Repainting Plaster Walls in Old Riverside Homes

A hand dragged across an old plaster wall comes away with a pale, chalky film, and that powder is the first thing to deal with before any paint goes on. In older houses around Riverside, CA, the plaster is hard and cold to the touch, and work booked through riverside painting contractor cadsf starts by checking that powder before touching a brush. Painting over it without a sealer lifts the new coat in sheets within a season.

Cracks that move and cracks that do not

Hairline cracks that follow the lath lines are usually settled and can be filled. A crack that opens wider in winter or runs at an angle from a window corner is still moving. Fine cracks are widened slightly with a utility knife, filled with a flexible patching compound, and sanded flush. Wide ones get mesh tape first.

Dealing with chalk

A damp sponge shows how bad the chalking is. Light powder is washed off and left to dry, then sealed. Heavy powder needs a masonry conditioner or a penetrating bonding primer that locks it in place. A regular latex primer sits on top of the dust and peels with it.

Patching the old repairs

Many plaster houses carry patches from earlier decades, often in a different material that shows as a flat spot or a ridge. A skim of spackle feathered about a foot past the repair, followed by light sanding, evens out the surface. A final scuff sand leaves a tooth for the primer.

Drying time in dry air

The low humidity of a Riverside summer dries patching compound fast, sometimes too fast, and a thick fill can crack as it shrinks. Deep fills go on in two thin passes. Windows opened in the afternoon heat speed the cure, but a draft across fresh plaster patches can also pull moisture out unevenly.

Choosing the finish

Old plaster is rarely perfectly flat, and a glossy sheen shows every ripple. Eggshell or flat acrylic latex hides the waves, while a satin or semi gloss enamel is better kept for trim and doors. A brush is used to cut in at corners and ceiling lines, then a roller with a three eighths inch nap carries the paint across the wall. Two coats give even coverage over a sealed surface.

Original trim and picture rails

Picture rails, baseboards and crown moulding in these homes are often thick with layers of oil based paint. A light scuff sand and a bonding primer let a new enamel grip without having to strip the whole run.