Older Detroit homes have plaster, and later rooms and repairs are drywall. Both crack as a house moves through cold winters and humid summers. Holes, cracks and water-damaged areas are repaired, feathered out and primed so the patch does not show through the new paint.
Wall repair comes before paint, and in Detroit that means both drywall and plaster. Houses built before the 1950s have plaster on wood or metal lath. Later houses, additions and remodeled rooms have drywall. Both crack as a building moves through cold, dry winters and humid summers, and both get damaged by roof leaks, plumbing leaks, door handles and moving day. We check which material each wall is made of before we choose the patching method, because plaster and drywall are not fixed the same way.
Small holes, dents and popped nails are filled, sanded and primed. Larger holes get a drywall patch that is taped and finished in several thin coats, feathered out wide so no ridge shows. Plaster cracks are opened up and filled or taped. Loose plaster is fastened back or cut out and patched. Water-stained areas are repaired only after the leak is fixed and the wall is dry, then sealed with a stain-blocking primer.
The last step is what makes a repair disappear. Joint compound soaks up paint differently from the wall around it, so every patch is primed. Then the whole wall or ceiling is painted from corner to corner, because touching up only the patch nearly always shows. Where the wall has a sand finish or other texture, the patch is textured to match before priming. You should expect some dust, so we cover floors and furniture and clean up when the sanding is done.
Drywall repair in Detroit: common questions
Can you repair plaster as well as drywall?
Yes. Cracks are opened and filled or taped, and loose or missing plaster is patched. Large areas of failed plaster are looked at and priced separately.
Why do my old repairs show through the paint?
Usually because the patch was not primed or was not feathered out wide enough. Priming the patch and repainting the whole wall hides it.
Can you fix a ceiling after a leak?
Yes, once the leak is fixed and the ceiling is dry. Damaged material is repaired, the stain is sealed with a stain-blocking primer and the ceiling is repainted.
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.