Plaster Wall & Ceiling Repair in Wilmington, DE

Homes built before the 1950s, which covers a lot of Wilmington, historic New Castle, and older parts of Claymont and Newark, usually have plaster walls: several coats of lime or gypsum plaster over wood lath, metal lath, or later gypsum "rock lath." Plaster is harder, quieter, and more fire-resistant than drywall, and in many cases it's worth saving.

Common plaster problems

• Hairline and map cracks: cosmetic; usually taped with mesh and skimmed.
• Loose plaster ("lost keys"): the plaster has broken away from the lath and bulges or moves when pressed. It can often be reattached with plaster washers or an adhesive injection system before patching.
• Missing sections: filled with new plaster or a drywall insert shimmed to the right thickness, then skimmed.
• Badly failing ceilings: sometimes covered with new drywall screwed through to the joists rather than demolished, which avoids a huge, dusty tear-out.

Repair vs. replace

Tearing out plaster is messy, expensive to dispose of, and exposes you to lead paint dust in most older homes. Repair or overlay is often the better choice unless walls are being opened for rewiring, insulation, or a full gut remodel.

Paint on plaster in homes built before 1978 should be presumed to contain lead. Hire a contractor certified under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule for work that disturbs painted surfaces.