# newbie question..removing plaster to drywall



## jstar571 (Dec 18, 2011)

:beta1: I just bought a house and it has plaster (I assume horsehair plaster), the house was built in the EARLY 1900's.

I want to remove the plaster and put up drywall, I know one thing from reading lots of internet things about removing plaster...ITS MESSSSYYY and DUSTY. 

My question is this if (if anyone has dealt with this) What if I would soak the plaster with water....would it be easier (but heavier) to remove off the wall and cut off in small sections:beta1:

This winter i have found that my house is FULL of drafts and something has to be done this summer. 

Any ideas?


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Forget the water--strong fans in the windows--two layers of heavy plastic on the floors---tape off the doorways---wear a good respirator--and a hat--start removing.


----------



## 1910NE (Sep 5, 2010)

What oh'Mike said, plus, if you are not physically STRONG, I would seriously recommend hiring this out. Even if its only the first floor, its back breaking work. If you do tackle it, get a couple of joint compound buckets, and load them evenly, but not too full. This makes it a lot easier to carry out all the busted up plaster, since they buckets balance each other. Also, if you are getting rid of the lathe, check around in your area for someone who wants the lathe strips. You might get lucky and find someone who is willing to remove it for you.


----------



## fixrite (Mar 1, 2009)

I have done just what you are planning on doing. If your floors are to be saved, you will need more than plastic on them to protect them, old carpeting turned upside down or plywood. If you do it room by room and plastic off the door ways then you can minimize the mess. You can also buy a plastic zipper to make a doorway for easier in and out access. I used a flat blade shovel on the walls after I had banged off some plaster. I then had to remove the lathe. Keeping them separate proved a good idea as I burned the lathe and took the plaster to the landfill. Also when replacing with drywall, do a check on just how thick the old plaster was around doorways and windows so when placing new drywall it matches up well with no shims for trim needed.


----------



## jstar571 (Dec 18, 2011)

*removing plaster*

Im in way over my head so I am just trying to think ahead of what I COULD DO. Im just tryin to think of the best...easiest way to work on it ugh. I do know I need to get plastic and cover the floor and vents.

I am afraid to see how much a contractor would charge to remove the walls and put up normal walls. So I am thinking do it myself.


----------



## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

we have done way to many of these....what we do is cover the floor with 1/4" underlayment seams taped,then layer of rosin paper stapled down..now just apply what oh mike said and others.....are you done yet:laughing: if its on the 2nd floor we build a shoot to dumpster...


----------



## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

Using 5 gallon buckets to put the plaster in is a good idea. I also used a rope to lower the full buckets to the ground. A ladder placed outside the window allows you keep interior door closed. Use the ladder. You will be amazed at how filthy you get removing the plaster, espcially from the ceiling. This is also a good time to upgrade windows, wiring and insulation.


----------



## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

I'd blow-in cellulose if new wiring is not accessible from below or above. Plaster/lath is 8# per square foot....... cheap furnace filters in front of the fans blowing out, smaller cardboard boxes lined up under the demo area to catch the material (easier than shoveling it up) and along the wall (baseboard removed for close encounter), toss them when full, remember small boxes... No water, unless you dehydrate.

Gary


----------



## epson (Jul 28, 2010)

The key though to the demolition is to cut out the areas with a concrete or masonry blade in a saw or a small right angle grinder. I use a 4 1/2" right angle grinder for all kinds of stuff like this so I keep a diamond blade in it and even use it to cut tile. These grinders only cost 40 dollars or less and can quickly become a remodeler’s go to tool in bathroom and kitchen re-dos. Also cover up the room and wear a dust mask as you will make a lot of dust.


----------



## federer (Aug 20, 2010)

man i wish i saw this. i just tore off the plaster ceilings in the entire upstairs. the mess is incredible. you can DIY it but it is tough work. we just had old carpet on the floor and that worked out. the hard part is transporting them out, and keeping dust down. in my case dust went everywhere. 

use a hammer and you can bang out sections at a time.


----------



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Some of the old plasters contained harmful additives so definitely "mask up" to keep from sucking the nasties into your lungs.


----------



## jstar571 (Dec 18, 2011)

Thanks for the ideas... When I start this I'll be posting


----------



## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Nobody asked, why?:huh:
You are going to ruin the value of your home.


----------



## jstar571 (Dec 18, 2011)

chrisn, I'm unsure of your question. The main reason I want to is because there is no insulation in the walls and the electrical outlets are at foot level compared to knee level. Unless you have a suggestion I'm am more then willing to listen to others


----------



## 12penny (Nov 21, 2008)

New electric can be run and insulation can be added without tearing down plaster.

Thing is...you have to call contractors in those trades to get estimates, _*then*_ you can make an informed decision onwhich path to take.


----------



## pkrapp74 (Dec 16, 2011)

chrisn said:


> Nobody asked, why?:huh:
> You are going to ruin the value of your'e home.


Just wondering why it would ruin the value of the home?


----------



## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

pkrapp74 said:


> Just wondering why it would ruin the value of the home?


Well, it is my opinion( and mine only) that a home with original plaster is much more valuable that cheap drywall. As stated, electrical and insulation can be added without tearing down the plaster.


----------



## fixrite (Mar 1, 2009)

chrisn said:


> Well, it is my opinion( and mine only) that a home with original plaster is much more valuable that cheap drywall. As stated, electrical and insulation can be added without tearing down the plaster.


