How to Repair a Cracked Plaster Wall Yourself

Even though many of us are feeling the squeeze of tough economic times, you don't need to let your plaster walls fall into disrepair. The following easy to follow do-it-yourself guide to repairing damage and wear and tear to your plaster wall will help you set your house in order without the expense of hiring contractors or handymen.

For the smallest plaster wall problems such as cracks and fractures you will need the following tools and materials:

A wallboard knife
150-grit sandpaper
Spackle
Fiberglass wallboard tape

The first step in any plaster wall repair job is to clear the area around the damage of any loose paint, spackle, dust, and debris. Prepare the are surrounding the crack in you plaster wall by first scraping it with your wallboard knife, then sanding the area with your 150-grit sandpaper, and finally dusting the area off with a clean rag.

Once the area surrounding the crack in your plaster wall is prepared, use your fiberglass wallboard tape to reinforce the crack. Once the crack in your plaster wall is completely cover by fiberglass wallboard tape, use your wallboard knife to apply a thin layer of spackle until the tape is no longer visible. It is important to note at this point that a thin layer really does mean a thin layer. More is not better. In fact a thicker layer of spackle is more likely to crack again quickly.

Once the first layer is dry you may need to add a second thin layer of spackle to your plaster wall, if the edges of the tape are still showing. Again I must stress that a thin layer is much better than a thick layer, unless you want to be repairing your plaster walls again next month.

Once the repaired area of your plaster wall is completely dry, lightly sand the repaired area with your 150-grit sandpaper. Be sure to wipe away any residual spackle dust before priming and painting your repaired plaster wall.

For just a few dollars per room you can have your plaster wall looking good as new, while saving the hundreds of dollars handymen and contractors charge for doing what you can easily do yourself.