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Plaster walls - too much trouble to replace?

Last Post 18 Jul 2011 09:03 AM by marlibaumann. 7 Replies.

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cjbuild

New Member

Posts:50

08 Jul 2011 12:17 PM
The space (2nd level of a house) is 1000sqft. Walls are plaster from the 1950s. We are considering tear down vs drywall-over. - 1/4" drywall applied over the plaster walls. It avoids the mess. It also screws up all the trim, wall sockets, etc. Cheaper than the other option. But will the walls look good? - We're considering tearing down the plaster walls completely. We hate them. HUGE MESS. And replacing with new drywall. It'll give us a chance to fix hidden issues. My concern is the underlying framing may be all f-ed up, and we'd have to do a lot of tweaking to get nice, flat drywall installed. It will cost more in time and materials. But the result will probably be best. What to you guys think? ...we'll be doing other reno, like new flooring, maybe a new window, etc.

marli

New Member

Posts:33

10 Jul 2011 08:20 PM
You could still have a mismatch on your trim if you take down the plaster -- it tends to be thicker than drywall -- so you could be short on trim work reusing the existing stuff. We are in the process of gutting a house too so I'd be interested in how people have achieved a nice flat wall using existing studs. We have opted to yank our plaster since it's not in very good condition and we are also re-wiring, plumbing, and doing a full reno so it will be easier with the walls down anyways.

acwizard

Basic Member

Posts:265

10 Jul 2011 11:52 PM
Walls that use existing studs and drywall.The common practice is to plane the studs and use paper shims. The advantage of using plaster is the sound transmission factor as opposed to drywall. Also a good plastered can make a wall near perfect without addressing stud issues. Another common practice is to plaster a skim coat over drywall. If you are after perfect straight walls then reframe using steel studs.

acwizard

Basic Member

Posts:265

10 Jul 2011 11:56 PM
Posted By acwizard on 10 Jul 2011 11:52 PM Walls that use existing studs and drywall.The common practice is to plane the studs and use paper shims. The advantage of using plaster is the sound transmission factor as opposed to drywall. Also someone experienced with plastering can make a wall near perfect without addressing stud issues. Another common practice is to plaster a skim coat over drywall. If you are after perfect straight walls then reframe using steel studs.

cmkavala

Veteran Member

Posts:4324
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11 Jul 2011 05:40 AM
Posted By cjbuild on 08 Jul 2011 12:17 PM The space (2nd level of a house) is 1000sqft. Walls are plaster from the 1950s. We are considering tear down vs drywall-over. - 1/4" drywall applied over the plaster walls. It avoids the mess. It also screws up all the trim, wall sockets, etc. Cheaper than the other option. But will the walls look good? - We're considering tearing down the plaster walls completely. We hate them. HUGE MESS. And replacing with new drywall. It'll give us a chance to fix hidden issues. My concern is the underlying framing may be all f-ed up, and we'd have to do a lot of tweaking to get nice, flat drywall installed. It will cost more in time and materials. But the result will probably be best. What to you guys think? ...we'll be doing other reno, like new flooring, maybe a new window, etc. For all the reasons you listed , are a good ones to tear out and update, reinsulate and shim framing if necessary

Chris Kavala<br>[email protected]<br>1-877-321-SIPS<br />

toddmanqa

New Member

Posts:5

15 Jul 2011 09:40 AM
I recently dealt with this issue while renovating my daughters room. It had plaster, but it was plaster over gypsum, not plaster and lath. I decided to remove walls so I could insulate and rewire. Replaced with 5/8" drywall on ceilings and walls. Note: 5/8" on the walls is overkill--only required to have 1/2". Got a quote on replacing the plaster, but most craftsman don't know how to do plaster, so they are hard to find, and more expensive than drywallers. With open walls, you can measure the window stud openings and then order new construction windows that will fit exactly. With an open ceiling you can easily rewire the overhead lights and add some recessed lights. Good time to add a wired smoke alarm too. I also added a PEARL fire escape ladder under one of the windows (the bedroom is on the second floor). Put 3.5" inches of spray foam in the walls and ceiling. It is now the most comfortable room in the house. P.S. You may want to have the plaster tested to make sure there is no asbestos in it prior to demolition.

cjbuild

New Member

Posts:50

16 Jul 2011 05:00 PM
Thanks for the asbestos tip. A recent episode of Holmes Inspection taught us a huge amount about asbestos. We had no idea it could be in plaster and even tiles. The worst part on the show was the vermaculite in the attic insulation. Scary shit. I'll never look at an old house the same way again. We're going to check this house out very carefully now before touching it.

marli

New Member

Posts:33

18 Jul 2011 09:03 AM
If you test for asbestos, also test for lead and you may need quite a few samples for each to find out if either is present. You'll need to take a cross-section to find out if it is present in the deeper layers. Also, you may just want to hire a pro to come in and test since you will be disturbing the material and releasing it into the air. For a house in the 1950's it is likely you'll find at least lead, and asbestos is pretty likely as well.