Lath and Plaster Repair!

How to tie in lath and plaster to new drywall!!!
3 foot wide roll amzn.to/3ZImTuN
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[@sivacrom]

DIYer here who owns an early 1900s home: I've used USG Structo Lite for this up in Minnesota, the United States. ACE Hardware can order a big bag for you and Structo Lite is a JOY to work with - It's a setting mud that you have to mix, made of gypsum with pearlite aggregate, which can be used to key into old lathe, build out wonky walls (you can put it on real thick) or even shape into molds. It does not sand much better than Durabond, but it's just a lot easier to build big, strong and lightweight. If I need a real flat surface, I start with Structo Lite on old lath that I've painted with concrete bonder, doing everything to make it as flat as possible (if it's big, a darby is perfect, but a straight piece of wood might work as a makeshift darby - if it's small, just a big square trowel like our Vancouver guy uses here is sufficient) and then, when it's dry, go over it with a thin application of Easy Sand 45 or 90. And streaks can be sanded at that point. If you still have pits, you can use Plus 3 or any pre-mixed lightweight joint compound so you don't have to work as hard on the mixing and sanding end of things. I went at a closet this way last summer and the wall is one of the straightest, smoothest, hardest walls in my house.

[@angellmpls1]

Thanks so much for this detailed comment. As a Minnesotan DIYer in a 1900 house, this is super helpful!

[@mattrybacki189]

You learned that from kirk & jay. Give credit where it's do

[@New_Czar]

@@mattrybacki189The best plasterers on KZbin!

[@johnnichols2710]

Quickset easy sand says on the directions not to be used as a skim coat. Minimum thickness of 1/8 I believe. Love duribond, structo lite but I always skim with topping compound or sll purpose. Stay away from from plus 3 or lightweight. Scratches too easy. BTW I am not a DYI er. 30 yrs GC

[@mattrybacki189]

@johnnichols2710 True story. It will peel and blister if you go to thin, with few exceptions.

[@PaulMikna]

As a handyman who does tons of drywall repairs, I agree completely with "why you don't demo the wall and start over". It's more work than people realize.... Add in the fact that the customers will only pay so much for the job and so you need to choose the most expedient option for them all the while you are doing quality work. I've learned a ton from your channel - thank you!

[@samuelbankston2108]

No doubt people always trying to undercut and do drywall cheap and fast.

[@kayleedriver949]

Should replace this type of framing?

[@ashleenicole71]

I think they're confusing it with someone wanting a renovation vs repair.

[@greentjmtl]

And a lot more garbage than people think! Even a small section of wall plus framing will fill several garbage bins easily.

[@urnightmare100]

Im a 2nd generation Drywall Installee and Finisher. Everytime I watch your channel I realize that the 100s of ways I know how to do things isn't even a fraction of the ways. Love it

[@dylanfriend2766]

“Show up to a job ready to solve problems” thanks for all your help. This philosophy will get you more work and clients than you know what to do with!

[@TriggerFpv]

This video is a life saver my home is 120 years old and all lath and plaster. There are some cracks in the plaster and I was told countless times it would have to all be ripped out and dry walled. This method worked out amazing! Thank you soo much!

[@vancouvervixen4253]

My god, thank heavens you didn’t listen!!! My house was built in 1879 and I was told to tear out my old windows by a couple idiots …. Jokes on them, with a little care I rebuilt them and they’ll last another 100 years probably!

[@TriggerFpv]

@vancouvervixen4253 that's next on my list is figuring out. I have glass I need to replace. I just want to replace the glass the rest of the frame is in exalent shape and thermal insulation is ridiculous in the home.

[@itaintrocketscience]

Dude... IF. you can mud ( and you are downright NASTY at doing mud) YOU CAN PLASTER!!!! Once you start doing plaster you will NEVER mess with drywall mud again. I plaster everything now. No dust. drys fast, smoother surface. Compound is trash.. Give plaster work a try. You absolutely can do it. You're a pro taper.

[@rcook2608]

I used fibafuse for an older garage ceiling repair, where there was little to no backing and pretty much every joint had cracked. I scraped out the cracks first, filled with hot mud then used fibafuse. Turned out perfect

[@michaelricchetti1743]

I love how this series of videos almost, but not quite, capture the EXACT OPPOSITE of what I look like doing drywall repair. Thanks for sharing.

