I have an old house?

For repair of minor cracks, use fiberglass mesh tape then go over with a wide trowel and joint compound. There are also plaster patch compounds available that are excellent.

For larger cracks and holes, you need to remove all the debris and enlarge the crack until you reach solid plaster. Remember that in the case of impact damage, the damaged area can extend 6-12" from the actal hole. Make sure that you clean out the lathe as well. Then, back-cut the hole and fit a piece of drywall into the void. (in our house, we were able to use drywall screws to hold it to the lathe), then use mesh tape over the edges and fill the hole with several thin layers of joint compound or plaster patch.

You also have the option of actually putting down plaster (scratch coat, brown coat, and finish coat) if the hole is large enough. It is a tough skill to learn, and even harder to finish properly (there is a reason that plasterers are so expensive!). Try it in a closet or something first. They make it look so easy on This Old House, but it's really hard to do.

If the walls are simply slighly wavy or oddly textured, you may want to apply a highly textured wallcovering, such as Lincrusta or Anaglypta. The busy pattern and deep texture can hide many imperfections. Another option is to apply canvas or a product called NuWall to crumbling plaster to smooth out the walls for further wallcoverings or paint effects.

A new one is ready to move into with no hard work,time,or money needing spent on it,and you can't paint a new house(well not the walls) for a few months anyway,so all's good. And it's a blank canvas to do what the heck you like to it,when you have the spare cash that is. The only down side I find with the average new houses is that they only usually have smallish bedrooms,they say it's a 3 bedroom house,but they don't tell you the 3rd bedroom will only fit the dog and his bed in it lol. What is it with these designers/builders? BIG bedrooms please,we're not all mice moving in these properties you know! Well maybe an odd one visiting,squeak squeak :-) Not saying there are never any problems with a new house,but from my experience,there's far more with an old one,or can be. I suppose it's all down to personal choice really.

i would first try a normal drywall mud over the plaster. if the plaster is in real bad shape i dont think it will stay there long before the plaster beneath it will let go and fall. the best way i can think of would be to cover the wall completely with 1/4 inch drywall. use a longer screw to get all the way to the studs.

if your going to all this i would check the electric, phone, cable, pc, and insulation inside the wall. it would be a great time to upgrade or repair.

I have the same kind of walls in my house. I have used plaster that you use when sheet rocking to fill cracks. My husband says the only way to really "fix them" is to tear the walls down and sheet rock...so as for big projects that would be what I would do! Good luck...Oh and if you do "patch" them expect them to re-crack as the house settles more!!

that's they way they did things back then. It gives it character.

I had a old house & i used brown bags wallpapered over the holes after i stuffed it w/ brown bags but then i wallpapered most of it.

U mite ask u'r local hardware store esp the old timers b/c i'm sure they r aware of what they used & how to repair it more than younger ppl. today.

I dont really buy houses I hire people to build me one cause my husband thinks it is weird to live in a house that other people have lived in so I wouldn't know. Sorry I can't help you)-:

y didja buy n old broken house in the 1st place?