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Hi All

A heavy curtain pole in my 1890s victorian house has levered some plaster away from the wall (see pic). So far I've removed the plaster (or whatever that dark stuff is?) that was hanging off, back to good plaster and stabilised with some 50/50 diluted PVA as the surface was powdery.

It's pulled away an area about 200mm wide, 100mm tall with a depth of maximum 22mm in places. You can see where one of the wall plugs was in the photo, the second one was on the bottom in line with the more obvious one in the middle.

What's the best way to patch this up, and what's the best thing to use to hold a pole and curtains with a combined weight of 11KG across three hangers that each have two screw points.

I'm concerned that whatever I patch this with, the first inch is going to bear some of this weight. Seems like an easy task, I'm just nervous about the weight and don't want this to happen again.

Changing to lighter curtains would be an absolute last resort as we love the ones we have and they do a cracking job of keeping the heat in.

Thanks in advance.

Use much longer screws and get the raw plugs into the brick work

Cut a piece of 3/4 inch plywood to fit the hole and fasten it to the wall with screws and plugs being careful to leave the point where the pole bracket screws go. You may need to clear more plaster from the hole so the plywood sits flat to the brick. Put some small screws into the face of the plywood with the heads below the finished level of the wall. These screws will help to bond the filler. Use Toupret filler and once dry and decorated you can screw the pole bracket to the plywood or drill through it into the brick and use longer screws as said above.

I was looking at this and wondered what that substrate was, it looks like it could be made from breeze blocks but that does not fit in with an 1890s property as they became in common use after the 1930's. Is this a later extension to the property? Also you would expect to find a lintel supporting the wall above the window which looks more 30s in style. Assuming it is a breeze block I would look to fill the void with more substantial backfill. I would use a mortar mix with small bits of hardcore to give it body, tamp it well in and allow to set leave a shallow base and then apply skim of finishing plaster to make good. Leave for a few days to harden and then redrill your hole for the curtain fitting.

DWD

Not an extension DD, it's the front door!

3" screws have gone in and not hit brick, though the house is brick. Lots of some sort of lining I guess!

It might be a breeze inner and a brick outer skin. Do you think the front door area was reformed? Always difficult to work out from a picture it is all supposition. However, I still think a reinforced mortar would strengthen the area for the screw.

DWD