[@mastafull]

I've got a badly cracked plaster wall. I was going to just demo and drywall, but this video is the first one that gave me hope I might be able to salvage it.

[@jordanabi-samra9709]

We use durabond all the time for plaster repairs. We wet sand it smooth and it works. Top coat with all purpose

[@Ronbo765]

How thick is your top coat? It doesn’t seem like theres much space left for a top coat.

[@jordanabi-samra9709]

@@Ronbo765 just a tight skim. Lightly sand it and you’re good to go for prime and paint. Hasn’t failed us yet

[@Ronbo765]

@@jordanabi-samra9709 Sounds like Durabond would be a good choice for me. I have 1950's rock lath (looks like plaster over concrete) and the wall got wet, the plaster peeled off, but the concrete material is intact.

[@jordanabi-samra9709]

@@Ronbo765 that being said, I’d go one step further and get a cement bonding adhesive and brush some on the repair before applying the durabond 90. You don’t have to but it doesn’t hurt. That’s just what we do at my company

[@Ronbo765]

@@jordanabi-samra9709 Thanks for your advice!

[@f.demascio1857]

I haven't done d/w in years, but recently had to do a patch in a plaster wall that a lavatory sink had been hanging on (sagging.) I tapped into all of the knowledge of Ben's that I had absorbed and did a halfway decent job of it too. The sink now has better blocking inside the wall now. Thanks Ben.

[@thefack149]

I love that the original tongue and groove subfloor was on the bias. Gotta be a well built structure

[@emmikate]

Thank you so much. I am contemplating restoring and staying in my grandmother's house in the future and you just made it seem a lot easier. Fix the plaster versus ripping it all down

[@MV-wb2cz]

Great work as usual Ben! Thank you for all your dedication! You were the one who made me become successful in many drywall repairs I've done over the past 2 years. This is exactly how I would have done this repair! Thank you for all your knowledge and teaching abilities. You make a great mentor!

[@susanwayne3333]

Awesome! I've watched a bunch of your videos. I have that old house. All this information solves so many how to's. Your teaching style really works for me. Straight forward and thought full. Gosh! Can't tell you how helpful. Thank you thank you

[@danielkoher1944]

3:37 Thanks 😊 so much. This had always proved to be so daunting, you have made it lots easier. Modernization of available products has been a tremendous help.

[@Tephnos]

One thing that I haven't seen you do but I always do is whenever I tear off crumbly plaster, I always make sure that the edges have been glued back to the lath. Basically just drill holes, spray in some watered down PVA, then jam in a mastic gun and squeeze in some construction adhesive, then use a screw and washer to squeeze it down. Once it has gone off that plaster is rock solid to the laths and will hold better to whatever you fill with. I've done this method with cracks that I've only repaired with filler (no tape at all) and you can bounce yourself off the wall and it stays rock solid.

[@robertseese368]

I would like to have you come and fixes my walls I love watching your video.

[@joycemagann4227]

Love this. I have an 1825 plaster/lathe house. You're my new handyman. 💗

[@rickkrieger4455]

If i had watched this post first I'm sure that i would have followed your advice. I did use durabond for the base coat and then coated over that with general purpose. It came out fine i just hope that it holds because I didn't use fibafuse. Thanks for the leason.

[@AlmightyUnknown]

Thank you. I needed to repair a damaged wall in an apartment unit

[@Caleyfan86]

Great shout! We just did a Reno - with an addition on to an existing plaster finish. We did not go to this extent and the cracking of the old plaster is hard on the eyes for sure. The budget for the job and the customer had a ceiling and understanding , respectively. This is very, very helpful and in my future this will certainly help when I quote a job. Many thanks from old Toronto! Wishing you lots of success, good health and smooth pulls this year! 👍🏽

[@bethpersons7134]

So helpful! Just bought a 20s house chunks are missing. I panicked but now I think I got this. Thanks!

[@stevehill5637]

Great videos, Thank you! I was recently asked my opinion on a friend's renovation, who was using a neighbor as the GC of the job. It was an ugly baby, and I called it as such. The neighbor got PISSED at me for pointing out obvious flaws, and later told me to "never talk to his people again" and slammed the front door as he left. Classic A-hole. I appreciate your demonstrations and dialogue. You do top-notch work.

