Hole In Plaster and Lath Wall

[Tcanuth]

Hello all,

i stumbled across this forum and i am very impressed with the information i have already found except i still havent found the exact answer i am looking for.

I am a first time homeowner and just bought a house built in the 1920s.

It is a plaster and lath wall construction that the prior homeowner had skimcoated to even out.

My girlfreind was attempting to hang a mirror with an anchor, and after putting it in crooked, she tried to back it out and all the plaster surrounding the screw and anchor came out with it.

There is currently a 1/2 diameter hole as well as some other 1/4 inch holes on a few walls and i was trying to find the best way to fill them.

So far ive seen the following options listed as possible solutions:

plaster of paris
hot mud
drywall mud
replacing the small area with drywall

since there is an array of options, im not quite sure which is the best solution for this small project.

Also, as a side question, after this repair is made, whats the best way to hang larger items and mirrors weighing atleast 10+ lbs without causing damage or cracking to my walls?

Thanks in advance and i guarantee i will be visiting this site with any questions i have on my new house

[pushkins]

Use drywall mud, if the hole isn't too big simply use a spatula and apply the mud, allow it to dry then reapply (cause the first coat will shrink) sand and paint.
If the hole is closer to 1/2" then apply a liberal amount of drywall mud over the entire area, cut a small piece of drywall tape and push (with a spatula) it into the mud. Carefully drag the spatula across the mud/tape and smooth out the area, basically what you want to do is remove most of the mud but leave a thin film under the tape to hold it to the wall, you might have to hold with your finger one end of the tape to stop it dragging away. After it has dried apply another coat this time what your trying to do is taper out the mud over a larger area to cover the tape.

[Tcanuth]

i will give that a shot then. I figured dry wall mud would be the simplest option but wasnt too sure.

will let you know how it works out in a few days when i get the materials and give it a shot!

[HayZee518]

the original wall surface, plaster, consists of a base coat with entrained horse hair as a binder. this stuff is pushed into the lath with a trowel so it "keys" itself between the slats when it dries. then a finish skim coat is applied which is the finish wall surface. small holes is repaired best with spackle. larger holes you can use plaster of paris, but this stuff dries hard and fast. Mud is a good skim coat.