I'm a Union trained Plaster out of Cincinnati Local No. 1 and I agree with every minute of this video. I usually put up metal lath over the wood lath if the grounds allow it. 25 years plastering. You are very well trained.
Great job explaining the process. I learned from a old time plasterer who did hundreds of houses in the 50's. He started me in a closet, last job we did together after I cleaned up his tools he gave them to me. He said "Stevie you do the rest of em ,my knees can't do it anymore". That was a lifetime of respect on my part. He was 70 something at that point and he taught me since he was 65. Cant get that experience in school! keep up the great work!
steve marshall Hi Steve, wow, the fact that he gave his tools to you was quite the gesture of respect. You should feel very proud...I know that I would. Regards, Leah
Yes. I think of the mentors in my 40 yr career many times. Wish there was a way to repay them personally. Unfortunately they are all gone. So to pass on to others is the goal. My boys have both picked up a bit. As engineers Im sure one day they will thank me for the hands on. Be well, Steve
steve marshall that is hard work. People really do not realize that a plasterer literally touches the whole inside of a house. Most people these days rip the plaster and lathe down, without realizing someone put that up by hand many years before
You are an extremely patient person. I am just trying to imagine what it was like to build an entire house out of lath and plaster. I suddenly appreciate the invention of drywall.
Leah, you are an amazing teacher. In my opinion, no one explains anything better than you do. Your videos are wonderfully thorough and helpful. You have given me the confidence to do many home projects I would otherwise be intimidated by. Thank you!
Wow. what a fantastic informative video. I have purchased and am restoring a 108 year old house and I feel confident now to get started with fixing the damaged plaster and lath. I was afaid of the lime process but you made it look so easy. thank you so much
I've been watching your videos for at least 10 years, is it 15 even? I've worked as a renovation carpenter for more than 20 years and grew up building and renovating houses. I just love your videos. You're an amazing role model for us all. You have all these traditional skills you're passing on, its an invaluable service. I'm on my 4th new to me old house built around 1850 and all the plaster has failed on the upper floor. I've repaired plenty of smaller areas of plaster on jobs, but am seriously considering replastering rather than drywall. I think the lime preserves the wood better and resists mold growth, both excellent qualities in an old house. I need some good recipes for the scratch, brown and finish coats and they're hard to find! Doesn't help that every locale had their own unique recipe and horse hair isn't easy to source these days.
Aloha Leah. This is one of the most educational videos I have seen on plaster. Thanks for posting it and demonstrating the procedures and materials behind the trade. You do a great job in explaining things in lay terms. It is many years later since you made this video, but it is modern in that every now and then professional painters run into plastered walls which no one seems to know how to fix. Thanks again.
Leah, you are always a joy to watch and listen to and it's great to observe a skilling professional at work. I loved your other plastering a wall video too. I do a pretty good plastering job now on small walls and ceilings and much of this learning is down to you. Thank you Leah, you are one of a kind and I'm sure children would love you too.
8 year old video but it's sooooo good. Thorough and the best I've found by far. Thank you, Leah! You're a great teacher! I have also demo'd plaster and lathe (and plaster and wire mesh) which showed me how much stronger the plaster is with something like horsehair added. Much stronger. Elsewhere it was suggested that hemp fiber works and is more readily available.
Very good video. I'm serious you are going to save me and my wife so much money and headaches lol. I swear we had a good run around with a few contractors, but the way you spoke and got right to the point and a language that I can understand, we really appreciate it. Thank you and God Bless.
Sending my daughter to your channel.... so she'll be able to take care of her grandmother's house, that she inherited. I won't live forever... There are plenty of things I learned over the years, from my Dad..including home repair. Plaster was one of those things we never did. Found this video, while researching how to do plaster ceilings.... Thank You !... Now, I have a father/daughter home repair project to do, with her...in the house she inherited from my Mom. God bless you, Leah...really appreciate your videos...and especially your talent for explaining and demostrating. Anyone, can do this...the way you explain it. By the way....you just saved us hundreds, if not..thousands, of dollars. I was seriously considering replacing the whole ceiling with sheetrock... not anymore. Going to repair it, as how the house was originally built (late 1800's).
Leah, you have no idea how much this video has helped me in rehabbing an old home that was empty for years with plaster walls. When I bring other contractors in to do other work, they are amazed at the patchwork I’ve done. It’s all because of this video! Thank you sooooo much. I’ve saved thousands doing it myself. And it turns out that I’m pretty good at it! One question for you... how do you find the studs in plaster walls? We’ll be remodeling the kitchen soon and finding studs in plaster walls is a real challenge for me. Thank you for all you do and teaching us women that we can do it, too!
Hi Tula, I'm so happy to hear from you and that our videos have been so helpful! As far as finding the studs, you basically just need a really good studfinder that is sensitive through the plaster.
It's delightful finding you and your marvelous tutorials. Thank you for sharing this treasure. I'm beginning restoration on a house built in the 1850's so it's a real help to have these videos to guide me.
