(Minor) Home Repair Question

[overedge]

Hoping I can draw on the collective expertise here....we just had a brace on a stair handrail replaced because the brace was not attached to a stud in the wall, and the handrail would have pulled away from the wall if any serious weight had been suddenly placed on it, like someone falling down the stairs and grabbing the handrail.

Now we have a nice secure handrail, but the handyperson has decided it is not worth his time to come by and fill in the hole where the bracket is fixed to the wall (sigh). It is not a huge hole - probably about 1/8" around the base of the bracket - but we would like to patch it up so it looks nice. It is a lathe-and-plaster wall. Any suggestions for what we should use?

[danceronice]

I would go to Home Depot or Lowes and ask what sort of plaster patching kit they'd suggest for your kind of wall. I've mostly fixed drywall with them, but basically they're a little kit with a knife, plaster, and a patch to repair little holes. Patch it, let it dry, sand it, then paint over it.

[barbk]

We've got both lathe and plaster and drywall, and for small holes I've found the ready-to-use Red Devil spackling just fine for non-structural holes. It comes in a little container about the size of a yogurt cup, and is cheap. If you don't have a spackling knife, an old credit card would work fine to smooth it over.

For bigger jobs, the mason used real plaster, but I'd think that would be overkill for what you're describing. (I think that the technique is also harder because plaster can slump, but I didn't use it myself.)

Good luck!

[Aussie Willy]

You could try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwCPhHezc-o

But otherwise just some ready mixed patching plaster will work.

[myhoneyhoney]

Maybe something like this patch kit?

[Aceon6]

For small holes, I fill with toothpicks, then use spackle. 3 coats usually does a nice job, sanding in between.

[pat c]

Polyfilla, a joint knife (you can buy plastic ones at any hardware store) and that is it. You can use a plastic knife as well, as your patch job doesn't sound too big.

The more coats you put on, the stronger it will be. Sand between coats to rough up so the top coat sticks to the one underneath. And as you have plaster and lath going to a drywall patch, your paint won't quite match. It'll either appear shinier for instance. I don't think there is anything you can do about that.