What is Craftex, and what makes it different from ordinary plaster?

same here, and why can't you rub some taping compound into the cracks anyway?

Craftex is a heavily textured plaster with swirls that was used in houses in the Northeast. It was particularly popular in the 20s and 30s. The bottom part of the wall below the chair rail is often textured and the top half is smooth. I'm not a huge fan, but it's considered to be pretty high end plasterwork and I've got it in several rooms. Replacing it with smooth walls would involve a LOT of heavy sanding which I'm not up for.

Repairing is pretty complicated. When there's a crack in the plaster, you have to match the swirled pattern or it ends up looking like my sun room does with mismatched patterns.

does anyone know if craftex contains asbestos? thanks

If you ever find any info on how to repair cracks on craftex walls, please let me know. thank you lee