Q:We are getting ready to repaint our home office. The walls and ceiling were cracked during the 1989 quake and poorly patched before we moved in. We had the roof redone this summer, and the banging ...

Plaster, a decorative wall coating of lime, sand, and sometimes fibers, has been around since the beginning of time—and so has plaster repair. Although subject to cracks and bubbles, it's a durable ...

Q: The walls of our 1938 San Francisco home are lath and plaster, with a canvas-like fabric over the plaster. There are cracks in the plaster, which can be seen through the paint as raised creases in ...

Q Am I right that when sections of plaster are broken away from the lath, an accepted repair technique is to fill in those gaps roughly with drywall and then drywall over the whole wall or ceiling? — ...

Fixing larger holes in drywall or cracks in plaster is trickier than repairing small patches. Here are some how-tos: For a big drywall hole, about 8 inches or more, your patch needs backing. Drywall ...

Q: Just off the side door in my house are the stairs that go down to the basement. The ceiling overhead is sloped where the underside of the stairs to the upstairs go. The house was built almost a ...

IF YOU LIVE in an old house, it’s highly likely that you have plaster walls and ceilings. Most people love them — they’re a good, solid surface — but they can pose problems if they’re damaged. We get ...

Older houses were constructed with a lot more character than many newer homes. Unfortunately, just like with people, along with aged character come a few cracks and wrinkles. Plaster, even with some ...