[@sharongenest4721]

WOW! This video was so helpful.....I have the same issue on one of my living room walls....Wasn't sure how to repair the huge area that the plaster fell off.......I have chimney bricks behind the laths........Now I know why the plaster fell off and now know how to repair it myself.....Thank You So Much for sharing your amazing skills.

[@dirkg7062]

Nice job! I am a plasterer in the states. Here we use a product called Structo-lite for the base coat. You did a very nice job. I watch all of your videos.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thanks so much!!!!

[@asaintinwaiting]

I really enjoy watching a master at work. You have taught me much; thank you for your experience and insights!

[@dylanhart4930]

That is awesome. I have done lots of different things for plaster. Never knew you could get fibafuse in big sheets! That's a great solution.

[@gregorygent993]

I agree with your attitude towards the work . Especially your approach to the repair aspect. I'm doing that exact same thing now. Great work by the way.

[@Justsaying2024]

You make all of your work look so easy. Thanks for your videos.

[@nolongeramused8135]

I remember when my wife and I sold her old home and it had plastered walls that needed a bit of work. We found a guy who did a wonderful job and it was actually a selling point that we retained the original walls. After the neighbor's tree fell on the home a couple years later the new owner had to gut the upstairs and start over. They also got rid of the knob & tube wiring, which I don't think anybody missed.

[@sparkey4293]

thanks for the amazon link. Ive been using this product as joint tape for years i did not know it was available in 3' wide rolls this product is going to be used on a fire restoration of a historic home.

[@agent4127]

I've been watching your videos for years now....and I don't even do any drywall work! Lol. Thanks for another awesome video.

[@carverdahlin2728]

Awesome job, a really good way to fix that properly. Would love to see an update on that patch later on, keep up the great work and videos!

[@jsimes1]

Where was this video 20 years ago when every wall in my janky house looked like that! 😂 That looks fantastic and who really doesn't want to put drywall mud on with a paint roller??

[@stevenfoust3782]

I’ve used fiberglass window screen over cracked and plaster where the keys were broken and the plater was just a little loose before this amazing product was available. Totally sound afterwards.

[@scoot072]

Good video the only thing I’d recommend is putting a bonding agent on the old lathe before plastering/mudding . It’s not necessary but I always do it when I’m doing a replaster .

[@petekobraoutdoors7324]

😊a "darby" is a flat tapered piece of aluminum and is flexible. What you have is a "featheredge," which has a ridged backbone. Anyways, no biggie. Great video I am plasterer 1963😎👍

[@rhkips]

Didn't know FibaFuse came in huge widths like that! Awesome! I have a weird architectural feature that sees drywall butting up against MDF, and it seems that no matter how much I fill and sand, fill and sand, it will not get flat. It's edge-lit from above, so the tiniest little inconsistency stands out. It needs to be level-5 flat, and I just don't have the skills for that with mud alone.

[@libertarian1637]

As a person that’s done a lot of these repairs you can also just use cement/lime plaster instead of a setting compound and not use the fib/mesh. I will add fob/mesh or fiberglass mesh can be added for some extra structure and retention especially on ceilings after you screw the existing plaster up in any loose spots. Plaster and stucco work do take a little more experience in getting things flat and smooth as they don’t have the cheater step of sanding after which can make things easier for compound work. Plaster also has the benefit, and the problem, of being HARD relative to joint compounds.

[@bsmithril]

I haven't seen any cement that can bond to wood. Including modified thinset. I'm wondering if you missed the part where he mentioned the back of the lathe was blocked so the gaps won't allow the plaster to flow through and key in.

[@libertarian1637]

@@bsmithril: No I didn’t catch that portion but with a good bonding agent you’d be surprised just how much stuff plaster can bond too. Lime also adds some adhesion and flexibility as does upping the Portland percentage. Outside of plaster I have used modified and setting thinnests to bond kirdi or ditra to plywood and haven’t had either come off; modified thinnests are made to be quite sticky, though they don’t smooth all that great.

[@kmonnier]

This is great information! I can think of about three or four jobs that I would have loved to use this stuff instead of trying to piece together a smaller patches. Thank you.

