Hi! We are remodeling a home built (completed) by my Grandfather in 1954 that has lathe and plaster walls. But the plaster is textured and we are trying to figure out how we can best match it. We are not going to have to do large areas of re-plastering, just “patching” around new light fixtures, filling holes, etc. My uncle says that the plaster used to be called “horsehair plaster” even though they used different materials than horsehair by the time my Grandpa built our house. But he said that at that time you could just buy that kind of plaster off the shelf. So my question is whether anyone has figured out a “formula” or anything that can help us develop a plaster mix that will match the original textured plaster. Or are we just going to have to go through a lot of trial and error? Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!!
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In general, horsehair plaster was not used as the finish coat. It was used as the base coat. Horsehair plaster is a coarse mix, and it actually has horsehair in it. It's there for reinforcement, just like the polyester fibers in some newer concrete.
On the off chance that your walls are finished with it, you shouldn't have too much trouble matching. By now, all of the hairs are painted flat, or worn off anyway. Just match the sandiness, by adding grit to the primer or paint. You can get the grit at home centers.
On the other hand, if your walls are finished with finishing lime that has been textured, you're gonna have some fun. Finishing lime is the top layer in a good plaster job. It is very smooth, and very hard. Textures were added in a number of ways (kinda like "faux finishes" are done today).
If you could post a picture of a section of existing wall, maybe some of us will have some ideas about what you could try.