I really appreciate this great video. I own a small condo unit in a building from 1924, and I am renovating it. I want to retain the integrity of this old building. After watching this video, I have decided to plaster the walls again instead of drywalling it. I have already removed the old plaster, and only the lathe remains. Thank you so much for showing how to plaster. I will follow your instructions closely. ❤
I have my own small 1935 house, and I have never worked on any project in my life. Your videos and the way you present projects make it seem possible for a 59 year old woose of a woman to actually do some of these on her own. You are an inspiration and my favorite go to woman to learn from. Thank you.
Leah, thank you for a wonderfully produced video. It is so professional, it's better than watching "This Old House!" I started with the video to repair a burst pipe, and just kept watching a succession of videos because you are SO GOOD. I don't even have any plaster in my home, so this skill won't help me at all. However, we had plaster in the house my parents built in 1963, and the man who built the house was old school - did EVERYthing: framing, lathe & plaster, plumbing, painting, laid a flat roof, all except electrical, and we never had a crack in the plaster. However, it was finished with a sand coat either on the plaster or in the paint, and I got more than one scraped body part from rubbing up against it. But as anyone who may have visited Pompeii knows, it is a finish that can last! Thanks again for the entertainment. I'm going to see if you have any videos on tiling a bathroom wall and floor.
Thank you for the excellent video! There are very few trades professionals who are as adept at you are at instruction, though they may have great skill to offer. You made the process simple without losing any of the intricacies in the process. Originally from South Africa, and once a mason by trade, i am very familiar with plastering, however not on wood lath. Scouring the internet for advice, your video has given me the information needed to tackle my renovation with confidence in my 1928 house (no, I don’t want to drywall it!). Thank you!
I know I'm late to this party, but I have got to tell you that you've got a GREAT video here. I don't even think I'm going to end up plastering after all, but now I just want to watch all your videos because your teaching style is excellent.
Thank You, I am a Scenic Carpenter who get's to tackle real problems and you are, by far, the best craftsman who solves my technical issues. I am a Fan. Rock On.
You're awesome, I'm a career electrician been doing it my entire life, now in my forties, I have learned many minor carpentry skills well working in the electrical trade, as sometimes my trade has to get involved in these matters, after watching your videos for the last couple weeks I have learned so much more in the carpentry field than I knew before I have actually tested out your knowledge on Carpenters that were pretty skilled that I've been working with, and I was surprised to find that most of the Carpenters I have been working with which do a pretty good job I must say did not even know some of the tricks and things that you are teaching on the shows. For instance your speed square, on one of your episodes you taught me all the different cuts and techniques to using a speed square. all of the tricks for angles and everything else I tested out on a few carpenter's on the job, not a Helper but the actual lead Carpenter and found that he only knew a couple of the things of the speed square, and you had taught a couple more that they did not even know, needless to say an electrician telling them these tricks shocked them. I had to point them to your videos so that they may learn more in there trade. You have a definite value here in your videos. you are a great teacher, easy to understand and you can communicate very well. this sadly is becoming a rare thing in the trades, same thing in is happening in my trade, many of the apprentices and mechanics coming up in the electrical trade do not absorb as much as some of us older ones did and also end up with a close-minded stance and don't really feel there is much more they can learn after a certain point, I am always about learning and trying new things this is probably why I have excelled in the electrical field Way Beyond most, as I can see this is also in you. you definitely have learned a lot in your career then most. I would love to work alongside you on projects, I'm sure this is not going to be an option. but it is great to have you there for me to learn from. And I am now recommending you to every Carpenter I meet hahaha.
I've enjoyed a lot of your videos, although I usually only learn a little tidbit of new info from them. But *this* video - man. Nobody is showing how to do real plaster work in the US. This isn't the best camera work, but such, such good information. Thank you!
Leah, You are a great instructor. You laid out the steps in a logical manner with great explanations. It is great to see a pro at work, especially with this disappearing art. In many parts of the country, it is impossible to find or afford to have this done.
Leah I want to say that you are my new hero or should I say shero!!! I've been doing remodeling work for pert near 20 years. This year will make 20. I did a plaster job one time in my career about 10 years ago. It's still there (It was a couple walls not a ceiling) I mixed plaster and joint compound together. It took me about three days to get it right. You taught me in this video more than I ever known. I will not forget what I have learned.I live here in the mountains of western North Carolina where it can be humid but mostly hot in the summer
Wow, great video! I’ve been looking for this type of instruction everywhere but this is the best I have found. I really appreciate the thorough explanations. Thank you!
Leah! Wonderful! i have a hundred-plus year old house in my care with plaster walls, mostly still great shape but many areas patched various ways. one upstairs small room the plaster entirely ripped out back to laths and for why? About 10 yrs ago in one closet ceiling, a hole back to the laths i tried to mimic the original sand coat without instruction, that patch still looks great! But now, more visible and challenging areas present themselves and i feel less happy with using durabond 90 and more motivated to try the traditional materials. Seeing you do this gives me courage! One time a tiler working in a bathroom where i was painting gave me some encouragement to attempt laying a granite floor on the outside front porch of this house. he said 'you can do this' and he was right! ThankYou Leah, for your can-do attitude and your thoughtfulness to tutor this particular problem which can seem so impossible.