[@drywall-skills]

Hello👷‍♂Nice repair👌unfortunately in Central Europe you can't find this large fine mesh 😭🙈

[@moonblink]

I feathered the like button.

[@starter_hart79]

Buddy is the bob ross of spackling. Amazing work.

[@FartSmucker]

Did a project to where a lot of old houses turned into various weird apartments, we were pointing up and fixing large patches like this. Skimming thin-set for daaaays, jesus what a work out. Something you can do for 20 years a thousand times but just that one specific thing for like a week straight really starts to be felt.

[@MV-wb2cz]

i hear ya, i did the exact same thing on a 100+ year house turned into apartment. 14 walls needed skimming!

[@gmo4719]

I had the same problem with the old house cracks everywhere plaster falling off. I asked the owner it’s just going to put quarter inch sheet rock around the whole room and it worked out perfect.

[@zackerydupuis6724]

Amazing video and keep up the amazing work Ben.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thanks Zackery!!!!

[@andrewcarr2431]

my tip is to remove any "loose" plaster and screw the edges of the joint back down. Use a hand screwdriver or a slow speed tool. It will secure the edges akin to drywall and help with future hairline cracks. There are other products on the market, basically glues that you drill holes in the plaster and squeeze the product into, thus rebonding the material back to the lath. Adding some water or even a watery PVA wash to the lath will increase your adhesion during repair. That fiberfuse is a good fix, personally i would just remove the section of the plaster wall and replace with drywall. but that creates it's own issues as where do you start and stop?

[@cornstar1253]

I order from a company called plaster magic

[@jamesstriplin2732]

I enjoy you videos I own a 140 year old house that has the plaster walls im always fighting cracks and this seems to me a way I might be able yo get them under control and the glue to help strengthen the drywall mud never heard about that I think im going to try it since im about to finally finish my daughters room in my house I hope this helps me out

[@ryane6719]

Try Larsen plaster weld as primer first. Also, sponge floats work great for knocking down first coat.

[@travisk5589]

Kirk Giordano would have liked to see you use "Plaster Weld" first as a bonder.

[@johnsmind]

The L and P in California has wire and wood, AND an inch of solid plaster. It's wicked!

[@andrewcarr2431]

had the same issue with ductwork behind. removed the lath, added 1/4" board as a backer and plastered over.

[@andrewpirie9215]

Love your videos Ben! I’m a dry Waller from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thanks!!!

[@rcook2608]

Love me some fibafuse. It’s super strong and easy to cut with with your taping knife

[@bobnoble9442]

Way to go Captain Mud-man! Love the videos. Thank you!

[@rob8821]

Excellent work as usual Just to make sure I understand That fiberfuse can b used to cover a 20 in X 20 in hole in the wall Just as well as cutting a piece of sheet rock and screwing it in

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Yes it can.

[@enlightenedmcgee]

I just wanted to say thank you for your hard work in paying these videos. They’ve helped me in ways that you won’t expect. I’m an artist and most recently decided that I want to do a piece which would require me to use drywall as my canvas. The problem is, I will have a raw edge. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to cover that raw edge seamlessly? Mud is one way, but that may crack over time. I have to find something that’s secure and won’t make me worry. Any suggestions? Many thanks to you!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Use an L edge corner bead and miter the corners.

[@lostarts26]

Pro tip: use latex modified thinset. Mix it up stiff, and if you're in a hurry, you can mix 50/50 fast setting thinset. It bonds to almost anything. When it firms up, screed it smooth, and after its fully set, follow up with normal compound.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

I tried this. t's not sandable.

[@bizzothagreat]

I have a 100 year old house my attic ceiling has plaster and it's starting to loosen and break I'm wanted to learn how to update and repair the plaster ceiling and walls.

[@dad1432]

Watching you at half speed not only helps me catch the techniques, it also sounds like we shared a case of beer.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

😂

[@stroys7061]

Another great video!

[@1ghosthorse]

Another quality video, Ben. Bounce sheet without the smell....hilarious!🤣

[@rlyman111]

Gave me some great ideas on my little job.

[@andyh9382]

You’re right, we don’t NEED to see another video of mud being rolled on. But we’d all watch it anyways.

