Are these plaster walls? if so, can they be fixed?

6 years ago

Hi there – I hope you are all doing well. A while back, when I thought that doing a steam treatment in the bathroom was a good idea. (Actually, it wasn’t!). The walls then started to crack. So, in addition to figuring out ventilation, I am also wanting to fix the walls. The place was built in 1903, but there have been various owners sense, and I don’t really know everything they have done in the bathroom over the years.

So, here are my questions:
1- Looking at the pictures, do you know what the walls are made of? And,
2- can they be saved? If so, how do you recommend I fix them? Ideally, I would like to do it myself.

Thanks in advance for your insights!

Featured Answer

cat_ky

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

You could patch and repair, but, those walls have a lot of cracks in the plaster. If it were me, I would use sheetrock and go over the top of them, unless you want to take them down totally, which could be a big mess. You may be happy in the future, though, if you make the mess now and take it down to studs, and put in new sheetrock.

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Comments (7)

party_music50
6 years ago
Well... my walls are lath and plaster and I repaired the basement stairs wall with joint compound. It was in MUCH worse shape than yours. lol! I just broke away any loose stuff and built it up slowly in layers of (pre-mixed) joint compound. Never lay it on thickly -- it's important to add a thin layer of mud and let it completely dry before adding another thin layer. Once it's filled in you can sand/smooth it, then prime it, and paint it. My patch looks great and has lasted nearly 20 years.
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User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Gut it and start over. If you tried for a steam shower, you have moisture damage behind the walls. Not just ruined snd failing walls.
DavidR
6 years ago
Sure, that's patchable. It just requires patience. I've patched a couple of old-house plaster-wall bathrooms. Mine had more cracks, and not as much damage to the finish coat, but I still think it can be fixed. Ideally you'd have a good plasterer do the work for you, but that may be expensive, if you can even find one.

I'm not an expert, but I don't think a complete gut is necessary. Plaster bathrooms existed for decades before bath fans became common. They generally handled moisture OK, though maybe not to the extent you've created it.

Now that vent fans are easily available at the hardware stores, I suggest that you install one, so this doesn't happen again.
PRO
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Steam showers have to be vapor proofed. Because steam molecules penetrate through traditional waterproofing. Vapor permeability is a big thing. And you didn’t even have waterproofing there. With a steam generator. So you have water and steam that have passed through that wall. And into your wall cavity, with the wood studs and insulation. You’ve got water damage there to fix.
Theresa
6 years ago
I repaired plaster that was moistened / damaged by rain gutters that needed to be replaced. Sometimes plaster has a layer of lime, I believe.. After replacing the gutters and letting the wall dry for a couple of months, I scraped away the the loose stuff. Gouge Then applied two coats of primer. Then filled in with thin layers of spackle. I applied two coats of primer before paint. It was fine when I sold the house 15 years later.

The paint store owner taught me to prime before and after spacking .
cjcjmpls
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for your help, everyone!