Dean Antilla Hi Dean, I love those older homes, and I can tell you do too! That said, I'm glad that my plastering video was helpful to you, and yes, you CAN do it! Regards, Leah
finally someone who can explain plaster repairs without over-complicating it, and without using too many bs product terms that make no sense. I was starting to think all sheetrock and plaster contractors were either mentally challenged, or had emotional/psychological issues. this lady is GREAT !! a no-nonsense, fact-only approach. any idiot can complicate something, it takes a genius to explain and simplify it. and this lady is a genius !! THANKS
we have tons of old homes here in the northeast, with plaster walls, and the flippers and realtors tear the walls out, to be el cheapo sheetrock in its place. in 5 years all the tape and seams are showing and it looks lousy. fixing the old plaster would look way better. a lot of times they tear a whole wall out when it's only minor settling cracks on a 130 year old home. what you are doing is awesome - thanks again !!
@@tunnelportterror you are correct, there are a lot of insecure people who bolster their egos to fill said void in the field. She's a unicorn! Glad you posted Leia!
@@tunnelportterrorI’m lime plastering my kitchen and dining room after taking one class. It’s getting less intimidating the more I do. I love plaster. Drywall is soulless
Your videos are absolutely phenomenal! Thank you for taking the time and effort to make them. I search through so many and none are as straight forward and as informative as yours! Bravo!!
Leah - followed plastering advice for a large patch on dining room ceiling. The lime is so key to a smooth finish (not perfect for my first time but better than I ever expected). Thank you very much for your invaluable professional advice!
About to finish your video Miss Lea! This is amazing you are a great teacher i felt like you would really be helpful in real life no pressure! Thanks for this. I’m going to make my own ballet studio and want to make it nice, i am going to make a small one in my yard and it will be super cool
You've mayb saved me! I have a 1890's farmhouse with sandstone basement. At some time (no idea when!) the sandstone was covered with something that looks like plaster. It is crumbling off after many years, and this winter i want to repair it. I've tried to research things like whitewash, but I think this structo-lite is what I need. What is on there now is granular, so I'm going to try this!
Wow!.......what an excellent instructional and highly informative video. This lady really knows her craft. Now lets see if I can do it! Greetings from London England, UK.
an instructional video that includes all of the steps, tool names, tool tips , close ups of whats going on and all of the other in depth things that give someone the best shot at getting it right. excellent teaching job!! better than anything else i have found on the topic.. my search is over
Hay I gotta say I'm impressed I've been in home remodeling for 35 years an she's got this on lock like a true boss im impressed with people like my self that we are the last of the old school true craftsmanship men an women who. We are gone thats it people will be great full foe you tube when us old timers are gone
Thank you so much. Just like my Dad said. Just clean the lathe and have it damp when you plaster. I did a perfect repair twenty years ago and now ready to do some more.
Lady, you freaking rock. This is the best video on plastering I've seen. I recently purchased an old home and need to repair a small hole. I feel confident I can do it now.
Thank you so much for the info! I always wanted to know how this was done but thought this trade was dead now. I love old buildings and now can have an idea how to fix these beautiful old buildings.
Gonna repeat all the sentiments already in the comments, very instructional video, I live in the pacific northwest and it's pretty rare to find real plaster walls/ceilings around here. Personally I love it, given the choice I'd go plaster before drywall even in new construction, awesome work!
thank you, thank you! This was exactly what I need to do and you showed how to do! I am so happy to find this today! I am a subscriber and but did not think to search for plastering a ceiling until today. You are a god send! Thank you!
Thank you for posting this. I thought about replacing the failing plaster -- mostly caused by the house having settled some in decades past -- with period bead board. After watching your video however, I feel confident enough with my existing skill sets to take this on as well.
Good detailing & demonstration. I m Civil Consultant Engineer. My self invented some plastering (old type & nature friendly) with traditional bonding agent thus minimizing the Portland cement content.
I have an older friend who is a decrotive brick Mason who built his house with beautiful rock and brick work through out. all his interior walls like bed and bathrooms are this type of plaster. But what's amazing to me is the crown molding is also solid plaster. It's like 10 inch wide crown moulding that he said they had a metal gauge block that they drug around the room making the shape but some how hand aplied the plaster and it held in place . I've searched for anyone who has done this kind of finish plaster work but most drywall folks thinks I'm lying. I don't know any true plaster people anymore. Personally true plaster is a mark of pride in a custom home. Drywall is like a quick fix and get to the next job plus true plaster is much quieter than drywall.
I imagine that being a woman in the trades 20 years ago might have been very difficult. I give you a lot of respect for sticking to it. A lot of people wouldn't have had the grit.
Absolutely love the video! I have always been a rip it down and drywall guy.....ALWAYS! But now you have inspired me to take a lost trade. And boy do i mean lost! I live in the midwest and it is easier to find a moon rock than gauging plaster. Menards can get it, but you have to order a whole lot, 50 bags, i have literally checked with every single building supply-home store within 100 miles and most have never even heard of guaging plaster let alone carry it. I can order bags online but the shipping is just as much as the bags. Any suggestions?
You can use type s- mortar mix...but Jane is correct in using structolite- it is lighter, and easier to apply than cement. I live in new england some of the oldest buildings around!