[@mjn1059]

When I see this I think this guy is really good

[@albertoacosta6788]

This song came on shuffle on my Harley on my way to Vegas and I haven’t heard since gta San Andreas days I felt like CJ going to Los venturas 😂😂😂 bad ass song

[@markarita3]

Giant Bounce sheet lol. Awesome job!

[@floorsbyfolts]

skills pay the bills awesome job

[@beverlyboys73]

I use concrete-fill all the time with great results to fix plaster walls or make faux plaster walls.

[@RJFerret]

As a landlord with a couple 1920s era plaster wall properties I've done minor repairs on (yay ReadyPatch), this was invaluable to me, thank you. On the point of why not demo and re-install? One of the first things I learned is if you cut something out, what are you going to replace it with? Will the extra material/work be worth it? Will it be faster/easier to not remove as much? With tenants (or between) the turnaround is typically faster to patch what is there as long as it's structurally sound and will as long.

[@MV-wb2cz]

As someone who does work for landlords this is exactly what they are looking for, clean work, not dirty work. If you can make the wall look brand new using this method then they will be happy. Less time, less cost overall. Happy and repeat customers for similar repairs on other properties they might own.

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

@@MV-wb2cz This would take more time the cutting it out.

[@jeffstover91]

Nope. leave the lath and coat with Plaster Weld, Structolite for the scratch coat, then plaster, or compound, or a mix of those. Dozen years of using this method in NYC, also Seattle and Portland. Not so easy toget Structolite on the West Coast - usually have to order it. Plaster walls are worth saving - far superior to sheetrock.

[@L.Scott_Music]

I use California One-Kote with diamond metal lath stapled to the wood lath. However, you didn't quite have the space for that here. The three-foot Fiberfuse (sp?) is a great method. I wish I'd used that in a few applications.

[@mazzg1966]

Absolutley love everything about this product...except the price, but, when you need it it is the best and often only answer to no cracks or call backs. Glad to see you pushing it and love the video , as always! Someday I would like to demo a patch like this and see just how durable it really is....Ben, is that something you would be willing/able to do?

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I can’t do it unless I come across it in the wild.

[@antonioj123]

With the concrete fill, do you still need to push the mud through the keys of the slats so that the slats hold onto the mud? And Thank you for all your videos, they allowed me to have a little more confidence in my DIY projects.

[@HylianEvil]

Are you the skateboarding guy! You're helping me in multiple areas of my life haha

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I sure am 🙂

[@theptownpunk]

Love what you said,you have the right attitude in what you said there close towards the end about finding Solutions to problems without whining.... Great as always How's the skating coming has it been cold up there.?

[@Lukasz10000000000000]

any merch? rolling out helps consistent application rate . You opened my mind years ago. Changed my way of dr finishing 4 the better. MAN I OWE YOU!!

[@keanehorvath3910]

General Question Ben... I usually do two coats of Sheetrock 20 and then sand and use the pink spackle to fill any remaining perfections, since I am doing patches and painting on the same day. I have not had any issues with this method, but I am curious why you use an all purpose mud. What is the usual dry time for the all purpose mud and I use the Bin sealer primer after my finish sand, wait about an hour and then apply my first coat of finish paint after that. The second coat if required is applied a good hour after the first, or based on the manufacturers recommendations. I hope you can shed some light on my questions, as I would rather tell clients that the patches will take two days, then sacrifice quality! Thank you for all your time putting together these videos, and you have helped me greatly with my mudding! (Now plastering as well haha)

[@peep39]

If you were a confill reseller to the US, people like me would be all over it.

[@TheCrazyunclemarty]

7:40 Best wide mesh demo ever! A pro tells me this is best for blown out plaster. Neither taping nor “heavy” mud is widely available in US. Would you recommend setting, light, all purpose, or topping for embedding? Maybe add glue too? I’ll use a short roll of 36” fiberglass mesh from HD. I also find durabond easily usable on the first lathe coat.

[@TheCrazyunclemarty]

Think I got it. Your glue video suggests Easy Sand setting compound with weldbond is what I should use to embed mesh/fibafuse over a painted wall. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKmslaiKhr2HpbM

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I would embed it with all purpose if you are doing a large area. Setting mud could be a pain in the butt. Make sure your mud is pretty thin so it wipes out nice.

