I’m rehabbing an old row home which has got plaster over brick. The plaster is in bad shape and missing in spots. As far as refinishing the walls, I could replaster, attatch furring strips and then drywall, or build a new metal-studded wall and go from there. The issue is that space is at a premium; hate to eat into the living space by using studs.
However, does anyone know what the narrowest type of metal tracking/stud is? This would probably be the easiest method, as furring strips would require having to shim in order to arrive at a straight wall…
Thanks
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Inch and five-eighths.
That's what's readily available here in NW Oh..... Studs- .8'. Track-10'. Seems I remember longer studs but since you're not here, doesn't do you any good anyway. Call a good drywall supply-not a box store.
thanks Calvin!
Durabond as a board adhesive
Years ago I would work with an old time plasterer/drywaller that would hire me to overboard bad plaster walls.
He had me mix up Durabond (usually 120) and with a 1/2 inch notched trowel completly cover the wall with Durabond. We would put new drywall over the top of the mud and either screw to existing studs or just into the wood lath.
If we were just into lath, he would pull those screws out after the Durabond had time to set (He didn't want to risk nail pops).
When we went over block or brick, we would use masonry anchors with big washers (Usually pieces of wood scrap) and after it set up, pull all the anchors.
Where this method really shone was times that the trim was not being removed prior to the plaster repairs. We would trowel on the Durabond then use 1/4" board. This would still allow the trim to stand proud without removing it and reattaching it.
Terry
This is a great idea! Thanks..
I don't how much square footage you're dealing with so this idea may not be practical, but I'll throw it out there for your consideration...
Add a layer of plywood to the entire wall. That's assuming that the plaster is secure enough to use construction adhesive. As long as the drywall joints don't line up with the plywood seams, I don't think you'll need to do any shimming.
I did a whole house (except the cielings ) with 1/4" drywall over the plaster. With a 1/4" notched trowel I buttered up the back of each piece with regular all purpose mud.
You dry fit the piece first if you have to and then lay backside up on some saw horses to butter it up.
Where the drywall meets openings like windows or doors the drywall will stand a 1/4" high instead of being flush with the jambs.
All the casing had a 1/4" piece attached to it to return it to the jamb. Like a 1/4" extension.
You could extend the jambs as well.
One nice thing about it was the 1/4" drywall is more dense than regular drywall and laminating it in the plaster gives you a strong wall. I don't know how thick your plaster is but mine was 7/8". That plus the 1/4" gave me an inch and an eighth thick sound absorbing board on both sides of the walls.
Compare that to 1/2" drywall.
Oh, man does this one hit close to home.
Plaster over brick is ultimately a bad situation if it is an exterior wall (or, in the case of my own residence, over the chimney's brick on the interior side) because brick will soak up water and pass it though to the plaster, developing all kinds of unpleasant effects like efflorescence, blistering, popping coats of pain off.
The only thing that's worked in this situation is covering the exposed brick (remove any defective plaster) with 6 mil. visqueen, fur out with (non-wood) strips fastened to brick with Rawl spikes or simililar, and install drywall to the furring strips.
Usually the plaster you remove is a good 3/4 - 1" thick, so 1/2" drywall usually keeps the same plane of the surrounding wall.
I've done this in several instances where paint would not stick and years later the wall repaired this way looks just like the day it was finally repainted.
Thanks..