Her lime and guaging plaster finish is going to be hard for you to locate; although it is one of the best materials for finishing over Structolite base coat. Here in California, plasterers use a gypsum based finishing product called California One Coat. It bonds well to the Structolite and is friendly for water trowled finishes. If you cannot find anything similar at your professional building supply yard, you will need to use a setting type joint compound. These will take a set to allow for water troweling, They come in 5, 20 ,40, & 90 minute setting, (hardening), options. I'd recommend you add some concrete glue to the mix to insure it will bond to the Structolite base coat. Add enough white glue to make your mixing water look like milk. Good luck!
Thank you for your informative video, you are an excellent instructor. Your video empower me to repair things around my house. I always have courage to fix things but now I also have knowledge to boost it. Thanks again.
I just wanted to say thank you very much for such a well done and informative video. I'm going to start a repair on my 1920s house with plaster ceilings and after this video, I went from more on the "what am I thinking?" To the "I can probably do this." side.
BRAVO! Lady, you have had some really good training and you are an excellent instructor. Yours is the ONLY video on youtube that shows the "by the book" correct Plastering information and technique. Further more you provided the reasoning behind the various steps. P.S. I'd like to share with you that using a pneumatic stapler with 1 inch crown staples works great to secure loose lath.
I haven’t seen new videos from you I hope you’re still making vids. I’m enjoying this one. I don’t ever have to do plaster repairs because the area I live in is mostly homes from the 70’s to current but I’m sure I’ll come across one of these repairs one day and I’ll need to have an idea on what to do 😀
Always love your videos, can tell you have been around by the way you load your hawk. Great job . Looking for a miter gauge you showed a couple of years ago. Where can I find one?
thats art right there leah. and a dieing trade. my dad and i have an old school plaster man that can do it but hes semi retired, most of the time ill throw up some 3/8 sheet rock, or 1/4 with some shims and tape and mud it in with compound. but after watching this i might just try doing it like this. worst case i have to cut it out and do it again haha
I'm a Union trained Plaster out of Cincinnati Local No. 1 and I agree with every minute of this video. I usually put up metal lath over the wood lath if the grounds allow it. 25 years plastering. You are very well trained.
May I ask how you fasten the metal lathe?
@@crackedhands Maybe a pan head screw, or staples.
Great job explaining the process. I learned from a old time plasterer who did hundreds of houses in the 50's. He started me in a closet, last job we did together after I cleaned up his tools he gave them to me. He said "Stevie you do the rest of em ,my knees can't do it anymore". That was a lifetime of respect on my part. He was 70 something at that point and he taught me since he was 65. Cant get that experience in school! keep up the great work!
steve marshall Hi Steve, wow, the fact that he gave his tools to you was quite the gesture of respect. You should feel very proud...I know that I would. Regards, Leah
Yes. I think of the mentors in my 40 yr career many times. Wish there was a way to repay them personally. Unfortunately they are all gone. So to pass on to others is the goal. My boys have both picked up a bit. As engineers Im sure one day they will thank me for the hands on.
Be well,
Steve
steve marshall that is hard work. People really do not realize that a plasterer literally touches the whole inside of a house. Most people these days rip the plaster and lathe down, without realizing someone put that up by hand many years before
Thanks man ! work hard* play hard. Just finished a 21 bag small two room last week. Baxk to woodworking!
@@enginemodify right! thought that alot over the years, i have always lives in 100 year old building my whole life. If i ev- and plaster walls.
I’ve plastered since ‘82. I’m so very impressed with your teaching style. Great work!
You are an extremely patient person. I am just trying to imagine what it was like to build an entire house out of lath and plaster. I suddenly appreciate the invention of drywall.
🙂
Leah, you are an amazing teacher. In my opinion, no one explains anything better than you do. Your videos are wonderfully thorough and helpful. You have given me the confidence to do many home projects I would otherwise be intimidated by. Thank you!
Wow. what a fantastic informative video. I have purchased and am restoring a 108 year old house and I feel confident now to get started with fixing the damaged plaster and lath. I was afaid of the lime process but you made it look so easy. thank you so much
Love this lady. She’s so smart, she KNOWS what she’s doing in every one of her videos!
I've been watching your videos for at least 10 years, is it 15 even?
I've worked as a renovation carpenter for more than 20 years and grew up building and renovating houses.
I just love your videos. You're an amazing role model for us all. You have all these traditional skills you're passing on, its an invaluable service.
I'm on my 4th new to me old house built around 1850 and all the plaster has failed on the upper floor. I've repaired plenty of smaller areas of plaster on jobs, but am seriously considering replastering rather than drywall. I think the lime preserves the wood better and resists mold growth, both excellent qualities in an old house. I need some good recipes for the scratch, brown and finish coats and they're hard to find! Doesn't help that every locale had their own unique recipe and horse hair isn't easy to source these days.
Aloha Leah. This is one of the most educational videos I have seen on plaster. Thanks for posting it and demonstrating the procedures and materials behind the trade. You do a great job in explaining things in lay terms. It is many years later since you made this video, but it is modern in that every now and then professional painters run into plastered walls which no one seems to know how to fix. Thanks again.
