Bricks, concrete blocks, and timber frames are used to construct most properties. While natural stone may have been utilised in the construction of older homes, the type of construction on a property is decided by whether the walls are internal or external, and whether they’re intended to be supporting walls or non-load-bearing.
Depending on where the cracks and holes are located, as well as the material they’re made of, you’ll have to repair them in one of three ways. Here’s a guide from ADA Fastfix on repairing these indicators of damage properly.
Is It External or Internal?
The load-bearing walls of a home, such as the floors and roofing, support the weight of the rest of the property. As a result, they’re usually constructed from stronger and more durable materials. In pre-1920s homes, thick, solid external walls made of stone or brick are typical. These walls are frequently at least 225mm thick, whereas modern houses are constructed from concrete blocks.
The terms “party wall” and “partition wall” are used interchangeably to refer to walls that separate one property from another. Party walls, such as those found in a semi-detached house or terraced home, divide the area of floor space into individual rooms. Internal walls can be constructed from stone, brick, or concrete blocks, as well as plasterboard, fixed to timber or metal frames. Despite the fact that they aren’t always load-bearing, internal walls aren’t necessarily non-load bearing; so double-check first.
Repairing Plasterboard
If there are any holes or cracks in the plasterboard, you may usually fix them quickly. However, if the hole is larger than 125mm, you’ll almost certainly need to install a plasterboard patch into the gap to provide the filler something to stick to. Larger cracks may require more than one layer of filler rather than a single thicker layer to fully cure so that it thoroughly dries.
There are several types of filler for this task, including fast-drying fillers that will set in about 20 minutes, interior general-purpose fillers with an ultra-smooth finish, and fine-surface fillers with a smooth finish.
Fill a filling knife with some of the filler and draw it at a right angle across the hole, pressing it in firmly so that the filler comes over the surface just slightly. After it’s completely dry, you may use a sanding block or sandpaper to smooth it down.
Patching Corners
Corners are particularly susceptible to wear and tear, thus you’re likely to need to fix a corner at some time in order to keep the appearance of your house. You may either repair a corner of a wall’s damage with undercoat plaster, or you may use metal or plastic corner beading to reinforce the area.
A sheet of plexiglass might also be purchased for a few dollars at a hardware store or Lowes. Alternatively, this plastic sheeting is created to integrate with the wall and may simply be cut to length and attached using a plaster undercoat, smoothing the surface of the plaster into place with a trowel. After drying, apply a metal primer over the corner before decorating to prevent rust from showing later.
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