Update: That basement rewire finally wrapped up after weeks of surprises

I had a job running new wires in an old building with plaster walls that crumbled if you looked at them wrong. It took forever just to fish cables without causing more damage, and I lost track of how many times I had to redo sections. Anyone have a trick for dealing with brittle lath and plaster without making a huge mess?

3 comments

3 Comments

dixon.spencer1mo agoMost Upvoted

Remember when I tried patching my grandma's plaster and ended up with dust in EVERY room.

fiona_young1mo ago

Learned the hard way that touching old plaster with anything stronger than a whisper turns it into instant confetti. I tried using a small saw on a lath and ended up with a pile of rubble and dust in my shoes for a week. My big trick now is just spreading drop cloths like I'm preparing for a crime scene and accepting the cleanup as part of the job. It never looks neat, but at least the mess stays in one room.

adam_adams1mo ago

That crime scene drop cloth move is key. I tape plastic over the doorway too to keep the dust storm contained.