Leah, you are always a joy to watch and listen to and it's great to observe a skilling professional at work. I loved your other plastering a wall video too. I do a pretty good plastering job now on small walls and ceilings and much of this learning is down to you. Thank you Leah, you are one of a kind and I'm sure children would love you too.
thank you, Ian, that is very kind of you!
8 year old video but it's sooooo good. Thorough and the best I've found by far. Thank you, Leah! You're a great teacher!
I have also demo'd plaster and lathe (and plaster and wire mesh) which showed me how much stronger the plaster is with something like horsehair added. Much stronger. Elsewhere it was suggested that hemp fiber works and is more readily available.
You would've made a good teacher of children - you have a very good demeanour for instruction
Thanks Spencer for the compliment. I did teach, as a building trades instructor.
Yes very detailed patiently soft spoken.. even for children with ADD like myself
She's a natural
Very good video. I'm serious you are going to save me and my wife so much money and headaches lol. I swear we had a good run around with a few contractors, but the way you spoke and got right to the point and a language that I can understand, we really appreciate it. Thank you and God Bless.
Sending my daughter to your channel.... so she'll be able to take care of her grandmother's house, that she inherited. I won't live forever... There are plenty of things I learned over the years, from my Dad..including home repair. Plaster was one of those things we never did. Found this video, while researching how to do plaster ceilings.... Thank You !... Now, I have a father/daughter home repair project to do, with her...in the house she inherited from my Mom. God bless you, Leah...really appreciate your videos...and especially your talent for explaining and demostrating. Anyone, can do this...the way you explain it. By the way....you just saved us hundreds, if not..thousands, of dollars. I was seriously considering replacing the whole ceiling with sheetrock... not anymore. Going to repair it, as how the house was originally built (late 1800's).
Leah, you have no idea how much this video has helped me in rehabbing an old home that was empty for years with plaster walls. When I bring other contractors in to do other work, they are amazed at the patchwork I’ve done. It’s all because of this video! Thank you sooooo much. I’ve saved thousands doing it myself. And it turns out that I’m pretty good at it!
One question for you... how do you find the studs in plaster walls? We’ll be remodeling the kitchen soon and finding studs in plaster walls is a real challenge for me. Thank you for all you do and teaching us women that we can do it, too!
Hi Tula, I'm so happy to hear from you and that our videos have been so helpful! As far as finding the studs, you basically just need a really good studfinder that is sensitive through the plaster.
It's delightful finding you and your marvelous tutorials. Thank you for sharing this treasure. I'm beginning restoration on a house built in the 1850's so it's a real help to have these videos to guide me.
I really appreciate this great video. I own a small condo unit in a building from 1924, and I am renovating it. I want to retain the integrity of this old building. After watching this video, I have decided to plaster the walls again instead of drywalling it. I have already removed the old plaster, and only the lathe remains. Thank you so much for showing how to plaster. I will follow your instructions closely. ❤
How did it turn out?
Where did you get the lime from?
Nothing more important than full keys. This old school craftsman gives you two-thumbs up.
I have my own small 1935 house, and I have never worked on any project in my life. Your videos and the way you present projects make it seem possible for a 59 year old woose of a woman to actually do some of these on her own. You are an inspiration and my favorite go to woman to learn from. Thank you.
Great job Leah, I have worked in construction for many years and this is the first time I ever saw plastering done.
It's a dieing trade
Leah, thank you for a wonderfully produced video. It is so professional, it's better than watching "This Old House!" I started with the video to repair a burst pipe, and just kept watching a succession of videos because you are SO GOOD. I don't even have any plaster in my home, so this skill won't help me at all. However, we had plaster in the house my parents built in 1963, and the man who built the house was old school - did EVERYthing: framing, lathe & plaster, plumbing, painting, laid a flat roof, all except electrical, and we never had a crack in the plaster. However, it was finished with a sand coat either on the plaster or in the paint, and I got more than one scraped body part from rubbing up against it. But as anyone who may have visited Pompeii knows, it is a finish that can last! Thanks again for the entertainment. I'm going to see if you have any videos on tiling a bathroom wall and floor.
Thank you for the excellent video! There are very few trades professionals who are as adept at you are at instruction, though they may have great skill to offer. You made the process simple without losing any of the intricacies in the process. Originally from South Africa, and once a mason by trade, i am very familiar with plastering, however not on wood lath. Scouring the internet for advice, your video has given me the information needed to tackle my renovation with confidence in my 1928 house (no, I don’t want to drywall it!). Thank you!
really good job Leah, From a retired journeyman plasterer
I know I'm late to this party, but I have got to tell you that you've got a GREAT video here. I don't even think I'm going to end up plastering after all, but now I just want to watch all your videos because your teaching style is excellent.
+NotoriousSEG1 Thank you! I appreciate the compliment. :)
Thank You, I am a Scenic Carpenter who get's to tackle real problems and you are, by far, the best craftsman who solves my technical issues. I am a Fan. Rock On.
