Patching and Plastering - i want to repair a bad plaster repair. help please!

my 1926 home has a stairway between the firs tand second floors that had wallpaper on it. when removed, i found cracked, lumpy, bumpy plaster behind it.
i had a 'plaster' come and 'repair' it while i was away (my wife didn't know any better)- and he did a HORRIBLE job.

i had taken down large pieces (as requested) of sagging plaster and he was supposed to put in new plaster and then skim coat the area.

it's a mess now- cracks still exist, the areas he filled are rough, and no skim coating was done.
also, there's a lot of plaster weld over the old, smooth plaster areas.

i just sanded everything down, and while it's a bit rough, it's pretty flat.
i am now thinking of using drywall compound to 'skim coat' the area.

can you guys suggest a type of compound to use, as i do a little drywall work around the house, but am a complete novice when it comes to larger areas and skim coating.

i'm not sure if i should use a setting type, but as a novice, i really need something i can sand later as i'm certain i'll leave trowel marks, etc...

thanks for the help!

-thomas

I would think that using joint compound to finish the repair would be fine. It is certainly more user/diyer friendly than the other products that could be used. Thinning the j/c slightly with water will make it apply easier. Don't be intimidated by the size of the wall that needs skim coating. I'm sure you could skim coat a small area with no problem - so skim a bunch of small areas in a checker board pattern, fill in the blanks when dry and then sand the entire wall.

Our plaster pro should be along shortly to give better info - especially on the correct procedure for your repair :D

marksr,
thanks for the quick reply.
i just wasn't sure if drywall compound would stick to the wall or if i shoudl prime the entire wall, plaster weld it, etc...

i've done some smaller spots, as the 'plasterer' messed up several areas.

the drywall compound (type: lightweight premixed 3+) seemed to work fine, but thought that before i started the larger areas, i should ask the pros here.

thanks again for the help and i look forward to hearing from the others when they check in to the forum.

-thomas

Well, you are on the right track only I would suggest this. If there are high spots try to shave or scrape or grind (by hand) them down rather than fill all around them to try to make the wall flat or give the illusion of flatness.
Don't build up the joint compound and try to flatten deep holes in one pass. use several tighter coats and always feather it down to nothing on the edges.

Are you sure the plasterer was finished? Maybe he only browned the patches and intended to come back and finish them.

Now, to satisfy some curiosity, What part of the country are you?
Do you know what the plasterer used to do what he did? Was it plaster or joint mud? Any bags left laying around?
Did you pay the guy?

Sometimes existing paint comes loose around a patch and there is a bit of an offset between the paint and the existing plaster but on a smooth wall or ceiling a plaster patch should end up exactly flush with the existing plaster or if the paint stays put with the painted plaster and be undetectible to anyone but yourself and the plasterer. You, of course know it's there and will always see it but someone walking into the house should not spot it. With texture it's a bit harder to do because the texture has to match and that is like trying to match the other guy's handwriting.

Sorry to hear of your bad experience.

I thoroughly enjoy patching plaster and don't get to do enough of it. but then, I' m the fourth generation in my family to be a plasterer so I have had a lot of teaching and a lot of experience.

tightcoat,
thanks for the reply.
to answer the questions:
i'm in northern new jersey.
yes, he did think he was finished.
no, he was not paid. (thank God)
not sure what he used but i'm thinking that because it wasn't TOO hard to sand with orbital palm sander, it may have been drymix compound instead of plaster.

i did sand it all down flat, and i have started on one wall with thin coats of 3+ premixed drywall compound.

after the walls look pretty good, do you think i should end with a top coat of a differne ttype of vcompound, like a setting compound that would dry harder?

or can i just leave the 3+ lightweight compound i'm using as the finish top layer?

thanks again for the help..

-thomas

Don't go with a setting compound over the other. Just get it as good as you can, sand, prime, touch up if needed, prime the spots and paint. Paint toughens up the joint compound.

thanks again for the help.

-thomas

A setting type joint compound does not set harder, but is sets without shrinking, which is important when you are doing a plaster type repair. Regular joint compound will shrink and crack if you put it on too thick. I have had great success using a 20 min. setting type jount compound to repair plaster type walls and ceilings. You need to work fast or the stuff will harden before you get a chance to put it on the walls. It sticks really well to most surfaces (not shiney ones). The key is patience and a good eye. It will take multiple layers to get it where you want it. If you have a textures wall, you need to experiment with various tools to mimick the texture.

Save yourself a lot of work,go to masterofplaster.com.They have a q&a for just the type of problem you describe.I have used their product to repair many plaster walls in nyc.The walls come out as smooth as glass without any sanding every thing is done with a mist bottle of water.No need to prime or use plaster weld.good luck brian

hire a real plasterer thats been around for many years, and not whoevers cheaper...you'll be much happier.