Water Damage Walls Plaster

To make plaster walls plaster is applied wet to a wooden lath wall structure and allowed to harden.

Water damage walls plaster.

The damage that water causes to plaster walls depends largely on the. Water damage effects may be minor isolated to the surface layer of the wall or it may penetrate the whole 3 coat structure causing crumbling brown and scratch coats that fall off the lath. First technicians determine the extent of the water using a range of water damage restoration tools. This meter uses radio waves to.

The plaster can now be applied to the wall. How to repair plaster walls 1. In some cases the lath may also be damaged showing rotted wood or rusted metal under the plaster coats. Call a water damage remediation specialist and leverage their expertise experience and equipment.

If you re not sure of the cause of a damp patch on a wall try the foil test. Using a 3 16 inch masonry bit drill a hole in the plaster about 2 inches from the crack. Try to be as gentle as possible but if the damage is deep you ll need to get the blade in to dig out any soft material. The second step in this guide on how to repair water damaged plaster walls is to remove the damaged plaster.

Use the steps in my post how to. Plaster applied to a masonry wall is vulnerable to water damage if the wall is constantly wet. You may reach this stage without any noticeable water stains but when this happens a portion of the plaster will have to be removed and patched. One choice is a non invasive moisture meter.

When you hit lath stop the bit won t go through wood pull out the bit and drill another hole about 3 inches from the first and about 2 inches from the crack. If the patch has a depth of around 12mm 1 2 you should be able to plaster it in one go if it is deeper you may have to make two applications otherwise the weight of the wet plaster will drag itself away from the wall. Drill into the plaster photo by david carmack. Take away all material that is bubbling flaking or peeling using a putty knife.

As such water is a plaster wall s enemy. Over time water can be wicked up from foundation masonry or inward from exterior stone walls and damage any plaster applied to it. Patch plaster to repair the damaged sections. When salts from the masonry substrate come in contact with water they migrate to the surface of the plaster appearing as dry bubbles or efflorescence.

Flaking paint paint and water are insoluble and an easy way to identify if plaster is water damaged is looking for flaking paint or air bubbles that burst and flake. Next remove the damaged plaster. Wait a couple of minutes for the water to soak into the wall. Bubbling plaster bubbling plaster.

Plaster walls are uncommon in newly built homes but if you live in an old house some of your walls may be made of lath and plaster. How restoration professionals dry damp walls after water damage.