No matter how hard we try there are times when something around the house gets damaged and we need to make some repairs. This is one of the only downfalls of home ownership when you think about the fact that a landlord is required to fix problems in a home that you rent but when you own the home you are on the hook. With that in mind there are some steps that you need to take when you have a problem with holes in lathe and plaster. This is a common problem just like you would find in the case of dry wall or paneling. Holes can occur by a blunt force or perhaps there has been an incident where a rodent took up residence. Rodents, like rats and mice, can chew through lathe and plaster with little or no problem and until they are caught they will continue to make holes. Before patching lathe and plaster because of a rodent problem you should make sure that the rodents are no longer in the home. Other wise you will end up patching more holes when they start to chew again.

To start the patching lathe and plaster job you will need to cut out the damaged area all the way to a joist or wall stud. This can mean that you are cutting out a large section but this is very important. There is nothing to attach too if you do not have a wall stud or joist nearby. Use a dry wall or plaster saw to make the cut. Try to cut as straight as possible. To make a good straight cut you should draw a line on the outside of the wall before you start cutting using a straight edge like a yard stick or perhaps a chalk line.

Once you have made the cut to the joist or wall stud you should screw wood to both sides of the hole and then attach those with a brace to the joist or wall stud. These pieces do not have to be large but they should be nice and sturdy when you are finished attaching them. Make sure that the wood will hold once you have it attached. Nothing could be worse then trying to patch a hole and having it fall through once you are almost done with the job at hand.

Now you will need to cut a piece of plasterboard the same size as the hole. This is not difficult and you should be careful to make it a very tight fit to avoid having gaps that need to be filled with extra plaster later on.

From here on out it is pretty simple. Reapply the plaster in the same method as the existing wall. It may require more than one coat to get the right thickness. If you need to apply more then one coat the second coat should be applied after the first is set but still tack to ensure that the two coats bond together without a lot of problems.