Finishing a new wall or room with plaster or joint compound takes practice. If you have no experience with plaster or its near relative, joint compound, don’t learn in your living room. Experiment ...

A: It depends on the type and size of the crack. Hairline cracks take only a little patching plaster. Larger cracks require reinforcement with mesh tape. Cracks larger still, where the plaster keys ...

You say you’ve stopped napping on the sofa because of that ominous-looking crack in the ceiling? You can’t take down that 20-year-old paint-by-number sunset in the dining room because of the gaping ...

A crack in a plaster wall can look intimidating, and even be a cause for concern. While the sudden appearance of a crack in a previously pristine wall should always be approached with caution, they ...

Plaster sags from ceilings or bulges from walls when the plaster keys embedded around the wood lath break loose. To repair plaster walls, you’ve got two choices. You can break out all the loose stuff ...

Q-I have several large patches to repair in my plaster walls and would like to do a smooth job. I filled in the first patch with several layers of patching plaster, but then I had a tough job ...

Most DIYers should not attempt plastering but they can patch plaster, even over large areas. Plaster repair comes ready-mixed in a tub and is easier to apply and smooth out than normal plaster. If the ...

Before you do any plaster patching, rid the rooms of any residual lead. If you try to vacuum up chips or dust, you must use a special HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaner. Some tool rental stores rent ...