In stock today at 1668 1st Ave, Yorkville. $26.99 for the 50 lb bag. Free same-day Manhattan delivery on orders over $100, or pick it up in about two hours.
If you live in a pre-war building, this is the bag you want
Most Upper East Side apartments are plaster over lath, not drywall. When a ceiling or a wall opens up, joint compound is the wrong material to fill it with. Joint compound is a finishing product. It shrinks, it cracks in depth, and it was never meant to rebuild a wall.
Structo-Lite is a basecoat. It is mill-mixed with perlite aggregate, so it goes on thick, it weighs about half what sanded plaster does, and it bonds to lath the way the original plaster did. You build with Structo-Lite, then finish over the top with a skim coat.
How much do you need?
One 50 lb bag covers roughly:
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140 sq ft over gypsum lath
-
89 sq ft over metal lath
-
109 sq ft over unit masonry
Those are standard basecoat thicknesses. Deep patches and blown ceilings will use more. If you are not sure, call us at 212-249-1614 with your rough dimensions and we will work it out with you before you buy.
What else the job usually needs
A plaster repair is rarely just the basecoat. You may also need lath if the original is gone, a finish or skim coat over the top, corner bead on any outside corner, and joint compound for the final passes. We stock all of it at the counter, and we would rather tell you what the job actually takes than sell you the wrong thing twice.
Questions we get asked
Can I just use joint compound? Not for depth. Build with Structo-Lite, finish with joint compound.
Do I mix it with sand? No. It is already mill-mixed with perlite aggregate. Add water only.
Do you deliver? Yes, anywhere in Manhattan, free on orders over $100. A 50 lb bag is heavy and awkward on a walk-up, so delivery is usually worth it.
Is it in stock right now? Yes. If you need several bags for a big job, call ahead and we will have them ready.
Manufacturer specifications
USG STRUCTO-LITE® Basecoat plaster is USG's lightest and most highly insulated basecoat plaster, ideal for locations where an aggregate is unavailable. Mill-mixed perlite aggregate gypsum that weighs half as much as sanded basecoat plaster and provides thermal conductivity.
- Mill-mixed perlite-aggregate gypsum plaster, requires only the addition of water at the jobsite
- Lightweight, weighs less than half as much as sanded plaster
- K factor of 1.74, three times the insulation value of sanded plaster
- Application method: hand or machine
- Application temperature: 55 deg F
- Colour: off-white
- Composition: plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate hemihydrate), perlite, crystalline silica (quartz)
- Compressive strength: 700 psi
- Density: 45 to 55 lb/cu-ft
- Flammability rating: 0
- Form: powder. Net content: 50 lb bag
- pH range: 6 to 8
- Model: 163841
