Old plaster and lathe walls are notorious for becoming cracked and wavy over the years. If the walls are generally solid and plaster isn't crumbling off them, then they don't need to be replaced, but they can look distractingly bad. One way to refinish those old walls is with textured paint, which has solid materials like sand in it, giving it a rough texture that helps hide the contours of bad walls. The darker the paint you use, the better it will hide the problems.
Instructions
1. Remove all switch plates and anything else that isn't being painted. Empty the room of furniture. Put down out tarps.
2. Use a dry wall knife to scrape down the wall, knocking off any loose paint and plaster and getting rid of any high spots.
3. Use your dry wall knife to spread plaster over any holes or cracks in the wall. Let the plaster dry for six to eight hours. Sand it smooth with a sanding pad.
4. Apply primer over the whole wall, brushing it into the corners first with a paintbrush and then rolling over the rest of the walls with it. Get it completely covered in a smooth, even coat. Let it dry overnight.
5. Brush your textured paint into the corners, along the edges of the wall, next to windows and doors and anywhere else it needs to be "cut in." Apply the textured paint over the rest of the wall with a paint roller, in long vertical strokes, overlapping at the edges.
6. Let the textured paint dry overnight. Reinstall the switch plates.
Related posts
Old style plaster walls don't last forever, and eventually you will have to deal not only with hairline cracks and small holes, but whole areas of loose plaster. Larger repairs can be patched in w...
Painted Plaster WallPlaster is commonly found in older homes, especially those built before 1950. This material, made from gypsum, water and sand, is used to make walls, ceilings and other archite...
Plaster walls are created from two separate applications, a structure and an aesthetic layer of plaster.Stud finders help locate the solid wood boards that make the solid frame of a wall. When han...
Use the proper solvent and removal tools to clean paint from plaster walls.Plaster is a common wall covering composed of lime or gypsum mixed with sand and water. The compound hardens into a smoot...
Removing venetian plaster can be a time consuming and difficult process.Venetian plaster is a painting treatment used to add interest and texture to ordinary walls. While it is a decorative look t...
