Hey everyone! I'm remodeling my kitchen in an early 1800s New England home, and I need some advice. After removing the old backsplash, the plaster behind it got pretty damaged, but the lath is still in good condition. I'm planning to hang drywall right over the lath instead of redoing the plaster. Luckily, I won't have any seams showing because the wall cabinets will cover one side and the base cabinets will cover the other. However, I'd like to make sure the seams look nice and aren't a crumbling mess. I plan to use the standard drywall method with mud and tape, but I'm curious if I should use any special bonding materials or types of mud. This is my first time doing something like this, so I'd appreciate any tips you might have! Thanks!
2 Answers
To get a clean seam, try to use factory edges on the drywall for those tapered ends, but keep in mind that taping can be tricky if you're new to it. It’s not always necessary on every joint, but watch out for wider joints as they might crack! Also, I prefer the metal paper-backed corners over mesh tape. A good palm sander can save you time, but make sure to mask off areas to prevent mess. Oh, and fans can help speed up the drying of the mud. For mud, I like using the heavy green bucket kind—lighter muds can bubble and be a pain!
It's great that you're working with 1/2" drywall over lath, that should work well! If you're worried about the plaster's stability, consider using plaster washers to secure everything. Just be sure to trim the edges so you don’t end up with more than a 1/2" gap between the plaster and drywall. When it comes to taping, I suggest wetting the plaster edge and then using Durabond 90 with paper tape—it holds up well, just be careful not to overfill or sanding will be a nightmare! Also, small lumps in the wall can be problematic when you're hanging cabinets, so keep that in mind.
Sounds like a plan! I’m leaning towards using Durabond for the taping. Do you think I can use it to cover the screws too? I’m learning there are so many types of mud out there!
Thanks for the tips! I'm keeping it simple with one large piece of drywall for that area, so I appreciate the advice on narrow joints and ensuring solid backing. Thanks again!