LESLIE: Finding The Money Pit on KFRM in Kansas we’ve got Pam. How can we help you?
PAM: I’ve got a very old house that has lath and plaster walls in it.
TOM and LESLIE: OK.
PAM: And I was taking wallpaper off those – one of the areas. It’s underneath a stairwell where there’s a landing and then it’s like, you know, a little hole underneath there. And a bunch of the plaster came out. What can I – right at the junction. What can I replace that with?
TOM: Well, with plaster. You’re going to need to mix up some plaster – plaster Paris – and patch that. Now, is the existing plaster that’s there fairly solid or is it deteriorated?
PAM: Most of it is fairly solid. This is like – there’s like a little cubby hole underneath the landing.
TOM: OK.
PAM: And where the plaster came out is right where it comes down and then meets the boards for the door.
TOM: Alright, so right at the junction. Yeah, what you’re going to want to do is pick up some Plaster of Paris from the hardware store or the home center, mix it up and then trowel it in. I would tell you to do it in a couple of applications so you’re not – especially if it’s a thick – fairly thick.
PAM: Mm-hmm.
TOM: So you don’t put it all on at once. And then you.
LESLIE: So it doesn’t all fall out.
TOM: Yeah, then you’re going to sand it. And now, you took the wallpaper off. Are you going to paint, Pam?
PAM: Yes, I’m planning on painting it.
TOM: Alright, well make sure that you use a primer first. We’d recommend an oil-based primer …
PAM: Oh, OK.
TOM: … because that’s going to do a good job of neutralizing the wall and giving you a good, smooth solid surface for the new paint to adhere to.
LESLIE: Yeah, and if you notice that the surface at all has any sort of dings or dents or wavers, seems uneven, go with a flat paint because that’s going to hide all of those imperfections really well.
PAM: Oh, I think I still have about four layers of wallpaper to take off before I know what the wall itself is going to look like.
LESLIE: Oh.
TOM: OK. (chuckling) What are you using to take that wallpaper off, Pam?
PAM: Most of it just peeled off. Right now I haven’t gotten to the rest of it.
TOM: Alright, well what you might want to do – let us save you a lot of aggravation – go out and rent a wallpaper steamer.
PAM: I already have one.
LESLIE: Good.
TOM: Oh, good. Because that’ll be – that’s the easiest way to take off wallpaper.
LESLIE: And then you know what? If you find you’ve got some leftover residue, vinegar and water, if you spray it on there, it does a decent job of getting rid of that last little bit of gunk.
PAM: I can do that then.
TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
Leave a Reply