How to Remove Textured Plaster

Removing textured plaster is a slow, messy and tedious project. To remove cured plaster, you must first wet and soften the material so it removes without damaging the fragile wood backing beneath. Removing plaster from a single wall in a way that doesn't damage the backing could take an entire day. Very few tools are required, but patience is certainly necessary -- along with a second pair of hands to speed up the project.

Dropcloth
5-inch metal scraper
Spray misting bottle
Medium-grit sandpaper
Sponge
Wall mask
Safety glasses

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the furniture from the room and lay a thick dropcloth over the entire floor. Begin work on a 3-square-foot section of the wall and slowly scrape at the texture using a 5-inch metal scraper. Focus on removing the higher textured points and not all of the texture.
- 2
  Spray the 3-foot section with water from a misting spray bottle. Let the water soak into the plaster for five minutes and spray again if necessary to keep it wet while you're working on it.
- 3
  Shave the moistened plaster from the wall using the scraper. Alternate the directions scraped and use lighter or stronger pressure as needed. Spray the water again when it shaving becomes difficult and continue until you can see the plaster backing boards.
- 4
  Move to the next 3-square-foot section and repeat the spraying and scraping steps until reaching the backing boards. Work each section in the same way until all are complete.
- 5
  Sand the wall lightly with medium-grit sandpaper to dislodge any plaster pieces missed by the scraper. Wipe the wall with a damp sponge to remove any remaining plaster residue and dust from the surface. Rinse the sponge periodically with clean water.
- 6
  Fold the dropcloth in on itself to trap the removed plaster inside and then carry the folded cloth out to dispose of the material safely.

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