And if you try and use insulated plasterboard, then that insulates thermally but not necessarily acoustically, plus it uses all that environmentally nasty foam stuff. Also plasterboard is really thin, and doesn't exactly insulate well against sound. There will be more work going on in the same room, which will probably cause cracks in any nice new plasterboard and skim, so I want something that can flex a bit more. No, the building is not listed, but if I use plasterboard and skim then the surface will look too flat and out of place compared to the existing lumpy and bumpy lath & plaster walls. I'll try mixing non-hydraulic lime outside whilst holding my breath as much as I can, and on a non-windy day (almost impossible to get in these parts.). What do people use these days, if anything? And what about this 'pozzolanic' I keep reading about? Presumably the coal was the pozzolanic in the original plaster. Should I reduce the amount of sand and substitute some lighter-weight material? Any suggestions with what material?Ĥ. The original plaster seems really lightweight and powdery, with lots of coal flecks in it. I'm assuming the main mix is something like 1 part lime to 3 parts sand, with some hair thrown in just before getting ready to apply (I've downloaded the article by Bennett from, which doesn't however tell me whether to use hydraulic or non-hydraulic lime). Once I've built my frame of timber struts and laths, what lime do I use? I realise there's hydraulic and non-hydraulic lime, which one do I go for? Whichever one, I'd prefer to use the putty form, as I've tried mixing the dried stuff and nearly choked on the dust.ģ.
after October or so) apply to interior work? I'm guessing not, but can you confirm.Ģ. Does the caveat re working with lime late in the year (i.e. So could the learned folk on this site please indulge me and answer these queries:ġ. I know there is a bewildering array of lime-related Q&A on this forum, but that's just the problem, too many topics to sift through. The original wall is of lath and plaster construction. There are several ways in which to repair lath and plaster - using modern or traditional techniques, or by learning how to patch plaster.I'm trying to fill a gap approx 2m high by 60cm wide in an interior wall.
If, on the other hand, large chunks of your wall or ceiling are coming away, more significant repair work will be necessary. Simply check them regularly and keep an eye on any new cracks that appear - often simply skimming over them with a suitable, lime-based, plaster mix is sufficient. Of course, if your walls are still in good condition, there is no need to touch them. If you live in a house with lath and plaster walls (likely if your house was built before 1940) then you might be wondering how to repair damaged lath and plaster. How do you Repair Lath and Plaster Walls?
These mixtures usually used a 1:1:6 combination of gypsum or cement, lime putty and sharp sand for the initial two coats, then equal parts of lime putty and gypsum for the final layer. Later on, it became common to add in gypsum or sometimes cement - this was to speed up the setting process between each layer. The third layer was commonly made up of lime putty and a fine sand in a 3:1 mixture - or sometimes just lime putty. The first two layers of plaster that were applied to the lath were usually made up of lime putty and sharp sand in a 1:3 ratio - often with animal hair added in to help bind them. (Image credit: Getty) What Type of Plaster Was Used For Lath and Plaster? Lath and plaster walls were commonplace in house right up until the advent of plasterboard in the 1930s.