When to save the plaster in your old home

Lots of people make mistakes with the walls in old homes. It's hard to find documentation on when a plaster wall is a lost cause (rarely), when it's definitely easier to save and what to do when you really can't. Since I've dug through all of the resources and still made mistakes, I want to help other people repair or replace their walls the right way.

You will occasionally have walls like this...

I chose option 3 below for this wall in If it's cracked, I shall fix it

 Let's go over what the options are in any home with plaster walls.

1. Rip down the remaining plaster and drywall over the studs and/or lath that are still in place.
2. Drywall directly over the plaster.
3. Fix your cracked plaster.

For each of these options, there are serious pros and cons. They need to be weighed carefully when you're deciding what to do with each of your walls since it will almost certainly be a mix of options. 

If you're considering option 1:
You should know that plaster walls provide excellent insulation and replacing isn't as easy as just adding some new, blown-in insulation. Blown-in insulation will generally get soggy with the condensation inside the walls, sink to the bottom (creating cold patches) and can get moldy. To do this properly, you may need to remove the lath as well to add insulation between the studs but this can leave you with wavy beams as well. This wasn't a big deal a hundred years ago because they would be evened out with lath and plaster. Now, you'll be looking at lots of furring strips (shims, essentially, to even out your walls) to make your walls smooth enough for drywall. The perk, of course, is nice, smooth walls once you're done.

If you're considering option 2:
Drywall right over plaster is a good option when you're not interested in refreshing the insulation in your walls. It looks clean, gives you smooth walls without 198,234,134 furring strips (numbers are approximate) and you don't incur any of the new insulation costs. There is, however, one biiiig caveat: your old window and doorway trim. If you just butt up next to it, your trim is going to go from being 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick to being flush with your drywall (rather destroying the point of trim) to a 1/4 inch thicker than your walls. This is not a pretty a look, don't do it. The alternative to this trim debacle is to pull your trim (which can break it) and add jamb extenders to your existing jambs and make any casings bigger as well. This is more expensive but also looks a lot better.

If you're considering option 3:
I applaud you! First things first, join Angie's List and find a solid plaster repair person in your area. If you're doing it yourself, I touch on plaster repair in If it's cracked, I shall fix it and we'll be getting into more detail in coming weeks. This solution means you don't have to replace insulation, you don't have to pay for drywall, you don't have to lose the integrity of your walls and you'll be happiest. Well, maybe not that last part all the time, but this is an excellent solution. The only time it's really, really, really hard to save your plaster is when it buckles when you push against it. It still can be saved, technically, using a heavy-duty plaster repair kit and a whole lotta time, but at this point I'd suggest drywalling over it. The rest of the time, it's worth it. The sooner you repair cracks and holes, the less they'll spread and the easier time you'll have maintaining your plaster over the long haul.

This isn't even a truly hard fix - trust me, yours can be saved!

Now that you know your options, get your thinking caps on. More on how we do this coming soon!