Plaster Patching
Part II
by Walter Jowers
Last month, we talked about
patching holes in plaster walls and
ceilings the way it was done before
the days of drywall-with plaster.
And we left off with a cliffhanger:
How do you finish the patch?
One option-the more familiar one
for most builders-is to use drywall
mud, not genuine finish plaster, for
the finish coat. I've done it myself,
when the patching job was small; or,
when I was doing a one-day job and
didn't want to fool with mixing finish
plaster and waiting for it to cure.
(You can't even prime finish plaster
until about three days after it's
applied.) Drywall-mud patches are
definitely quicker-the stuff is premixed,
and you can paint