[@TheCrazyunclemarty]

@@vancouvercarpenter Thanks Ben, then it sounds like a little glue for strength and adhesion with all purpose is the way to go. There's a bunch of hairlines I haven't prepped with scoring, screws, and durabond during the initial treatment so I'm a little skeptical that all purpose and mesh alone will hold up especially because I'm going over sanded paint. I think this is a good approach. Plaster Magic seems over-rated when there are many hairlines and most of the lathe is well attached. I want strong mud that will hold onto the paint and mesh.

[@calcioAficionado]

Hello! I love your videos! I find myself watching them in early am as I mentally prepare myself to start doing this same work in my first home. Have you come across any warped walls? I have a wall in my office/man cave that has huge dip in the middle - most liked caused by the window installation and poor framing/finishing. Do you have any advice or video suggestions on how to tackle the problem?

[@TheOfficialDjProduct]

I heard you call your concrete fill - hot mud. Would it be possible to do this with like 45? Or if you're in a place you can't get concrete fill would you do better trying your hand with actual plaster? Great video by the way, been in the trade 3 years, framing, insulating, hanging and taping. Truly a fulfilling line of work. I watch every video you make.

[@zamplify]

I believe he says usg light sand works and to me that means 45.

[@tay13666]

He said use hot mud if you aren't somewhere where you can get con-fill. So, yeah, 45 would be it. Though I'd probably go with 90 to give myself a bit more time to get it on the wall and smoothed out.

[@mdstmouse7]

try durabond for this application, they have different setting time mixes

[@12341234Joao]

that's a great video, I work for a company doing this things almost every day, it is fantatic! I'm just curios about the price for a job like that.

[@Starchild670]

Larsen's plasterweld and USG structolite

[@robertcasey3528]

You're gonna give people the idea of patching cracks with dryer sheets 🤣🤣.

[@Wjhplastering]

You need structolite for that hole then cut back a little on your base so you can level and run finish lime and molding plaster that will fix everything I know I'm a 36 yr plaster

[@tommycho9068]

Very much acknowledge your work. Great, video. Thanks

[@konstantinusstoyanov9749]

Great analogy, thank you

[@thefack149]

Can you do a video on popcorn texture repairs? I have a room with popcorn on floor ceiling and walls, and while I'm not wild about the look, the plaster and lath are in good enough shape that I want to leave well enough alone if I can touch up a couple of small problem spots

[@danboutin8700]

Would you use this fiber mesh over wood paneling to cover over all the cracks how would you go about muddying Over with channeling to make it look like she rock

[@KingSobieski]

Lath plaster is crazy to throw away. It's easy 3-4x more work than demo drywall.

[@Rick-tb4so]

Great job, can you overlap the mesh sheathing?

[@bobcougar77]

Why did you decide not to use glue? Either directly to the lathe or mixed with the confil? I would think this would be the ideal spot to add strength.

[@danielkoher1944]

1:12 Which it does eventually it’s a real pain to deal with. Imagine how difficult it was doing ceilings back then...🤦🏼‍♂️

[@timfolland420]

Hey Ben. Have you ever used those plaster repair kits? Where you drill holes and inject glue? Just curious.

[@jessicajennings671]

Thanks!

[@eliznaomistuart]

Thank you for your videos! We had largish holes in our lath and plaster ceilings caused by workers reinforcing our attic joists and accidentally stepping through in a few spots. Our contractors patched the ceilings and in some cases put drywall over the larger holes, including adhering with liquid nails. They then put mud on top to complete the patches. We ran out of money and can’t afford to pay them to paint! Can anyone recommend what kind of primer is best for going on top of plaster mud before we paint?

[@Kensdisguise]

I love how you try to put the "TROLLS" in their place before they get a chance to bash you in the comments. Keep up the great work bro...I am a 30 year vet in sheetrock and I still love watching and learning from your content. /peace ps...god damn, I can't tell you how many times I have heard the primadonna taper say, "the job is not ready for me"...fukin' drives me crazy.

[@lennythomas7230]

Have you ever thought about adding aggregate to your muds when filling large gaps like the lathe? Or in any scenario?