plaster
I have a banister that is screwed into a plaster wall. The screws have come out of the wall and the plaster is all broken up. I know how to put stuff over the broken up plaster to make it smooth, but I'd like to be able to use that same exact spot to drill the banister screws back in.
Do I buy plaster and use that to fill in the broken plaster so that I can drill into the same area again?
If your house was built before the 1940's, it's probably a layer of wood lath, followed by a standard 2x4 stud wall with no insulation. Perhaps some knob-and-tube wiring just to make things interesting. The plaster will make more dust than you thought possible (wear a mask).
After the 1940's, it's probably gypsum board, but without the foaming agents and plasticizers that make today's drywall easier to use. Behind it, you probably have a 2x4 stud wall with no insulation and conduit or NM wiring.
[Here's a picture of a lath wall from the back, courtesy Wikipedia]
Before you attempt to repair it, make sure that the cause of the ice dam has been fixed. You may need to insulate the ceiling, and/or add a styrofoam vent baffle to the inside of the roof to prevent that area from getting too warm. Ice and water shield installed on the roof probably would have also prevented this from happening.
The repair will depend on how long the wall was wet and the extent of the damage. From what I am seeing, you should be able to fix this damage without needing to pull the whole wall apart.
Let the wall completely dry out and then check for signs of mold growth. A dehumidifier is not going to dry out the wall for you. You will also need fans aimed at the wall to circulate the air. Industrial blowers will do the best job, but a household box fan on high will also do.
Mold may be on the surface of the plaster, and it could also be under your trim. Use white vinegar to clean off the areas affected by mold and then use a mold killing primer such as Killz on all of the damaged areas.
Once the wall has been primed, then you can repair the plaster. You will need to get a bag of plaster of paris and a 5 gallon bucket of drywall joint compound. Mix the plaster with water per the instructions and mix in joint compound in a 50/50 ratio. Trowel on the mixture and blend the repair into the existing wall. The advantage of mixing the two is that you can use thicker coats of plaster without having it crack. It will also dry much faster and shrink less. The joint compound will make the repaired area harder and will bond better with the wall. Over time plaster dries out and becomes brittle. The gypsum in the joint compound will help prevent the plaster from deteriorating. In the old days, they would mix in chopped up animal hair (usually horse hair) to strengthen it instead.
You may need to apply more than one coat. You should also sand lightly between coats and feather the repair into the wall as best as you can. Any imperfections will be easily seen once the wall has been painted.
Once you are satisfied with the repair, then you can prime the wall. You can use any kind of primer that is compatible with the color coat. I prefer using primer that is rated for interior and exterior use since it is less likely to peel when you put the final coat on.
Repaint the wall and trim. If you can, repaint the entire wall at once so there isn't any differences in the sheen. It may look different if you only paint the damaged part.
Once the wall is painted, you shouldn't be able to tell that there was ever any damage there.
Best Answer
You should fill the hole, it's not that large, so you could just handle it with patching plaster or setting compound.
As for the banister, you are not supposed to anchor into plaster, ... for this reason. It doesn't hold well, and can crumble or tear out. You need to secure anything that needs more than construction adhesive into wood framing.