Sandy repairs

[cornflake]

Originally Posted by msjprincess

What do you mean there is no wood? Are you saying there is no wood lath behind the plaster?

I don't know what's in the OP's walls, though there may not be wood lath, no. A lot of times it's chickenwire instead of wood, especially with a brick exterior.

The poster I was responding to had been talking about studs, I was presuming that's the wood s/he was referencing. The poster doesn't seem to have experience with plaster walls.

[doxdogy]

It depends on the age of her home. It is possible that the plaster was applied directly onto the brick as opposed to wood lath. I think it would be rare to see it over chicken wire. I know down here, chicken wire is usually reserved for the application of stucco exteriors. Then again, I am not an EXPERT. Just someone who's dad taught her home repair and how to generally to work around the house.

[msjprincess]

For the record I understand that it's possible not to have wood lath. I was just confused because I thought cornflake was saying there definitely wasn't any wood behind the plaster.

[badblackpug]

Originally Posted by cornflake

I don't know what's in the OP's walls, though there may not be wood lath, no. A lot of times it's chickenwire instead of wood, especially with a brick exterior.

The poster I was responding to had been talking about studs, I was presuming that's the wood s/he was referencing. The poster doesn't seem to have experience with plaster walls.

Please, there is a subject you don't. Know everything about. There is, indeed, wood lath behind the plaster, and there is, more than likely,blown in insulation behind it. I lived in a turn of the century house and this was exactly what was behind the walls. It wasn't. Horse hair or newspaper, there was no chicken wire. It was wood lath and blown in insulation.

Honestly admit there is something you don't. Know and please don't give advice, and very wrong advice on something you don't know.

There is no way to dry it out. The sections must be removed and repalaced and treated. OP..make sure your contractor is experienced in dealing with mold. You may find a dehumidifier will help with your allergy symptoms until the problem is fixed.

We had a heck of a time finding someone who did plaster. The man that came out and did it was probably old enough to be my grnadfather. We only needed a small section fixed and didn't. Want to redo the whole room because we were selling the house.

Good luck OP

[katrina1122]

There is some wood behind the plaster as these are interior walls that are affected, not the exterior where the brick is.

I never said there is no wood, I said there is no wallboard/sheetrock and in most places no insulation due to the 110 year old age of the home. If there was insulation it was probably paper/fiber and is likely disintegrated by now. Spray and hang up fiberglass insulation did not exist then.

There are wood studs to create the walls, but this was done prior to the pressure treated wood of today, so it doesn't mold as rapidly as newer homes do. Plus, because of all the air running through the walls due to lack of insulation it takes alot longer for mold to grow. Mildew on the paint is another story. That we have.

If you haven't lived in an old home you probably aren't understanding the situation. Until I moved in I had no idea what plaster walls were either in comprison to today's sheet rock. Our home predates central air/heating, we have no duct work either. Most of the knob and tube wiring still sits in our walls, it's just been rewired and updated to todays standards which is why we do have some sheetrock and/or some insulation. Depending on how much demo they did to a wall to rewire is what is there. These particular walls and ceiling are plaster. We don't know what's behind them, though the contractors will find out today when they do some test drills. If it can be dried properly, the anti mildew agent will do the work. Plaster does dry out unlike sheet rock. This is why we won't need full down to the stud replacement work done. Living in a home like this you learn these things.

[mickeyboat]

Before we renovated our walls were plaster and lathe. We also had blown in insulation. I can only imagine how much colder it would have been if there was no insulation.

The previous owners put wallpaper on the walls, and as much as we would like to have redecorated, it was impossible to get the wallpaper off without destroying the walls, so we had to wait until we tore it all out - what a mess!

OP - sounds like you are on the right track. good luck to you!

[doxdogy]

Originally Posted by msjprincess

For the record I understand that it's possible not to have wood lath. I was just confused because I thought cornflake was saying there definitely wasn't any wood behind the plaster.

I knew you understood there was a possibility there wasn't.

[cornflake]

Originally Posted by badblackpug

Please, there is a subject you don't. Know everything about. There is, indeed, wood lath behind the plaster, and there is, more than likely,blown in insulation behind it. I lived in a turn of the century house and this was exactly what was behind the walls. It wasn't. Horse hair or newspaper, there was no chicken wire. It was wood lath and blown in insulation.

Honestly admit there is something you don't. Know and please don't give advice, and very wrong advice on something you don't know.

There is no way to dry it out. The sections must be removed and repalaced and treated. OP..make sure your contractor is experienced in dealing with mold. You may find a dehumidifier will help with your allergy symptoms until the problem is fixed.

We had a heck of a time finding someone who did plaster. The man that came out and did it was probably old enough to be my grnadfather. We only needed a small section fixed and didn't. Want to redo the whole room because we were selling the house.

Good luck OP

Well, if that's how your house is constructed, then clearly it's how *every* house was constructed.

There's plenty I don't know - if I answer a question, it's generally because I have reason to believe I do know.

[doxdogy]

Originally Posted by cornflake

Well, if that's how your house is constructed, then clearly it's how *every* house was constructed.

There's plenty I don't know - if I answer a question, it's generally because I have reason to believe I do know.

Yet, you seem to know how the OP's house is constructed. Mold and mildew are very trick to get rid of and keep gone. With water damage it is recommended that ALL drywall and/or plaster is removed from the home and replaced. I am SURE that I am older than you and spent countless hours helping my father repair and renovate my childhood home. Yet, I am not an expert, nor will I ever be an expert. Just because one THINKS they know the right answer, doesn't mean it is true.

[cornflake]

Originally Posted by doxdogy

Yet, you seem to know how the OP's house is constructed. Mold and mildew are very trick to get rid of and keep gone. With water damage it is recommended that ALL drywall and/or plaster is removed from the home and replaced. I am SURE that I am older than you and spent countless hours helping my father repair and renovate my childhood home. Yet, I am not an expert, nor will I ever be an expert. Just because one THINKS they know the right answer, doesn't mean it is true.

I know it's a 100-or-so-year-old home with plaster walls in the affected area. That was all I knew when this started. I didn't say I was an expert.

If you go back in the thread, you'll see a number of people saying it cannot dry, the plaster needs to be removed, talking about cutting a piece out and looking at the back of it, and talking flat out if not obliquely about drywall. I said it wasn't drywall or the same as drywall.

The OP had said her ins. company was sending a company out to dry it.

You say it's recommended that all plaster is removed. You think that's the right answer. The OP's ins. company and presumably the company that has giant dryers and fans that they use to dry plaster walls and ceilings disagree.

[badblackpug]

Originally Posted by doxdogy

Yet, you seem to know how the OP's house is constructed. Mold and mildew are very trick to get rid of and keep gone. With water damage it is recommended that ALL drywall and/or plaster is removed from the home and replaced. I am SURE that I am older than you and spent countless hours helping my father repair and renovate my childhood home. Yet, I am not an expert, nor will I ever be an expert. Just because one THINKS they know the right answer, doesn't mean it is true.

Thank you. If the OP already has mold/mildew it is recommended that it be removed. Been there, done that and have the bills to prove it. If it is not properly treated it will grow. It may not be visible, but f the OP ever tries to sell the house it will be a merry h3ll.

In many of the older homes tue insulation was blown in later, which was the case in our house, our bathroom leaked behind the walls. Unfortunately, the wall connected with our master bedroom. Fortunately, we were able to just replace a section because the leak was discovered as it occurred.

OP whatever you do, make sure that the contractor is certified to deal with mold. It is a HUGE deal if you ever want to sell.