Jobs in progress-updated February 10, 2002

Plastering a house in
Dumfries, Virginia
We still plaster houses

troweling the white coat veneer plaster basecoat
Carlos trowels the white coat on
the living room ceiling smooth as glass
in this fire reconstruction project.
   As a warning: If you have a plaster house and have an insurance claim, insist on plaster.
Don't let the insurance company sucker you into cheap drywall.		 Most of the plaster in this house was destroyed by a fire.
The original house had 3/8" rock lath
with 5/8" of plaster. Since they quit making rock lath, we substituted 5/8" blue board, 1/4" veneer basecoat, and 1/8" finish. The veneer basecoat is super hard and we should have the same quality product.
plaster arch bead and niche faux slate
This niche was made by putting on a
scrap piece of plywood and metal lath.
The arch and sides were made using a
plaster arch bead, which they quit making
recently.		 Milestone was used for the faux slate.
Grey Milestone and sand was used for the basecoat.
The joints were made by taping the basecoat.
The finish is milestone and black paint colorant.
The result is my signature on this house.

A stucco addition
Silver Spring, Maryland

lace texture on the existing stucco lace texture
A view of the old house and the new
addition showing the lace texture on the existing stucco.		 The lace texture matches the old stucco
exactly. The new addition will be painted yellow
to match the house. 

Plaster renovation

knife for plaster moulding Finished mold
A knife is made by filing this sheet metal to
match the old moulding. This moulding will
be run in two sections, top and bottom, like the original.		 Finished mold with knife in place.
running plaster moulding running plaster moulding
Carlos runs top section. I bought a new digital camera that takes terrible pictures. I have plenty of pictures of this project, but I can't use them they look so bad. You can barely tell what is going on here. Carlos runs bottom section.
A jig was made to run short sections for the returns long mouldings finished
A jig was made to run short sections for
the returns. These were made out of pure
moulding plaster and cut to size.		 The long mouldings finished and ready
to stick on the returns.
Radius curves are lathed After the plaster set up, I tooled in the triangle nose at the top
Radius curves are lathed and decorative blocks 
are formed.		 After the plaster set up, I tooled in the triangle nose at the top. Blocks were coated with colored Milestone to replicate cut limestone.
granite effect faux mortar joints are made at odd angles
Milestone is use for a granite effect.
The basecoat is grey Milestone and sand.
The finish is white Milestone with a 50-50
mix of black sand and white sand		 The faux mortar joints are made at odd angles for a random artistic look.
Metal lath and plaster makes elegant curved walls. Fireplace white coated and troweled smooth
Metal lath and plaster makes elegant curved walls. Fireplace white coated and troweled smooth.