# hairline cracks in plaster



## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I just did an estimate for a job where the walls are mostly lathe and plaster.

There are hairline cracks through out 2 rooms, apparently repaired and painted 10 years ago, but have all come back.

Any suggestions to stop the cracks from coming back?

(no current leaks, house is 80yrs old)


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## bodean614 (May 31, 2011)

Years ago I did some like that. We used a clay based adhesive and used a product called glidwall??? Went on like commercial vinyl. And you skimmed over it with drywall mud. Worked great. Like a giant sheet of mesh tape.


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## MikeCalifornia (Aug 26, 2012)

consider XIM peel bond. A nice coat of that over the walls should bridge them and be a nice bond coat for the finish.


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

Screws into the lathe. must stop the movement to stop the crack. 
Anything just on top will eventually fail.


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## bodean614 (May 31, 2011)

The lathe and the plaster will expand and contract at different rates. Screws would make it worse. The product I mention worked great and have not had issues


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Buy mesh or fibafuse in 3' wide rolls and bridge over the cracks and skimcoat.If using mesh use hot mud instead of premix mud for the 1st layer of mud.Did this on an old mansion 5yrs. ago and still looks great to this day on plaster walls.


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Dunbar Painting said:


> I just did an estimate for a job where the walls are mostly lathe and plaster.
> 
> There are hairline cracks through out 2 rooms, apparently repaired and painted 10 years ago, but have all come back.
> 
> ...


 Sounds like a crack house!


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

home depot "canada edition" has this:

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial


same thing?


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## Ramsden Painting (Jul 17, 2011)

Mad dog primer

Sent from my iPad using PaintTalk


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Dunbar Painting said:


> home depot "canada edition" has this:
> 
> http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial
> 
> ...


 No thats fibatape not fibafuse.I can see where this can confuse.You can purchase this from Allwall.com or Sw. should be able to order rolls of fiberglass mesh or fibafuse.Good Luck.


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## Stonehampaintdept (Jan 10, 2013)

Dap makes an elastomeric compound that may work for you. Suppose to be pretty flexible when dry. Comes in quart size. Haven't had the need to use it myself.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

mudbone said:


> No thats fibatape not fibafuse.I can see where this can confuse.You can purchase this from Allwall.com or Sw. should be able to order rolls of fiberglass mesh or fibafuse.Good Luck.


Great. Thanks. I mean I did search fibafuse, but thought this could be a Canadian version. Anyway I will order from allwall.com

Do you need the applicator? or is by hand okay?


WHAAAT shipping is 60bucks for 4 rolls


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Go old school and install painters canvas on the walls. Product goes corner to corner, nothing to mud. Hang, prime, paint. Plus its a historic treatment.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

ordered from Amazon!


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

bodean614 said:


> The lathe and the plaster will expand and contract at different rates. Screws would make it worse. The product I mention worked great and have not had issues



Not true and I have seen walls I fixed 25 years ago not fail. But carry on.

have re-fixed countless cracks that were just screen taped. if you don't stop the movement ( read screws or rekeying the plaster) you don't fix the crack.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

BrushJockey said:


> Not true and I have seen walls I fixed 25 years ago not fail. But carry on.
> 
> have re-fixed countless cracks that were just screen taped. if you don't stop the movement ( read screws or rekeying the plaster) you don't fix the crack.



I will do this as well.


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

Remove the plaster, install drywall, finish.

I have a patent on this method. But all of the other methods might work.


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

You forgot the part about also remove all the trim- fix broken trim that got hurt in removal, try to fit that trim back on now that the walls are a different size...or do you just go over without removing and lose the trim profile?...


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

bodean614 said:


> Years ago I did some like that. We used a clay based adhesive and used a product called glidwall??? Went on like commercial vinyl. And you skimmed over it with drywall mud. Worked great. Like a giant sheet of mesh tape.


As I've posted in another thread, we still have two rolls of GlidWall stored in the shop...from something like 30 years ago. They don't seem to make it anymore, but there is another product called NuWall which is very similar. 

http://spec-chem.com/shopping-cart/product-category/wc-14-fiberglass-mat-48x120-duplicate/

It applies with a proprietary adhesive, but ...I've heard...that some people may have used inexpensive block filler as a substitute:whistling2:


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

BrushJockey said:


> You forgot the part about also remove all the trim- fix broken trim that got hurt in removal, try to fit that trim back on now that the walls are a different size...or do you just go over without removing and lose the trim profile?...


Well...that's all billable. Right?


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

Sure. I can do my method for at least half of what you can..


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## painterman (Jun 2, 2007)

Plaster buttons (washers), fiber tape, hot mud , finish with premixed ...done hundreds this way never a problem


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

BrushJockey said:


> Sure. I can do my method for at least half of what you can..


Perhaps. But installing drywall completely eliminates the problem rather than masking it.

Besides...I was being fecisious.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

http://www.flexiwall.com/pages/home_page.htm


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

epretot said:


> Perhaps. But installing drywall completely eliminates the problem rather than masking it.
> 
> Besides...I was being fecisious.


Because GWB NEVER cracks??


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

Gough said:


> Because GWB NEVER cracks??


Of course it does. 

The discussion was specifically about chronic reoccurring cracks over a large space. Not a settlement cracks at a drywall joint.

All cracks will transfer through a repair. It's a matter of time. Some of the methods will in fact "resolve" the problem to most property owners satisfaction. My remedy isn't always to demo the plaster. No one had mentioned the full-proof way...I simply thought I would.


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

painterman said:


> Plaster buttons (washers), fiber tape, hot mud , finish with premixed ...done hundreds this way never a problem


 :thumbsup: Yes that works great also!


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## David's Painting (Nov 7, 2012)

mudbone said:


> :thumbsup: Yes that works great also!


That's also my go to. I have used the 3' rolls of fibatape on entire walls on historical renovations.


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## Marianne Diamond (Jun 21, 2021)

ProWallGuy said:


> Go old school and install painters canvas on the walls. Product goes corner to corner, nothing to mud. Hang, prime, paint. Plus its a historic treatment.


What do you adhere the canvas to the walls with?


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## Marianne Diamond (Jun 21, 2021)

mudbone said:


> 👍 Yes that works great also!


Why hot mud? What's the difference between using premixed throughout vs. Hot mud and then premix? Thanks


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Marianne Diamond said:


> Why hot mud? What's the difference between using premixed throughout vs. Hot mud and then premix? Thanks


 Welcome to Paint Talk. Just a heads up that this thread is 8 years old so may not get many reply's. Best to introduce yourself in the New Members section.


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## Marianne Diamond (Jun 21, 2021)

I considered that lol but had nothing to lose. Thanks!


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Marianne Diamond said:


> I considered that lol but had nothing to lose. Thanks!


NP. Btw, hot mud is way stronger but doesn't sand as easy as premixed. So a final skim coat with premix is usually preferred.


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Marianne Diamond said:


> What do you adhere the canvas to the walls with?


I’ve always used heavy duty clay adhesive for installing fabric backed vinyl wall repair liners including Sanitas and other brands which are probably no longer in production.


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