Q:We are getting ready to repaint our home office. The walls and ceiling were cracked during the 1989 quake and poorly patched before we moved in. We had the roof redone this summer, and the banging ...

Q. How important is it to repair plaster before repainting? Our ceilings have peeling paint that we’re pretty sure was caused by past water damage. Since the water problem is no longer an issue, can ...

Q Our plaster ceilings are cracked in a couple of places in different rooms of our house. What does that mean, and how do we fix it? AWell, it probably doesn’t mean much. Plaster is brittle, and what ...

Q Am I right that when sections of plaster are broken away from the lath, an accepted repair technique is to fill in those gaps roughly with drywall and then drywall over the whole wall or ceiling? — ...

Dear James: I have an old house with plaster walls and many cracks that need to be repaired. How can I fix these so they stay fixed and are invisible? — Julianne T. Dear Julianne: Many older houses ...

A: It depends on the type and size of the crack. Hairline cracks take only a little patching plaster. Larger cracks require reinforcement with mesh tape. Cracks larger still, where the plaster keys ...

Dear James: We live in an older house and one of the rooms has cracks in the plaster ceiling that keep coming back. We are going to use the room for a home theater. Would a drop tile ceiling be a good ...

There are two kinds of cracks in old lath and plaster walls. Both can be repaired, but one is a much more serious problem. By Ronda Kaysen Q: Our Gramercy co-op was built in 1929. The thick plaster ...

Dear Angie: How important is it to repair plaster before repainting? Our ceilings have peeling paint that we’re pretty sure was caused by past water damage. Since the water problem is no longer an ...

Older houses were constructed with a lot more character than many newer homes. Unfortunately, just like with people, along with aged character come a few cracks and wrinkles. Plaster, even with some ...

Dear James: We just purchased an older house with real plaster walls. There are quite a few cracks that need to be fixed. What is the proper method to repair these so they do not reappear? -- Marie G.