You're awesome, I'm a career electrician been doing it my entire life, now in my forties, I have learned many minor carpentry skills well working in the electrical trade, as sometimes my trade has to get involved in these matters, after watching your videos for the last couple weeks I have learned so much more in the carpentry field than I knew before I have actually tested out your knowledge on Carpenters that were pretty skilled that I've been working with, and I was surprised to find that most of the Carpenters I have been working with which do a pretty good job I must say did not even know some of the tricks and things that you are teaching on the shows. For instance your speed square, on one of your episodes you taught me all the different cuts and techniques to using a speed square. all of the tricks for angles and everything else I tested out on a few carpenter's on the job, not a Helper but the actual lead Carpenter and found that he only knew a couple of the things of the speed square, and you had taught a couple more that they did not even know, needless to say an electrician telling them these tricks shocked them. I had to point them to your videos so that they may learn more in there trade. You have a definite value here in your videos. you are a great teacher, easy to understand and you can communicate very well. this sadly is becoming a rare thing in the trades, same thing in is happening in my trade, many of the apprentices and mechanics coming up in the electrical trade do not absorb as much as some of us older ones did and also end up with a close-minded stance and don't really feel there is much more they can learn after a certain point, I am always about learning and trying new things this is probably why I have excelled in the electrical field Way Beyond most, as I can see this is also in you. you definitely have learned a lot in your career then most. I would love to work alongside you on projects, I'm sure this is not going to be an option. but it is great to have you there for me to learn from. And I am now recommending you to every Carpenter I meet hahaha.
thank you for taking the time to comment.
Leah, you are amazing!
I've enjoyed a lot of your videos, although I usually only learn a little tidbit of new info from them. But *this* video - man. Nobody is showing how to do real plaster work in the US. This isn't the best camera work, but such, such good information. Thank you!
best video I've viewed on the subject. I love how you explain each step thoroughly and also explain why you do a certain thing a certain way.
thank you very much!
Thank you Leah, your my favourite tutor in DIY. It is definitely college level education.
Leah, You are a great instructor. You laid out the steps in a logical manner with great explanations. It is great to see a pro at work, especially with this disappearing art. In many parts of the country, it is impossible to find or afford to have this done.
It is a dying trade, and it is difficult to find a plasterer, and can be very expensive as well.
I wanna do my kitchen now! I love the texture!
Thank you for making this video. We are restoring our 1920s craftsman home and this is the ticket ! Your a true artisan. 👋👋👋
I have absolutely no reason to watch this, but I still watched the whole thing because it was mesmerizing.
Leah, thank you so much for being one of original OGs. Your wisdom will live on in all the newbies like me.
Thank you Leah, getting ready to patch up many spots in my 100 year old house. This was really helpful!
Leah I want to say that you are my new hero or should I say shero!!! I've been doing remodeling work for pert near 20 years. This year will make 20. I did a plaster job one time in my career about 10 years ago. It's still there (It was a couple walls not a ceiling) I mixed plaster and joint compound together. It took me about three days to get it right. You taught me in this video more than I ever known. I will not forget what I have learned.I live here in the mountains of western North Carolina where it can be humid but mostly hot in the summer
Nice to hear from you Wade.
The step by step, detailed process and the reasons WHY are so helpful! Thank you.
She did an most excellent and professional job and is also a good teacher.. Thank you.
Wow, great video! I’ve been looking for this type of instruction everywhere but this is the best I have found. I really appreciate the thorough explanations. Thank you!
Leah! Wonderful! i have a hundred-plus year old house in my care with plaster walls, mostly still great shape but many areas patched various ways. one upstairs small room the plaster entirely ripped out back to laths and for why? About 10 yrs ago in one closet ceiling, a hole back to the laths i tried to mimic the original sand coat without instruction, that patch still looks great! But now, more visible and challenging areas present themselves and i feel less happy with using durabond 90 and more motivated to try the traditional materials. Seeing you do this gives me courage! One time a tiler working in a bathroom where i was painting gave me some encouragement to attempt laying a granite floor on the outside front porch of this house. he said 'you can do this' and he was right!
ThankYou Leah, for your can-do attitude and your thoughtfulness to tutor this particular problem which can seem so impossible.
Dean Antilla Hi Dean, I love those older homes, and I can tell you do too! That said, I'm glad that my plastering video was helpful to you, and yes, you CAN do it! Regards, Leah
finally someone who can explain plaster repairs without over-complicating it, and without using too many bs product terms that make no sense. I was starting to think all sheetrock and plaster contractors were either mentally challenged, or had emotional/psychological issues. this lady is GREAT !! a no-nonsense, fact-only approach. any idiot can complicate something, it takes a genius to explain and simplify it. and this lady is a genius !! THANKS
thank you very much, that's very kind of you to say!
we have tons of old homes here in the northeast, with plaster walls, and the flippers and realtors tear the walls out, to be el cheapo sheetrock in its place. in 5 years all the tape and seams are showing and it looks lousy. fixing the old plaster would look way better. a lot of times they tear a whole wall out when it's only minor settling cracks on a 130 year old home. what you are doing is awesome - thanks again !!
@@tunnelportterror you are correct, there are a lot of insecure people who bolster their egos to fill said void in the field. She's a unicorn! Glad you posted Leia!
@@tunnelportterrorI’m lime plastering my kitchen and dining room after taking one class. It’s getting less intimidating the more I do. I love plaster. Drywall is soulless
Brings back memories of mixing and carrying for my dad...Thanks.
