Plaster repair of a New Jersey home or commercial building is best left to professionals, to ensure a proper and thorough repair that lasts. Due to this cost, some homeowners or business owners might consider replacing damaged plaster with drywall rather than investing in plaster repairs. Our Spruce Grove, Alberta drywall company is a full-service, multi-family, commercial drywall contractor operating in the Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St. Albert and Spruce Grove.
While it’s vital that a homeowner or commercial property owner consider their budget when deciding on needed repairs, there are many reasons why you might want to keep that plaster intact no matter those costs. Before you decide to start tearing out a plaster ceiling or measuring your home’s plaster walls for new sheetrock, note a few vital considerations about the benefits of plaster over drywall.
Why Invest in Plaster Repair in New Jersey Versus Drywall
While drywall is relatively cheap to purchase and easy to install, consider the advantages of authentic plaster instead:
- Plaster doesn’t hold moisture so it won’t feed mold. While mold might grow along wood framing behind plaster, it’s unlikely to grow and spread along the surface of plaster itself, unlike drywall which is a favorite spot for mold growth!
- Plaster is highly resistant to heat and flame. If a fire should start in your home, plaster walls and ceilings aren’t likely to feed that fire, while drywall is highly flammable.
- Sound waves don’t travel through dense plaster as easily as drywall. You might enjoy quieter interior spaces with plaster walls and ceilings than if you choose drywall replacement.
- As plaster is applied wet and then shaped and formed before it dries, it’s often easier to apply plaster around awkward corners or to create a uniform and even look in spaces that might otherwise show gaps between drywall sheets.
- Dense plaster doesn’t crack or break on impact as easily as drywall. If you have active children in the home you might choose plaster over drywall, for less risk of holes in the walls!
- Rodents and termites chew through drywall rather easily. The density of plaster often keeps out insects and is not easy for rodents to chew through.
- Authentic plaster often adds lots of character and charm to a space, more so than standard drywall. Your property values might even be affected if you were to replace plaster with drywall!
Plaster also offers a repair or installation expert the opportunity to add medallions, dental molding, and other such decorative details right along the surface of the material itself. While you can nail or glue wood molding and decorative details to drywall, authentic plaster detailing is an elegant touch that adds richness and elegance and even a sense of history to a home or office!
Signs of Needed Plaster Repair in New Jersey
Broken or cracked plaster is in obvious need of repair, but never overlook sagging or uneven plaster sections as well, especially along ceilings. A sagging section of plaster might eventually break away, creating a hazard for anyone below! Call for plaster ceiling repair in New Jersey as soon as you notice sagging, curved, or uneven section overhead.
Tiny cracks in plaster are also relatively normal and not necessarily dangerous, but long cracks along walls and ceilings need repairs as quickly as possible. Sections of plaster might continue to pull away along those cracked areas, leading to larger and more expensive repairs the longer you ignore them. Cracks in plaster also allow for water damage to the woodwork behind plaster, as well as resultant mold growth.
Damp patches and water stains along the surface of plaster might also indicate water leaks and resultant damage behind the walls or ceilings. Never just paint over those stains or try to dry out the damp areas, but call for plaster repair in New Jersey as soon as you notice these indicators of needed repairs.
Common Mistakes With DIY Plaster Repair in New Jersey
It’s typically recommended that a homeowner leave plaster repair in New Jersey to the pros, to ensure a proper repair job. Before you decide that you can just patch up your home’s walls or perform plaster ceiling crack repair in New Jersey on your own, note some common mistakes many homeowners make and that you should avoid yourself:
- Sagging plaster ceilings often indicate water damage to the lath or wood framework behind plaster. Simply patching over this area or trying to sand it down for an even surface without addressing the cause of water damage might lead to more extensive damage in time and eventual ceiling collapse!
- When patching severe cracks in plaster, it’s often beneficial to make the crack a slight bit bigger, to ensure you can add enough patching compound to keep those sections connected and avoid larger cracks and damage over time. Simply covering over larger cracks might be insufficient for avoiding future damage.
- When applying patching compound, it’s vital that you use a drywall knife or other smooth tool to press out air bubbles before the material dries! Ignoring this step might lead to bumpy or bubbly plaster and a very unsightly surface.
How Much Should Plaster Repair in New Jersey Cost?
As every repairperson and every damaged section of plaster is different, every cost for repairs will be different as well! However, most small repairs along a section of a wall or ceiling might average between $100 and $300 for all materials and labor.
If a plaster repair contractor in New Jersey charges by the hour, you might pay between $60 and $100 per hour and expect many typically repairs to take around three hours. Extensive repairs that require new plaster installation along sections of the walls or ceiling might take far longer.
While these are averages for your plaster repair in New Jersey costs, note that severe water damage behind layers of plaster might increase those costs. Having to replicate intricate detailing, such as along a ceiling medallion or crown molding, might also increase your plaster repair costs. However, those costs are typically worth it when you consider the added value of plaster and especially versus a drywall replacement or installation.