Batten and plaster work is a way to finish the internal surfaces of a home and was very common until the introduction of plasterboard (gypsum in the US) in the 1950s.
This internal finishing method consists of thin strips of wood, called slats that were sawn or split (split along the grain), which are nailed crosswise into the wood frame of the house about 1/4 “apart. or 6mm Batten was then covered with a plaster, usually a two-layer lime mortar mix, and leveled.
Many lath and plaster walls and ceilings lasted over a hundred years before requiring separate repairs for normal decoration, some lath and plaster ceilings have been in place for several hundred years, especially in the UK.
A crucial element of this construction is the 6mm gap between the slats as this provides a ‘key’ for the plaster as you push and protrude slightly from the back of the slat. This fundamental key to plasterwork is also the source of most plasterwork failures; as keys gradually break due to normal movement of houses over extended periods of time.
Once a significant amount of the plaster keys have been dislodged, the plaster begins to crack and can separate from the slats, falling or sinking.
There are many ways to repair sagging slats and plasterwork, but due to financial reasons, they are often removed and replaced with modern materials such as plasterboard (sheetrock). This method allows at least to use a much better insulation material, which saves energy and heating costs in the future life of the house.
My Top Ten Ways to Repair Slats and Plasters
This is a short rundown of all the ways you can repair batten and plaster in your home, depending on what look you want to achieve, how much time you want to spend on it, and of course your budget.
- Re-decorate as is. Vacuum to remove dust (wash if necessary) and then redecorate with suitable water-based paint. It is not a good repair if the plaster has passed the cracking stage, that is, it has sunk a lot. It depends on the original state of the plasterwork.
- cost: Very cheap and fast.
- Pros: Vintage charm galore. Ideal for very old country houses that do not have a straight edge or surface. It shows imperfections.
- Cons: Potentially dangerous and possibly very short-term solution for damaged plasterwork. It is not a “flat” finish. It shows imperfections!
- Fill in cracks and blemishes. Remove all cracks and vacuum loose material. Fill in cracks and small imperfections with decorator’s putty using a properly sized scraper or drywall spreader. Lightly sand the putty and vacuum up all the dust. Wash if necessary and decorate again.
- cost: Economic repair.
- Pros: Retains the sensation of the period. At first it looks good. Quick and easy repair.
- Cons: It can last only a few years depending on the original state of the plasterwork.
- Use thick liner paper. Scrape and fill cracks as # 2. Glue a thick layer of decorative liner paper to the plasterwork. Renovate.
- cost: Reasonably inexpensive repair.
- Pros: Retains the sensation of the period. You could earn many more years with reasonable plasterwork.
- Cons: Relatively difficult on uneven surfaces. It won’t stop more cracks over time if the surface is still moving.
- Glue fallen plasterwork in place. The cast can be ‘glued’ in place by making holes in the cast, vacuuming up the dust and injecting a suitable adhesive. The plasterwork is then gently pushed back into place and held until the adhesive dries.
- Cost: Medium to high cost, depending on the time and condition of the plasterwork.
- Pros: Medium-term effectiveness. Keep your period feeling.
- Cons: It is arguably a specialized job and may be too difficult for effective DIY repair.
- Expose the rafters. Completely remove batten and plaster, remove nails, and clean. Wire brush all plaster marks from joists. Re-route any wiring, if necessary, and repair any damage, holes in the wood, etc. Clean and vacuum all surfaces. Leave as is or decorate with varnish, wood stain, or paint. It is usually only used on ceilings.
- Cost: From economic to medium depending on the conditions of the wood.
- Pros: All old plasterwork is removed and finished with newly decorated surfaces.
- Cons: Different look and feel, possibly only suited to certain properties and owners. Difficult electrical wiring and limited choice of luminaires.
- To the water with plasterboard or plaster. Find the frame or ceiling joists, mark their position on the wall and then overboard with sheetrock / plasterboard using long (60mm to 75mm) drywall screws on the original wood frame. Board joints are taped and filled if tapered edge drywall is used or skimmed with finishing plaster if square edge board is used. One of the most common methods of ‘repairing’ slats and plasterwork.
- Cost: Medium to high.
- Pros: Effectively, a new surface is created from plasterboard / plaster.
- Cons: Possible problems adding weight or extra tiers if there is a ledge. Lose that period feeling.
This is not strictly a slat and plaster repair as it removes it! But I include it, as this is a VERY common solution for slat and plaster ceilings that have failed and warped.
- Remove the plaster and batten completely.Replace with drywall / plasterboard. Mark the positions of all joists and joists, and then attach the 12.5mm drywall to the bottom of the original joists with 38mm drywall screws. Board joints are taped and filled if tapered edge boards are used, or skimmed with finishing plaster if square edged boards are used.
- Cost: High. The removal of old material, new board and finish makes this one of the more expensive options.
- Pros: Gypsum / plaster boards are stable and very flat. A permanent repair.
- Cons: You lose the feeling of your period.
- Re plastered preserving the original slats. Remove the existing plaster completely and if the trellis is in good condition, reapply the plaster in three coats, two base coats and a thin top coat.
- Cost: High, due to the special skills and materials required.
- Pros: Good like-new finish, which also matches the work of the surrounding era. Long-term repair.
- Cons: Arguably not a DIY proposition due to the work that involves lime plasterwork.
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Patrimonial quality. Fully support plasterwork from below on blanket-covered wood on struts or stages. Working from above, carefully remove all loose debris, old keys or bits, and dust. Employ one of the various systems available, for example, attaching a wire mesh to the inside edges of the joists just above the plaster and then applying adhesive to the plaster embedding it into the mesh.
- Cost: Expensive due to the extreme care required and the work involved.
- Pros: It preserves all the original characteristics of the time. It is generally only used in plasterwork of significant historical interest.
- Cons: It is arguably not a DIY proposition due to the care required to preserve the original features without damaging them.
- Buy a new home. Sorry I couldn’t find nineteen ways to repair your cleat and the plaster just didn’t sound right. Any ideas for the number ten are welcome …
- Cost: Horribly expensive, moving companies, real estate agents, lawyers, etc.
- Pros: No slats or plaster to repair.
- Cons: Everything is very, very flat, smooth, and possibly … boring.
The above list is roughly in order of cost to perform.although some aspects are moving towards specialized crafts where costs could increase. One could argue that the two most common solutions are to either overboard the ceiling or remove it entirely and replace it with sheetrock or sheetrock.
It should be noted that the complete removal A slatted and plaster ceiling involves a significant amount of clutter, notably large amounts of dust and debris that take a lot of time and effort to contain and clean.
Proper safety equipment should be used when working on old slats and plasters.