# Blending plaster patch properly. . .



## UALocal1Plumber (Jun 19, 2009)

Hey everyone Keith here. I am a licensed master plumber, for the most part I avoid the plaster and drywall trades, but I have picked up a little over the years. I have a quick question about patching plaster.

I have a coming job with a window of about 6 hours overnight where I need to open a 2' square patch of plaster over wire lathe in a commercial kitchen, replace a lead bend, and put plaster back up.

This needs to set up before the kitchen starts up again in the morning, for obvious sanitary reasons.

What material would you use to make sure the patch sets up quickly, and how soon can I paint flat white primer over it if I use it?

Any advice would be appreciated,
Keith


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## JonM (Nov 1, 2007)

durabond 45 will work


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## Snobnd (Jul 1, 2008)

I did a few in Comm Kitchens before and we used Wire lath and Structo-Lite,
But the cure time for you might be to long to finish with 2 coats of Dura bond 20min. 
Now it gets fun since you do not have a level surface above to put nailers or know how thick it is (prob 1.25 or 1.50) 

Leave some exposed wire lath to tie off your nailers (the tighter the better) and shim from there for 5/8 or 1/2 sheetrock. 

Mesh or paper tape will work oh and bring a fan to help in the dry time.

(Painting - your on your own) lol


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## BuildersII (Dec 20, 2009)

I'm no drywall expert, but I do a lot of small patchwork with good results. When you cut your plaster back, cut to the nearest joists and set yourself up some nailer for drywall at the appropriate depth. Use fiber tape, and durabond 20 minute mud. (on difficult surfaces, I like to use spray adhesive like Super 77 with my tape to make sure it doesn't come up). Just patch it like you would regular drywall. You have to be fast with 20 minute mud, but I, a very novice mudder, have managed to put up 3 coats in under 2 hours. It will set up hard very quickly, but the thing is that it will still have lots of moisture in it for a day or so. The moisture makes sanding a pain, and also it can effect your paint. Come back the next night (or available time) to sand and paint. 

Note: Make sure you have a very coarse sanding screen or sponge to grind down the big stuff and a finer one to make the coarse one's scratches disappear. It really helps to have the coarse one though because it's difficult to sand.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

I wouldn't use a fan. I'd bring a space heater and put it right under your patch. 

I'd never thought about using glue on the tape. That's a great idea. The solvent coming off the glue don't make bubbles in your mud?


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## BuildersII (Dec 20, 2009)

As long as you give it like 15 minutes to dry, the glue never gives me bubbles. I got the idea from a drywaller I used to do handyman work for.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

I would use some ribbed metal lath, wire it to the lath in the ceiling, you can double it up. take Durabond 90 Brown bag, mix it thick push it up into the metal lath, let it set up, shave off any high spots, mix another batch make it like soft serve ice cream, hit the patch smooth it out, then after it sets, shave off any lines then hit one last time. feather in your patch put a heat gun below the patch on a step ladder about 5' downfrom the ceiling, set the heat on low. then after the surface is hard take a sponge get it damp then wipe the patch down this way you don't have any sanding to do. use the heat gun to dry that up I would take the heat gun and just move it back and forth intil it's dry, keep the heat gun moving feel the patch with your hand so you know how HOT it's getting, you don't want heat transfer and catch something on fire behind the patch. after it's dry prime it or leave it sit intil the next night then prime and paint. Good luck:thumbsup:


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