How to Plaster Over Wood Paneling
- 1). Wash the wood paneling to remove any dirt from the paneling surface. Take care not to soak down the wood when cleaning to keep the wood from warping due to the moisture. Pat the wood dry using a clean dry towel.
- 2). Fill the grooves in the paneling using a spackling compound. Press the compound firmly into the grooves with a putty knife. Take the blade of the knife and go over the packed compound in order to even the compound out with the surrounding wood surface.
- 3). Attach the 2.5 expanded metal lath to the paneling, using two inch nails placed every six inches along the wall studs. Metal lath provides a support surface for the plaster that allows the wood beneath to expand and contract with temperature changes without cracking the plaster. Overlap the lath pieces vertically in six-inch sections and horizontally in two-inch sections. Cut the lath to fit using tin snips.
- 4). Apply the first coat, known as the scratch coat, of plaster to the paneled wall. Mix the gypsum ready-mixed plaster according to the manufacturer's instructions in a large bucket. Move the plaster from the bucket to a hand held hawk. Spread the plaster onto the wall from the hawk, pushing it through the lath onto the paneling using a steel trowel. Build the plaster over the paneling to a thickness of about 3/8 inch, smoothing the surface of the plaster with the flat of the trowel slightly angled. Wait for the applied plaster to lose the wet look, up to 20 minutes, and then score the surface of the plaster with a plasterer's rake to texture it. Wait an additional 10 hours for the first coat to dry.
- 5). Apply the second coat, known as the brown coat over the first. Use the same plaster mix to place another 3/8 inch layer of plaster onto the first. Run a straight edge across the plaster surface to smooth it and remove any gouges or holes in the plaster. Drag a cement brush across the surface to roughen it up slightly for the final coat. Wait another 10 hours for the brown coat to dry.
- 6). Sharpen the edge of the trowel with sandpaper, and remove any dust from the trowel with a lint-free cloth. Use a finishing plaster to apply the third, or finish coat of plaster to the slightly rough brown coat surface, using the sharpened edge of the trowel held at a 45-degree angle against the wall. Keep the third layer a thin layer that fills the textured surface of the brown coat and provides a thin plaster coat above. Wait five to 10 minutes for the plaster to begin drying.
- 7). Polish the plaster surface with the flat of the trowel. Press the trowel firmly onto the surface, dragging it across the wall at a 45-degree angle while lightly spraying the wall with a mist of water to create a smooth slightly shiny finish on the plaster. Wait 48 hours for the final coat to dry.
