a 1/2 inch drill with a large paddle..Much easier clean up....

"Colbyt" wrote in message
...

"Schmand" wrote in message
...


Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).



The hard coat (white stuff) is sold here at the brick yard where other
masonry supplies are sold. I don't know if the fill stuff is even sold
any more. I made my own using mortar mix and a little extra lime when I
needed some.

I will point out that Durabond 45 is easy to find and makes a wonderful
filler material. Topped off with some easy sand setting type drywall mud
and you have a repair that will stand the test of time. I have been doing
it that way for over 30 years.

If you have a large defective area is easier to chip it out, fill the void
with drywall screwed to the studs and lath and then skim coat that.


--
Colbyt
Please come visit www.househomerepair.com

Basecoat is still sold today...We use it all the time....I also reccomended
the method you described above ...Best way to go..IMO...

On Feb 24, 10:53*pm, Schmand wrote:
I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

I applaud you for giving plaster a shot. It's a long learning curve,
but as a dedicated DIYer, I have mastered the learnign curve to a
degree that I produce good work. I've patched a lot of cracks and
missing plaster sections in our 1925 house, and I've veneer plasterd
the entire stairwell.

There is exactly one place in my medium sized city (Rochester, NY) to
get plaster products, a building supply place that normally caters to
drywall contractors. I stand out like a sore thumb when I go there to
get stuff in my Dockers and button collar shirt when I go there after
work. I would suggest contacting USG or National Gypsum to see if
they cam tell you where your local dealers are. It may be hard to
find by yourself. I don't believe any of the big box stores will
carry what you need. As other have mentioned you will need base coat
plaster to fill voids where all the plaster has come loose, finish
coat plaster, bonding agent, and perhaps a good stainless steel
Marshalltown trowel among other tools.

Ken

wrote in message
...
On Feb 24, 10:53 pm, Schmand wrote:
I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

I applaud you for giving plaster a shot. It's a long learning curve,
but as a dedicated DIYer, I have mastered the learnign curve to a
degree that I produce good work. I've patched a lot of cracks and
missing plaster sections in our 1925 house, and I've veneer plasterd
the entire stairwell.

There is exactly one place in my medium sized city (Rochester, NY) to
get plaster products, a building supply place that normally caters to
drywall contractors. I stand out like a sore thumb when I go there to
get stuff in my Dockers and button collar shirt when I go there after
work. I would suggest contacting USG or National Gypsum to see if
they cam tell you where your local dealers are. It may be hard to
find by yourself. I don't believe any of the big box stores will
carry what you need. As other have mentioned you will need base coat
plaster to fill voids where all the plaster has come loose, finish
coat plaster, bonding agent, and perhaps a good stainless steel
Marshalltown trowel among other tools.

Ken

Good for you Ken...Not many people would have the dedication and patience to
to learn plaster by themselves...Bravo.....

On Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:53:04 -0800 (PST), Schmand
wrote:


I have recently bought an old house in NJ. Clinton-Hackettstown area.
Built 1885. I would like to try and restore some of the old plaster,
but can't find anyone who actually carries and sells it?

Any ideas? I looking for the "Lime?" plaster or veneer. They kind that
would go on smooth on the outside. I see manufactures for it but can't
find it. (USG, National Gypsum).

But I did find the paster washers in Boston! (Charles Street Hardware)

My brother has a 100+ yr old house and has had to do a lot of plaster
repair. He has found a 50-50 mix of plaster of paris and Poly-Filla
makes a perfect match. YMMV.