Repairing the Paint on Cracked Plaster Walls

Even though dried plaster is a very hard surface, when used for walls or ceilings, it can crack. This is because the plaster is very stiff and when the house moves, it does not, unlike drywall. If you have plaster walls that have cracked, patching the problem is simple. In fact, many home owners who have plaster walls keep an assortment of plastering tools on hand because these cracks are so common and easy to fix.

Plastic bucket
Plaster of Paris
Hawk
Plaster trowel
Sandpaper
Paint
Paint brush

Instructions

- 1
  Mix a small amount of plaster to patch the crack. Plaster of Paris can be used to patch plastered walls. Follow the package directions and mix this together with water in a bucket.
- 2
  Load the hawk with plaster. Use your trowel to wet the hawk slightly and load it with a good sized clump of plaster.
- 3
  Apply the plaster to the crack. With your plaster trowel, scrape off a small amount of plaster from the hawk. Apply this to the wall, working from the bottom up. Use a sweeping motion as you apply it to feather in the plaster. You will only need a very thin coat to cover the crack. Let the plaster set, which should take about 30 minutes at the most.
- 4
  Sand if necessary. Use a fine grade sanding block and smooth out the edges of your patch.
- 5
  Paint over the patch. Use your wall paint and apply it over the crack with a brush. Your repair should look seamless with the rest of the wall.

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