Plaster Repair and Drywall Repair

Damaged plaster or drywall can be very intimidating for homeowners. Most painting contractors do not like to repair drywall or plaster and would prefer to avoid it. But at Carrigan Painting we embrace the opportunity! Each plaster and drywall patch is a distinctive challenge with its own set of complexities. Wall repair and ceiling repair often presents unique challenges for painting contractors not found in any other trade.

We paint 99% of our repair work.

Sheetrock Repair

With decades of proven experience dealing with water damaged ceiling drywall and plaster, we have developed techniques which allows us to handle these types of repairs quickly and safely. We cover the entire room and all property with new plastic sheeting and drop cloths. We never re-use plastic from the last job. Then we will often create a 'box' around the ceiling repair to help contain the dust and dirt. Drywall repair is often pretty straight forward. However when it involves water damage drywall repair can become a bit more involved.

The most common result of water damage drywall ceiling repair is a loss of its structural integrity, leading to sagging. Often, this isn't apparent just by standing on the floor and looking up. To assess the extent of the damage, you need to shine a light across the ceiling towards the affected area. A flashlight (not your phone) works good enough for this. Dont be shocked to learn your ceilings are not flat.

This method often provides conclusive answers regarding whether it's a simple water stain or if the ceiling has been compromised. That's why it's crucial to address ceiling leaks with urgency! Often times, there is insulation above the ceiling in question. According to the American Society for Testing and Materials, water and humidity can increase insulation weight by 275%! Putting downward pressure and excess moisture into the ceiling directly below it. When drywall starts to bow due to moisture saturation, it's only a matter of time before it detaches from the ceiling and falls to the floor. Unfortunately, this tends to occur at inconvenient times, like 2 AM on a school night when everyone is asleep.

Ceiling Crack Repair - Done Right

We also repair cracks in ceilings and walls. Small cracks, hairline cracks are typically the result of natural movement of the structure. For example around your fireplace in your living room or bedroom. Small cracks from Buffalo winters, wind storms, the occasional blizzard, are usually not a cause for concern, however large open cracks signify substantial movement.

Cracks between the top of a doorway, or the corner of a window going to the floor, are examples of cracks that generally speaking, can not be fixed. So in that case, we do our best to hide them. These areas are natural stress points for the structure.

The correct method for repairing drywall cracks, and plaster cracks has a 95% success rate. If it re-cracks after, the crack can not be repaired.

The crack must be opened up a bit in order to give the new material something to 'grab on to'. Depending on the material your working with will depend on how you open the crack.

With drywall, you can V out the crack with a utility knife. Plaster can be tricky. Is this water damage related? A hatchet is often the fastest, easiest and loudest method. Oscillator works well too but creates a lot of dust and can be hard to control for a novice, not to mention dangerous. Once the crack is opened, we will either use plaster or drywall compound to fill in the crack with new material. We will lay fiberglass mesh tape into the mud. Then finish the repair. This method provides the strongest possible repair for plaster or drywall cracks.

Water Damage Drywall Repair & Water Damage Plaster Repair

Most of the time, water damaged plaster, appears smaller than it actually is. Often, we wont know how big it will get, til we actually get into it. What often happens is the finish coat of plaster will peal off the base coat around the damaged area with a putty knife. So while the direct damage may appear small to the unintiated, the actual repair can be much larger. This is why its so important to hire those who work with this on a regualr basis. It is very easy for the novice to get in over their head, and often leads to costly Change Orders for the homeowner. This is why many painting contractors will avoid plaster repair and drywall repair all together.

What if we find Mold?

We do not offer any mold mitigation services. Most homeowner insurance policies do not cover mold mitigation. Mold requires special training, expensive insurance, and licensing to be done correctly. An excellent resource is this guide by the Environmental Protection Agency A Comprehensive Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home by the E.P.A. (Opens a new window)

Priming & Painting

We prime all of our repair work. We do this because it shows us the imperfections in our work. (We are not perfect but we try our best) New plaster, and water stains require an oil based primer. Many people wrongly assume that you can prime 10 day old fresh plaster with shellac primer. From actual experience we can tell you this is false. Oil based primer is required for all new plaster less than 28 days old. It usually dries with in 30 minutes and then the odor is gone. All of our latex house paints are zero V.O.C.

Skim Coating & Level 5 Finishes

We do offer skim coating services. This is very labor intensive, and often involves a considerable amount of dust. Our skim coating services include priming. A level 5 finish, is when you apply a very thin coat of drywall compound to the entire wall or ceiling surface typically over drywall. When done correctly it gives walls and ceilings buttery smooth uniform appearance. It should be noted, that there is no 'industry standard' to a level 5 finish. So communication between all parties is critical to address any concerns.