Your videos are absolutely phenomenal! Thank you for taking the time and effort to make them. I search through so many and none are as straight forward and as informative as yours! Bravo!!
Fantastic video! As a drywall finisher, I run into a lot of plaster repairs, this was very informative. Thank you for making it.
Leah - followed plastering advice for a large patch on dining room ceiling. The lime is so key to a smooth finish (not perfect for my first time but better than I ever expected). Thank you very much for your invaluable professional advice!
+Rich Homenick Rich, that is awesome, I'm glad everything worked out with your ceiling! :)
Where did you buy the lime putty from??
About to finish your video Miss Lea! This is amazing you are a great teacher i felt like you would really be helpful in real life no pressure! Thanks for this. I’m going to make my own ballet studio and want to make it nice, i am going to make a small one in my yard and it will be super cool
You've mayb saved me! I have a 1890's farmhouse with sandstone basement. At some time (no idea when!) the sandstone was covered with something that looks like plaster. It is crumbling off after many years, and this winter i want to repair it. I've tried to research things like whitewash, but I think this structo-lite is what I need. What is on there now is granular, so I'm going to try this!
I listen to a lot of DIY video’s and I have to tell you that In love the way you explain things. Great Job!
Best explanation I have come across in all the research I have done for the past one month
After watching this over & over again, I think I'm ready to try it. Thanks Leah.
Great Video. I enjoyed it very much. It makes me appreciate how hard people worked in the old days plastering. It took skill and patience.
Wow!.......what an excellent instructional and highly informative video. This lady really knows her craft. Now lets see if I can do it! Greetings from London England, UK.
an instructional video that includes all of the steps, tool names, tool tips , close ups of whats going on and all of the other in depth things that give someone the best shot at getting it right.
excellent teaching job!! better than anything else i have found on the topic.. my search is over
+tellingitlikeiseeit thank you so much for your comments! We really do hope that our videos will give people the best chance at success!
I absolutely agree with you! Leah is so thorough at sharing her vast knowledge. Thank you Leah.
You're amazing!! I'm hoping to repair my walls in my old house this way, and after seeing this I'm inspired.
Hay I gotta say I'm impressed I've been in home remodeling for 35 years an she's got this on lock like a true boss im impressed with people like my self that we are the last of the old school true craftsmanship men an women who. We are gone thats it people will be great full foe you tube when us old timers are gone
This is the best plastering video I’ve seen. This woman is dope.
Leah: you are my absolute fave. You are a fabulous teacher. If you are ever in the uk, come over for a cup of tea and some cake.
This is one of my favorite videos of your work. Thank you for what you do.
This was a very informative video. I've gained such knowledge. Now I feel ready to tackle some DIY wall work in this 1910 home.
I restored my 1886 Colonial watching these videos!
Hi great job, i worked at that for 40 years we always had our head about 3-6 inches from ceiling, reaching tires you out in no time, your great.
i agree raising your also lifts your overalls and everything you have in the pockets
Thank you so much. Just like my Dad said. Just clean the lathe and have it damp when you plaster. I did a perfect repair twenty years ago and now ready to do some more.
Bravo🤗👍you are very, very thorough!!!! A GREAT instructor!!! Very easy to listen to and learn from!!!! Thank you for sharing your gift with us!!!!
Lady, you freaking rock. This is the best video on plastering I've seen. I recently purchased an old home and need to repair a small hole. I feel confident I can do it now.
+Janice Woods Thanks, Janice. Congrats on your new home, and good luck with your project!
lea rocks 😊 , she is on point and a good teacher .
Thank you so much for the info! I always wanted to know how this was done but thought this trade was dead now. I love old buildings and now can have an idea how to fix these beautiful old buildings.
Jane, you have help my skill grow ten fold. I specialize in knob and tube remediation and now I also can patch all the holes I make, thank you.
you're very welcome, Donald, glad to be of help!
Gonna repeat all the sentiments already in the comments, very instructional video, I live in the pacific northwest and it's pretty rare to find real plaster walls/ceilings around here. Personally I love it, given the choice I'd go plaster before drywall even in new construction, awesome work!
Hi Aaron, thanks for your comments, I too prefer plaster!
You are an outstanding teacher. Thank you for the great content.
This channel is brilliant - how can people dislike this video ?
thank you, thank you! This was exactly what I need to do and you showed how to do! I am so happy to find this today! I am a subscriber and but did not think to search for plastering a ceiling until today. You are a god send! Thank you!
Fantastic! Best of luck with your project!
Very good because the verbal instructions and the demonstrations are very clear and complete!
Thank you for posting this. I thought about replacing the failing plaster -- mostly caused by the house having settled some in decades past -- with period bead board. After watching your video however, I feel confident enough with my existing skill sets to take this on as well.
Chris Potempa That's great, thanks, Chis. I'm glad the video was helpful to you!
Everyone loves Lea ❤️!!! Thank you for being an awesome teacher 💐
Good detailing & demonstration.
I m Civil Consultant Engineer. My self invented some plastering (old type & nature friendly) with traditional bonding agent thus minimizing the Portland cement content.
Wow all those years of sanding when I could have used water! Great vid.
