Many Boston homes have plaster, not drywall, and plaster cracks along the same lines as the house moves through each winter. We repair holes, cracks, water damage and loose areas in both materials, then prime every patch so it does not show through the paint. Larger repairs are priced as their own line in the quote.
A wall repair in Boston starts with one question: is it plaster or drywall? Many homes have both. The original rooms are plaster on wood lath, and a kitchen, bath or attic redone later is drywall. They fail differently. Plaster cracks, and sometimes lets go of the lath so the surface sounds hollow and bulges. Drywall shows popped screws, split tape at the seams and holes from door handles. We check which you have before deciding how to fix it.
Water is behind many of the repairs we see. Ice at the roof edge in winter backs water into top-floor ceilings and the tops of outside walls. A leak from the bathroom of the unit above is common in triple-deckers and condo buildings. The leak must be fixed and the area fully dry first. Then damaged material is cut out or scraped back, the area is patched, and the stain is sealed with a stain-blocking primer.
The aim is a repair you cannot find. Small holes are filled and sanded. Larger ones get a new piece of drywall fastened to backing, taped and coated three times, each coat feathered wider than the last. Loose plaster can sometimes be fastened back and skimmed instead of being torn out. Every patch is primed before painting. We usually repaint the whole wall or ceiling, since touched-up spots tend to show against old paint.
Drywall repair in Boston: common questions
Should cracked plaster be torn out and replaced with drywall?
Usually not. Plaster that is still tight to the lath can be repaired and will last. Replacement makes sense where it is loose over a large area or badly water damaged. We check by pressing and tapping the wall.
The crack over my doorway comes back every winter. Why?
Old wood-framed houses shrink in dry heated air and swell in humid summers, and the wall moves at its weak points. A proper repair opens the crack and reinforces it with tape or mesh, which holds far longer than filler alone.
My ceiling stain is from an old leak. Can it just be painted?
Only after the leak is fixed and the ceiling is dry. Then the stain needs a stain-blocking primer. Ordinary paint lets the brown mark bleed back through within weeks.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.