![]() ![]() Sure, it’s dirty work, but it’s also a rewarding to know just how capable you are in home improvement.Uh oh….so you’ve got a period lath and plaster ceiling that needs to come down hmm? Luckily, it’s not all bad news, but I won’t lie to you, it can be hard work and very messy! That said, taking down a lath and plaster ceiling is an perfectly possible DIY project, even for relative beginners. But if these are not present, there is no reason you cannot remove a plaster wall yourself. Again, it’s very important to stress that you should check for lead paint and asbestos first. Most people do not know the best way to remove a plaster wall because drywall has become so popular. These work much better than trying to carry out a large trash can full of plaster. If you lay tarp down on the floor first, you can use a metal shovel to shovel the plaster into small buckets with handles. Also, plaster is very heavy, and you will need a good way to remove it from the site. As your final step, you will want to remove all the nails that held the wood lathe in place. If you can cut the plaster with a saw first, it will limit the damage even more. By removing it a strip at a time, you can somewhat limit the damage, because it will only take a portion of the plaster with it. The hardest part is to make sure to protect any areas you do not want to remove. The hardest part is not to remove the plaster. Again, be careful doing this because the plaster will fly away from the walls. Simply insert your fingers and pry the wood lathe strips above and below the strip to remove more plaster. After you have one section, the entire wall will be easier to remove. This will probably cause a good deal of plaster to fall away with it, and you should be careful when it pops away from the wall. If you cannot break through it easily, insert a screwdriver in between the wood lathe slats and pry one piece away from the wall. Wood lathe is what the plaster clings to, and it is nailed to the studs. Once you have a section about the size of a dinner plate, you will need to break through the wood lathe, or pry it away from the wall. It is possible to break it when you swing your hammer, and in fact, it will make it easier later. Behind it, you will encounter the wood lathe. Plaster breaks rather easily, so one good swing will make a hole in the plaster. Coveralls are not a bad idea, and if you have a large amount of plaster to remove, it’s a wise investment.įirst, you will need to make a good sized hole in the wall. ![]() As a final tip, wearing a hood or some form of hat that covers your ears is a good idea because it makes cleanup easier. Removing a plaster ceiling or wall is noisy work. This will protect your skin from any sharp parts that you encounter. Next, you will want to wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves. It will make sure that you do not get dust or particles in your eyes or lungs. Make sure to wear safety goggles and a respirator, which is an advanced form of a dust mask. If your home or building has been cleared of lead paint and asbestos, you can remove plaster yourself by following these tips.įirst, you will want to prepare yourself. You must check for lead paint and asbestos. And then there’s the danger hidden in all old buildings. Not only do you need to dodge heavy pieces of plaster which fall on your head or fly at your face, but the wood lathe can splinter and break. It’s noisy, but even worse, it’s dangerous to remove plaster. Sometimes, a wire mesh will have been applied, which only makes it more difficult to remove. First, you have solid chunks of plaster, which are the consistency of a lightweight cement. And as anyone who has tried to knock down one of these walls knows, it’s a very difficult, time consuming task. But people continued to use it after the war because they saw that one man could put up an entire wall in one day, rather than a skilled team taking an entire week, with several time consuming steps along the way.īut there are many homes, especially older ones, that still have plaster walls. People had previously viewed it as a product that would produce shoddy buildings that would collapse easily. It became popular then because of World War 2, when many materials were needed for the war effort. In 1916, Sheetrock was invented, but it didn’t catch on until 1952. In the past, all walls were built with plaster, rather than drywall. ![]()
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