You’re the fkn best! No matter what I need, a video always goes back to you. Thank you so much!
I have an older friend who is a decrotive brick Mason who built his house with beautiful rock and brick work through out. all his interior walls like bed and bathrooms are this type of plaster. But what's amazing to me is the crown molding is also solid plaster. It's like 10 inch wide crown moulding that he said they had a metal gauge block that they drug around the room making the shape but some how hand aplied the plaster and it held in place . I've searched for anyone who has done this kind of finish plaster work but most drywall folks thinks I'm lying. I don't know any true plaster people anymore. Personally true plaster is a mark of pride in a custom home. Drywall is like a quick fix and get to the next job plus true plaster is much quieter than drywall.
You can still find union plasterers.
Thumbs up. Great tutorial. I have an old house and this helps tremendously
I imagine that being a woman in the trades 20 years ago might have been very difficult. I give you a lot of respect for sticking to it. A lot of people wouldn't have had the grit.
Absolutely love the video! I have always been a rip it down and drywall guy.....ALWAYS! But now you have inspired me to take a lost trade. And boy do i mean lost! I live in the midwest and it is easier to find a moon rock than gauging plaster. Menards can get it, but you have to order a whole lot, 50 bags, i have literally checked with every single building supply-home store within 100 miles and most have never even heard of guaging plaster let alone carry it. I can order bags online but the shipping is just as much as the bags. Any suggestions?
You can use type s- mortar mix...but Jane is correct in using structolite- it is lighter, and easier to apply than cement. I live in new england some of the oldest buildings around!
Her lime and guaging plaster finish is going to be hard for you to locate; although it is one of the best materials for finishing over Structolite base coat. Here in California, plasterers use a gypsum based finishing product called California One Coat. It bonds well to the Structolite and is friendly for water trowled finishes. If you cannot find anything similar at your professional building supply yard, you will need to use a setting type joint compound. These will take a set to allow for water troweling, They come in 5, 20 ,40, & 90 minute setting, (hardening), options. I'd recommend you add some concrete glue to the mix to insure it will bond to the Structolite base coat. Add enough white glue to make your mixing water look like milk. Good luck!
Thank you for your informative video, you are an excellent instructor. Your video empower me to repair things around my house. I always have courage to fix things but now I also have knowledge to boost it. Thanks again.
+Jessica Ling You're very welcome, Jessica, and thanks for your comments!!
Seriously, I can’t thank or love you enough for this video!!!!!
I've been watching your channel for years, you're a great teacher. Thanks so much for this video
I just wanted to say thank you very much for such a well done and informative video. I'm going to start a repair on my 1920s house with plaster ceilings and after this video, I went from more on the "what am I thinking?" To the "I can probably do this." side.
+Mitch Green You're very welcome, Mitch, and I'm glad the video will be of help to you! :)
Awesome! I knew there was something other than Big Wallies system out there! Thanks for the excellent instruction!
you're welcome, Levi, glad it was helpful!
I always enjoy your video. Learned a lot and I’m ready to repair the wall in our closet now. Thank you
BRAVO! Lady, you have had some really good training and you are an excellent instructor. Yours is the ONLY video on youtube that shows the "by the book" correct Plastering information and technique. Further more you provided the reasoning behind the various steps. P.S. I'd like to share with you that using a pneumatic stapler with 1 inch crown staples works great to secure loose lath.
588158 Thanks for the compliment! And thanks for sharing your personal experience with the pneumatic stapler. :)
⚘😀 You're awesome! Great details and now I am looking forward to fixing my ceiling myself. Cheers 🙂🥂 from Niagara Falls, CANADA 🇨🇦
I haven’t seen new videos from you I hope you’re still making vids.
I’m enjoying this one. I don’t ever have to do plaster repairs because the area I live in is mostly homes from the 70’s to current but I’m sure I’ll come across one of these repairs one day
and I’ll need to have an idea on what to do 😀
I learn a lot from your videos, love how u explain everything in detail, I think your amazing keep them coming . 👌🥰
Thanks Barbara
Thanks!
Wow. I didn't know it took that many steps. You are good. Your voice sort of rocked me to sleep though. Lol. Nice work.
Thanks for the video, Leah. The details of your instruction and the end result give me confidence that you know what you're doing.
Fantastic Leah! I have patched a lot of plaster & lathe ceilings and walls but never water troweled. Brute force yes. Water trowel no. Thank you!
you're welcome, glad it was helpful!
Great video, Leah! You are amazing!
I Can Do This, thanks to Leah! (& a whole lotta muscle!! lolz) Thank You, Leah-You're a Treasure!!!
Here's a real woman, I love her!
:)
Always love your videos, can tell you have been around by the way you load your hawk. Great job . Looking for a miter gauge you showed a couple of years ago. Where can I find one?
I really enjoyed this video Leah! Excellent work and very informative.
thats art right there leah. and a dieing trade. my dad and i have an old school plaster man that can do it but hes semi retired, most of the time ill throw up some 3/8 sheet rock, or 1/4 with some shims and tape and mud it in with compound. but after watching this i might just try doing it like this. worst case i have to cut it out and do it again haha
yeah, Joe, you should give it a try, absolutely!