More than 50% of homeowners renovated their homes in 2021.
If you’re doing home renovations, it’s important that you get things right. There are plenty of things that you might be unsure of, so you should do your research before you get started. This will stop you from making mistakes that could be very costly to fix.
One thing you might be asking is “Can you plaster over wood?”.
In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know.
Can You Plaster Over Wood?
The first thing you need to know is that the answer here isn’t so simple. While it’s possible to plaster over wood, you can’t plaster directly onto a wooden surface.
Plaster needs a primer and a surface with a texture to adhere properly. Wood is also porous, and you can’t plaster over porous materials. Before plastering onto wood, you need to prepare it first.
How to Plaster Over Wood
To properly plaster wood, you need to prime it first. Applying a layer of PVA will create a sticky surface that the plaster can adhere to. If you fail to do this, the plaster would end up disconnecting from the wood, ultimately causing your wall to fall down.
Properly plastering a wall is very difficult for someone that isn’t experienced, so it’s best to hire a professional plasterer. They’ll typically use EML (expanded metal lathing) to plaster walls with wood beneath.
Applying EML
Lath and plaster work well together, but the EML needs to be applied correctly to get good results. You first need to fasten it securely with screws, nails, or staples. Make sure it overlaps so that there aren’t any gaps as these can cause cracks in your plaster.
Stainless steel or galvanised EML are better suited for external work. If the wood you’re plastering is paper-faced, you should remove the paper. If possible, removing the wood itself and replacing it with something more suitable can be a better solution.
Other Methods
A more ‘budget’ method that some people use is to rough up the surface of the wood and plaster over it. People may use an axe or another type of blade, or even with sandpaper. This generally isn’t recommended, however, as it can damage the wood and will produce worse results.
Another method is to use a plaster key which can provide a better surface than wood, but again, this may not be as effective as using EML.
Can You Plaster Over Plywood?
If you have a plywood surface, you can generally treat it similarly to wood. You need to apply a primer first. Plywood, however, doesn’t need EML.
Paint often works as a primer which may make things easier, but this isn’t the case for gloss paint. If you have a surface with gloss paint, you can sand it down and reapply the primer so that it’s suitable for plastering.
Plastering Over Wood
So you no longer need to ask “Can you plaster over wood?”, but should you? It’s no small task, so it should only be done by someone with the right skills and experience. A professional will be able to ensure everything is done correctly.
If you have a wall that you want to smooth without plastering, check out this guide for a rundown of how it’s done.