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Drywall are wide, thin sheets of gypsum covered with layers of paper which can be nailed straight into ceiling joists and wall studs. Most of the older generations of houses have interiors made up of drywall as this material is inexpensive, easy
to install and repair. Though sturdy and enduring, like anything else, drywall is also prone to damages due to water leaks, door bangs, and furniture marks.
New homes often experience framing shrinkage causing drywall nails to protrude. To prevent this from happening, use screws instead of nails when installing.
Through time, or out of some unexpected incidents, holes may be bored into your drywall. For an easy fix, follow these steps:
- Measure the hole and prepare another piece of drywall that is larger than the hole by at least six inches.
- Draw a square around the hole and cut it out.
- Trace its edges with a light coat of drywall mud and place the patch into it.
- Squeeze out and remove excess drywall mud using a putty knife and leave it to dry for a night.
- When dry, smoothen its surface by sanding it.
- Paint the area with a color matching the original one and you are done.
Plaster, on the other hand, is a mixture of dry compounds that need to be mixed with water to make it into a pliable liquid. Speed and precision is very important when working with plaster as this material sets immediately, hardening in a small
span of time. In the past, plaster was used on lath boards. Now, you can already opt to try the modern plaster compound known as veneer plaster systems which proves to be more durable than that of the older version.
Plaster surfaces are sturdy and good looking, but there would always be a drawback and that is sooner or later, plaster definitely develops cracks. For temporary cover ups, latex paint can work fine with "hairline" cracks. This may
last for some days to a couple of months. To fix the crack for good, specially larger ones, use the given steps:
- Choose from either a premixed plaster repair compound or plaster of paris as these does not shrink as they dry.
- Remove all loose plaster with a utility knife until the crack is neatly lined. Use a vacuum to totally rid the crack of dust and small debris.
- Thoroughly wet the crack with water. Completely fill the crack with mixed plaster or repair compound.
- Smooth the patched area with a trowel or scraper and let dry fro at least 24 hours.
- When plaster is dry, lightly sand the patch with a fine or medium grade sandpaper. Wrapping the sandpaper around a wood block would make grasping it easier.
- And lastly, apply a thin coat of primer. Let dry. Then coat the patch with paint.
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