I tried a digital stud finder once but it just said everything was a stud. Or, since electrical outlets are usually chased onto studs, you can start from one and work outwards. My studs are generally on 12" centres so once you find one you can pretty accurately map out the whole wall. If you want to find the studs poke something thin sideways in between the laths and measure how far it goes before you hit something. If, like me, you struggle to get a decent finish with lime then use a bit of Toupret to make it presentable as per malcolm's suggestion. This needs to go on in quite a thin layer otherwise it will shrink and crack so if the coarse stuff isn't at a very consistent depth build up the fine stuff in multiple goes. The haired stuff gets a strong grip on everything and even repairing a small area can quite significantly reduce the bounce around it. You want to fill to a few mill below the existing surface level, but this is quite hard to gauge when working 'inside' a hole. You might need to do this in a couple of layers to build up the depth. Vacuum out all the loose bits and wet the laths and the surrounding edge thoroughly first. I use ready mixed haired coarse lime to fill most of the depth of the gap. I recently tackled this sort of plaster repair for the first time. Lath doesn't normally fall away from the studs and you notice when it does. I use this stuff: Use that for the cracks too rather than lime. Once it's dry scrape off any loose bits and finish with interior filler. What I tend to do is plaster to level then scrape the surface using a bit of wood or a steel rule resting on the surrounding plaster. Lime plaster has a larger grit size than modern plaster which makes it impossible to get a smooth finish on a small repair. I've been using this as it suits the repairs I'm doing over various surfaces and works on lath: You will probably need 2 or 3 coats to get up to finish level. Lime plaster is better than the stuff you might buy at DIY shops as it is more flexible, but it does tend to be mail order in 25kg bags. Pictured: Rory Brennan uses a damp sponge to smooth the final coat on a plaster patch.For a fix you would be best using lime plaster and pressing it into the lath so you get some go through which will hold the plaster to the lath. Just follow the steps on the next page, and your electrician’s less-than-handiwork will be history. A softer, slower-setting lime-based plaster, like the one I developed for Big Wally’s line of plaster-repair products, takes about an hour to set, isn’t prone to cracking or delaminating, and needs no sanding, which keeps dust to a minimum. It’s much harder than the wall’s original plaster, and it sets in the blink of an eye. What’s the wrong material? So-called patching plaster sold at home centers. ![]() But it’s easy to make the damage disappear for good if you use good techniques and the right materials. – Daniel and Lauren herlocker, Brattleboro, VT.Ī: Retrofit work by clueless electricians is the number one cause of damaged plasterwork these days. Q: The electrician who put in new light switches left gaping holes in our lath-and-plaster walls. ![]() ![]() 3-4 hours of work, plus drying time, over three days
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