Only problem is it would cost you more for an electrician to run wires in the wall if it were not open, also to blow insulation in the walls would be your only way to insulate and that is the worst way to insulate as it sags over time and looses it's R value capability. So take the walls down install smooth flat drywall and update your insulation vapour barrier and drywall. Best investment you could make, will also cut down on your heating bills in the future.:thumbup:


----------



## bubbler (Oct 18, 2010)

What's your budget for this?

How much are you willing/able to spend on replacing the plaster with drywall? Are you hiring someone to hang the new stuff--have you gotten a quote for it? If you're DIY'ing hanging the stuff, have you figured the cost for buying drywall, tape, mud, tools, etc? Do you have enough time/energy for it?

When the walls are open that is your chance to do all this extra work you're thinking of...
--> Are you hiring an electrician? Have you gotten quotes?

--> What type of insulation are you going to put in? batts? foam? cellulose? Are you DIY'ing or hiring?

--> Don't forget to factor in the time/effort/materials to replace trim around doors/windows that may be required--the drywall will be much thinner then the plaster & lathe so you may need to tweak some things, particularly up near the ceiling (consider crown molding if you don't already have it--it will hide a lot of sin)

--> Any plumbing behind these walls? Something I ran into while replacing the plaster in my kitchen and bath is that the vent pipes for both my kitchen sink and the toilet both extended beyond the face of the studs--it was no big deal for the plaster guys when the house was built, but once you're putting up sheets of drywall you'll have a huge hump (might even break the sheet)... I had to shim the face of all the studs with 1/4" luan. Speaking of plumbing--this would be the time to update if you needed it, have you budgeted for it if needed?

--> Don't forget the cost for paint and any required materials for that... I was really surprised at the cost for primers and paint.

The only good thing about a job like this is that if you're DIY'ing it you can do it one room at a time.

Good luck!

P.S., as a buyer I much prefer plaster over drywall in an older home. If you're dead-set on replacement you might want to consider "blueboard" with a plaster skim coat, that's what I did and the walls still feel nice and solid.


----------



## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

Firm solid and valuable are not words that I'd use to describe the horsehair plaster on wood lath that I've seen. Soft, crumbly and almost impossible to repair would fit.


----------



## bubbler (Oct 18, 2010)

Maintenance 6 said:


> Firm solid and valuable are not words that I'd use to describe the horsehair plaster on wood lath that I've seen. Soft, crumbly and almost impossible to repair would fit.


Our last rental was build in 1885, had plaster walls, they were great at keeping down noise and felt very solid. Looking at houses most of the ones we were seeking out were from mid/late 1800s and they were all plaster as well.

We settled on a house built in 1949, it uses rock board with plaster, it's nearly an inch thick with three layers (the board, the rough coat and the finish coat)... feels as solid as old plaster, but so far doesn't crack/crumble when you try to cut it with a keyhole saw...


----------



## Sartrean (Jan 11, 2012)

My wife and I just bought an old turn of the century home that also has plaster walls. The house is in front of a rather busy street, and we can barely hear anything in the home. Well I am not a master do yourself person, I really do appreciate the old style craftsmanship. That being said, I would only replace the walls if I absolutely had to. Our house has in conduit wiring, which is not the best according to today standards. While I would certainly enjoy having the entire house rewired I cannot see cutting into these walls for the sake of adding new wiring. You mentioned that your house was drafty but have you tried to investigate where the drafts are coming from? I am very new to the do it yourself forms, and I am also new to old home ownership, however it seems reasonable to recommend that you start small and work your way up to these larger projects in terms of investigating why your house is so drafty. It is entirely feasible, without investigating, that you would do all this work and still have some type of draft in the house.


----------



## bubbler (Oct 18, 2010)

Sartrean said:


> You mentioned that your house was drafty but have you tried to investigate where the drafts are coming from?


GBW mentioned blown in cellulose, and Satrean was mentioning drafts...

One the selling points from the installers who blew cellulose into my walls is that it helps to reduce air movement in the wall cavity, i.e. drafts. 

My house wasn't drafty before, or at least, not anywhere except at the windows... I can't say that it has really changed much in my house... I guess fuel usage down, but even that is tough to say for sure.


----------



## EvilNCarnate (Jan 27, 2011)

jstar571 said:


> chrisn, I'm unsure of your question. The main reason I want to is because there is no insulation in the walls and the electrical outlets are at foot level compared to knee level. Unless you have a suggestion I'm am more then willing to listen to others


 If the plaster is crumbling off the walls then by all means replace it. If not then I would get estimates on rewire and insulation. Or start thinking about what work would go into rewiring and insulation. I can tell you I have rewired my home and insulated my home. I have hung drywall and torn out walls and built new ones. The thought of gutting all my walls to insulate and wire seems absolutely insane to me. I know I once thought it would be more work to wire and insulate than it would be to hang drywall but a few hundred projects later I can tell you it isnt. I have had to run wire up from a crawl space, a basement, down from an attic, drilled holes that went places they weren't supposed to, had to cut upen walls under windows to run new wires to outlets that had no access from either direction (crawl space with no access path and flat roof). In the end, cutting open the one wall to run 6' of wire was the most time consuming and messiest. The rest of the wiring in my house was just cutting out old boxes with my reciprocating saw, tearing up edges around the boxes pulling the old ones out, little cutting to make new remodel boxes fit, little mud, little sand... wham, bang, boom and a hows your father :wink: then a quick vac to clean up the mess and a damp paper towel for the stuck on dust.


----------

