# Plaster Repair



## Al Taper (Jul 10, 2007)

Iam doing a job with a patches in the ceiling. The ceiling is plaster and the patches are about 15" x15" some bigger and some smaller. Iam patching it with 2x4 and sheetrock to get it flush with the plaster. To finish it iam mesh taping it a base coat of brown bag durabond then a coat of easy sand then a coat of compound. Sand and done. 
Is there a easyer and better way then how iam doing it? 

Thanks


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## Brocktologist (Sep 16, 2008)

That's about how we do it other than I like to prefill first than mesh to ensure I get it full.

My take on plaster repairs---
It seems like when you fix the bad area's the customer requested than he/she finds all the smaller ones and thinks we should fix those too. Than once your doing those then the customer sees a few rough spots never noticed before in the plaster and wants a little mudd smeared on those too. Before you know it your there for three times the allotted time and unless you have a change order the HO wants to [email protected] you around.


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## AARC Drywall (May 11, 2008)

I had a couple of small jobs which had plaster repair, and i used con-fill to prefill, and once it was the same level as the undamaged finish, used tape and reg mud..but your right, the ho wants everything patched right down to a small pin hole.."oh its just a little bit of mud to fill these" get a grip lady!

j


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## Al Taper (Jul 10, 2007)

To fill in some of the repairs iam going to give it a base coat with Structo-Lite Basecoat. I hear it works great.


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## Snow Man (Aug 18, 2008)

Try gauging powder also.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

I have done repairs my whole career I have had to dealing with water damage and bad patches. I always use 5/8's then fill with Durabond 90 so it is level with plaster then I use Topping compound, Very rarely does Durabond crack so I don't tape cause Durabond is harder then plaster. as for the customer coming in and starts picking the room apart I listen to them and tell them we will take care of it at a price. anytime your customer wants something done just tell them sure we can do that but it will be extra charge. the thing I have found that when a customer is doing this it's because they watched you do something that they questioned, like they know better how to fix it.(Thanks to DIY shows) this is what I call the Magnifying glass, once they see something it's like you give them the magnifying glass and they start looking at everything in the room. and if you piss them off well that glass gets bigger and then you have yourself in a hole. I have seen other contractors blow this off and it costs them in the end. So when your customer starts pointing things out tell them that you'll fix them but there will be extra charge, then I price it out by how much more time it takes, and this rate is $45.00 an hour. The cheap customers will oh and ha about it but if you tell them in your proposal it didn't inculed those, so how do they think it's FREE:w00t:

www.frankawitz.net


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## Al Taper (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks Frank... I build out the hole with rock. Get it close to flush than use base coat to fill it in. And then two coats of mud (compound).


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## [email protected] (Oct 13, 2008)

Al, is there wood lath in the ceiling?


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## Al Taper (Jul 10, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> Al, is there wood lath in the ceiling?


Metal.


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