Plaster patch trick using drywall tape and hot mud

We have those old adobe walls in our Corrales place and every picture hook leaves a crater. I tried regular spackle but it kept cracking after a week. What finally worked was embedding mesh drywall tape right into the hot mud, then doing a second thin coat after 30 minutes. Sanded it flat with a 120 grit block and it's been solid for 4 months now. The trick is getting the hot mud mixed stiff, about like peanut butter, so it doesn't sag. Has anyone else found a better way to fill those soft plaster spots on older homes?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricialee1mo ago

Tape and hot mud is definitely the way, but the REAL game changer for me was using a cheap acrylic caulk in the corner where the tape meets the adobe. The plaster there shrinks and moves differently, and a thin bead of caulk flexes with it so the crack never comes back. Seal that seam with primer before you ever paint, or the moisture will find its way in and pop your patch loose again.

josepha321mo ago

Same trick works on baseboards in old houses where the floor shifts with seasons lol.