Basic Plaster Wall Repair
1 Day – 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
A traditional and versatile building material, plaster was historically used as a protective and decorative coating for walls and ceilings. Plaster can result in finishes much harder than drywall which creates a more durable wall surface, and is more adaptable for specialty design features like archways and curves. While original plasterwork is a desirable asset to any vintage structure, it may require maintenance and repairs to retain its seamless service and elegance. Our workshop lecture, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises introduce the benefits of lime-based plaster, basic surface preparation, and simple methods for performing minor repairs to vintage plaster walls. Under the guidance of experienced plasterers, students will apply a scratch coat over wood lath panels, making sure proper adhesion and sufficiently filled keys are achieved. Then, they’ll work with TAKCOAT™ and TOPCOAT™—specially formulated lime plaster from LimeWorks.us designed for resurfacing, restoring, and repairing existing plaster walls. Practicing on mock-up surfaces, participants will learn techniques for how to trowel at the proper angle and use sufficient pressure to apply a transitional bonding layer of TAKCOAT™ followed by the finished skim coat of TOPCOAT™ to achieve a smooth final finish. Prior plastering experience is helpful but not required.
Learning Objectives:
- Begin to understand the science behind breathable natural hydraulic lime.
- Be introduced to the procedures to properly mix and cure lime plaster.
- Begin to recognize how to apply alkaline fiberglass mesh over hairline cracks in existing plaster walls.
- Be introduced to proficient basic hawk and trowel techniques for applying TAKCOAT™ and TOPCOAT™ lime plaster.
- Start to understand how to seamlessly tie in repair work to create a unified and flawless plaster surface.
The workshop will be held at the historic Millhafen Farm—the headquarters of Craftwork Training Center and LimeWorks.us—located at 3145 State Road, Telford, PA 18969. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required two weeks in advance with the balance due at the beginning of the workshop. All the necessary materials and tools will be supplied and a light lunch is provided for your convenience. The program will start promptly at 8:00 am. Please arrive 15 minutes early to complete the check-in process and come appropriately dressed and prepared for hands-on training. To ensure an exceptional learning experience, the class size is limited. However, a minimum of 6 participants is required to hold the workshop. Should a class not reach the minimum participants, we will notify all registered participants of cancellation at least 10 days prior to the workshop date.
Special Group Options
Companies or organizations with 10 or more participants may qualify for a training program at our location on a date that works with their company and our trainers. Call 215-536-6706 for details.
Please note, last-minute registrations (within 48 hours of the workshop date), are not valid until a confirmation email or phone call is sent from our staff.
This workshop comes with tools that each participant gets to keep. For those workshop participants who want to have their tools shipped to them after the workshop has ended we can arrange that at an additional cost. Please call for pricing. We offer this option since it may not be allowed to load tools on a carry-on bag when flying out after taking the workshop.
A great workshop, led by very knowledgeable staff