W
W
WALL
WORK
When removing moulding but
keeping the existing plaster, be
careful not to crush the plaster as
you pry off the moulding.
built by Echo Chamber Builders),
and it has seriously cut down on
the noise transfer between
rooms.
New Framing. For block homes
that require new interior stud
walls, we’ve found that buying
premium framing lumber makes
life easier and doesn’t cost
much extra, especially if you’re
installing cabinets on the new
wall. Lower grades of framing
lumber aren’t entirely stable and
can twist and warp even when
nailed in place.
When laying out the new framing (some carpenters call this
“detailing the plates”), make
sure to follow the pattern of the
existing framing as closely as
you can. In other words, line up
your new studs under existing
joists—which were not likely laid
out on 16-inch centers. Do this
for joists above and if possible
below. This makes it easier to
pull wire, run a new cold-air
return, etc.
PATCHING
You can patch damaged plaster with joint compound and joint
tape. However, plaster has two
unique characteristics. In some
cases it can develop long, meandering cracks. Joint tape is too
thin to follow it for long. Plaster
can also get wet from behind
(say under a leaking window) and
fail in large patches, where joint
tape is also too thin to do much
good.
In both cases Hyde’s Wet and
Set drywall repair tape makes
sense for some of these repairs.
While it is a straight tape, it is 4
inches wide so it can follow a
random line for a longer stretch.
Its width, and the fact that it is
embedded with fast-drying joint
compound during manufacturing,
enables it to span long, wider,
larger failures.
NEW WINDOWS
Often when I remove plaster
from a room I’m also replacing
the windows. The overall thickness of plaster walls changes
from the original wall thickness.
In cases such as kitchens where
I want the sills as deep as possi-
When installing new windows in
jambs where I don’t want to use
the existing studs as my fastening
point—i.e. a kitchen remodel
where an extra deep sill is of
great benefit—I build a “sleeve”
from 1x12 PVC (in this case,
Fypon). It does the double duty of
weathering exterior conditions
and takes paint beautifully inside.
SMART SOLUTION FOR VAULTED CEILINGS
