Plaster & Drywall Repair

Plaster and Drywall Repair for Older Boston-Area Homes

Cracks, sags, and water damage repaired so walls look seamless and smooth, from historic lath-and-plaster to modern drywall.

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Older homes across Greater Boston were built with lath and plaster, often mixed with horsehair or lime, long before drywall existed. That plaster is durable but it moves: settling, seasonal humidity, and old age bring cracks, bulges, and areas where the plaster has pulled away from the lath behind it. Patching that with a quick smear of joint compound rarely holds, because the underlying issue was never addressed.

We repair plaster and drywall the right way, matching the technique to the wall in front of us. Whether it is a hairline crack in a century-old parlor, a sagging ceiling, water damage after a leak, or a modern drywall patch, the goal is a repair that reads as invisible once the wall is painted. As an owner-operated shop with 20+ years here, we know how these old walls behave.

Old plaster is not just drywall to be patched over

Horsehair and lime plaster over wood lath behaves differently from modern drywall. When it cracks or bulges, the cause is often that the plaster keys have broken and it has separated from the lath. Simply filling the crack leaves the loose plaster to move again and re-crack. The repair has to re-secure and rebuild the area, not just cover it.

We assess whether the plaster is sound, loose, or failing, then repair it in a way that stabilizes the wall and blends into the surrounding surface. Done right, the fix disappears and does not come back next season.

Cracks, holes, sags, and water damage

Settling cracks around doors and windows, stress cracks in ceilings, holes from old fixtures or renovations, and staining or damage from past leaks are all common in older Boston-area homes. Each calls for a slightly different repair, from re-securing loose plaster to rebuilding a damaged section and feathering it smoothly into the wall.

Where water was involved, we make sure the surface is dry and address staining so it will not bleed through the new paint. A repair that skips that step tends to reappear as a shadow later.

A seamless surface, ready for paint

The mark of a good wall repair is that you cannot find it once the paint is on. We build up, sand, and feather repairs so the texture and plane match the surrounding wall, then prime the repaired area so it takes paint evenly.

Because we are painters as well, we can carry the job all the way through, from structural repair to a finished, painted wall that looks like the damage was never there.

Plaster & Drywall Repair across Greater Boston

Plaster & Drywall Repair FAQs

Usually because the crack was filled without fixing the cause. In old lath-and-plaster walls, cracks often mean the plaster has loosened from the lath behind it, so a surface patch just moves and re-cracks. The lasting fix re-secures and rebuilds the area rather than smearing compound over it.

In most cases we can repair the original plaster and keep the character of the wall. We assess whether it is sound, loose, or failing and repair accordingly. Full replacement with drywall is only worth it when a section is too far gone, and we will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

Done well, no. We build up, sand, and feather the repair so the plane and texture match the surrounding wall, then prime it so paint goes on evenly. The aim is a surface where you cannot tell a repair was ever made.

Yes, once the source of the water is resolved and the area is dry. We repair the damaged surface and seal any staining so it will not bleed through the new paint. Skipping that sealing step is why old water stains sometimes reappear as shadows.

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