Let us restore your plaster ceiling or walls. We are capable of repairing any form of damaged plaster or drywall, including those with holes, cracks, water damage, bulging walls, sagging ceilings, damaged cornices, and other issues.
Repair Small Holes
To repair a small hole in plasterboard / gyprock:
- First we enlarge the hole to make it a rectangular shape, so that it is easy to fit a plaster patch that’s the same shape.
- Then we attach new timber or a furring to the inside of the hole, so that we can then screw the plaster patch securely in place.
- Next we apply paper tape and three layers of plaster. Each layer must dry before next one is applied.
- Finally we sand it back to a smooth finish so that the repair won’t be noticeable after it has been painted.
- Next we apply paper tape and three layers of plaster. Each layer must dry before next one is applied.
Repair Large Holes
Fixing a large hole in a plaster wall or ceiling can be very similar to repairing a small hole, the main difference being that we will cut out a rectangle hole that is the width of the gap between the wall studs, so that we can then easily screw the new plaster patch to the wooden studs on either side.
For holes that are even larger, it is sometimes easier to replace the entire sheet of gyprock, rather than trying to patch it. Replacing an entire sheet requires two people to lift it into place. Sometimes it may be necessary to also remove and then re-apply the cornice.
Repair Water Damaged Plaster
Repairing water damaged wall or ceiling plaster can be tricky because we may need to replace more than just the part that is bulging out. Drywall soaks up water like a sponge and may not be as strong once it dries out. So for water damaged ceilings we need to also replace the area around the bulging part, to prevent it falling on someone in the future.
It may be necessary to use a moisture reader to check whether there’s any moisture left in the plaster surrounding the hole to be replaced. If there is, we need to wait a few days for it to dry completely, to prevent the new plaster reacting with the moist plaster.
Plaster Crack Repairs
Repairing cracks in plaster can be trickier than it appears because we need to figure out the cause of the crack so we can apply the best solution that will prevent it cracking again in the future. Possible causes:
- If the house is moving or sinking, the joints are always going to crack.
- Excessive expansion and contraction due to temperature differences.
- Rooms with over 3 or 4 joints needs to be back blocked.
- No support behind the joint.
- Expansion joints must be added if there’s more than a certain length of plaster.
- Finally we sand it back to a smooth finish so that the repair won’t be noticeable after it has been painted.
Repair Bulging Plaster Wall
There are many different reasons that plaster walls can bulge including:
- Plaster is incorrectly screwed to the wall frame.
- Plasterboard sheets are installed too close together.
- The house is settling.
- It has been damaged by water.
- Previous repairs weren’t done correctly.
An expert plasterer will quickly be able to spot the cause of the damage and apply the appropriate type of repair.