Q. We're buying a house that is probably close to 100 years old. It has been vacant for the past several years and needs a good amount of cleaning up and fixing up. One thing we're concerned about is ...

I tend to stare at the ceiling a lot. I think it’s only to be expected. If you sleep on your back or lie on the couch reading Jane Austin (as we all must), you’re bound to spend a certain amount of ...

Q: My old 1920s house has horsehair plaster. I would like to paint it, but my wife says she does not want to paint over the paper, which is about 10 years old. How to start and finish? A: The paper is ...

Q: My old 1920s house has horsehair plaster. I would like to paint it, but my wife says she does not want to paint over the paper, which is about 10 years old. How to start and finish? A: The paper is ...

Q: My home was built in 1944, and even the new addition, a porch converted to a dining area about 20 years ago, has lath and plaster walls. Is there a way to insulate these walls? Also, would it be ...

There are two kinds of cracks in old lath and plaster walls. Both can be repaired, but one is a much more serious problem. By Ronda Kaysen Q: Our Gramercy co-op was built in 1929. The thick plaster ...

Thirty-five years ago, when John Doherty was doing rehab work for Campus Apartments, removing old plasterwork to make way for drywall, he was struck by the beauty of the buildings’ antique plaster ...

For 170 years the Old State Capitol has looked out on the Mississippi River from its high perch, taking in stride the war, fire and political debate that came its way. But, as anyone who owns an old ...

English Heritage has completed a seven-month conservation project at Hardwick Old Hall in Derbyshire to protect its 400-year-old plaster friezes for future generations. Described as one of most ...