Walls in St. Louis come in two kinds: drywall in newer homes and plaster in the many houses built before the 1950s. Each needs its own repair. We patch holes, tape cracks that keep returning, prime every repair and paint the full wall so the patch does not show.
There are two kinds of wall in this area, and the repair is different for each. Houses built before about the 1950s, which is most of the city and the inner suburbs like Maplewood and University City, have plaster on wood lath or on plasterboard. Later homes have drywall. Plaster cracks along the lath lines and at door corners as an old brick house settles and moves with the seasons. Drywall gets holes, popped screws, torn paper and loose tape at the seams.
For drywall we cut out the damage, fit a new piece, tape and apply joint compound in thin coats, sanding between them. For plaster we open the crack, bridge it with tape or mesh and fill it with a setting compound that will not shrink. Plaster that has let go of the lath is fastened back, or cut out and patched level with the wall. Every repair is primed, because bare compound soaks up paint and shows as a dull patch.
Water is behind many of the repairs we see: a roof leak over a top floor ceiling, a radiator or bathroom leak, or a damp basement wall. The leak has to be fixed and the wall dry before we patch, and stains get a stain blocking primer. We match the surrounding texture as closely as we can and paint the whole wall or ceiling so the patch does not flash. Compound needs drying time, so even small repairs often take two visits.
Drywall repair in St. Louis: common questions
Do you repair plaster, or only drywall?
Both. Most of our wall repair in the city is plaster. Cracks, holes and loose areas are fixed and blended in. Where a whole wall or ceiling has failed, covering it with new drywall may be the better fix, and we will say so.
Why did the crack over my doorway come back?
Old houses move a little with the seasons, and a crack that was only filled will reopen. We tape or mesh it and use a setting compound. That holds far better, though no one can promise an old house will never crack again.
Can you fix a ceiling stain from an old leak?
Yes, once the leak is repaired and the ceiling is dry. Soft or sagging material is replaced. The stain is sealed with a stain blocking primer and the full ceiling is repainted so the color is even.
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.