Plaster Repair: DIY or Hire a Professional

You fell in love with your vintage property. It's rare to enjoy the architecture from a century ago, but you're in your dream estate. The only problem is, that you have plaster damage. Can you take care of it yourself, or should you hire a professional?

It's always recommended to hire an expert plaster restoration company when repairs are required. The unique compound and process that's used for plaster restoration aren't the same as patching up ordinary drywall. It requires a plaster contractor that can renovate and maintain the look of your walls and ceilings, including detailed plaster moldings.

Why Hiring a Professional Plaster Restoration Company is the Best

You can go to the home improvement store and easily find all the supplies, materials, and tools you need to do the restoration. If you're even the slightest bit interested in DIY work, you probably think that it's something you can handle on your own. Watch a few video tutorials online and get to work. It can't be that hard, can it? 
 

If you talk to anyone that's ever tried to do their plaster repair, you'll hear that they regret it. It's not like drywall, where you mix up your compound and slap it on a flat surface. is much more intricate. You can probably tell that just by looking around at your plaster ceilings and decorative crown moldings. There are a lot of features in the plaster that you don't see in more modern construction. That's what makes it so beautiful.

By choosing a professional plaster restoration company, you can have someone there that is capable of not only doing whatever repairs you require, but they can inspect and restore other areas too. That's what you want if you want to prevent costly plaster ceiling replacements later on. Most experienced plaster restoration contractors like New Jersey Plastering also have knowledge and training in other areas. Some of those include exterior plastering, spray plastering, plaster slabbing, screeding, floating, and more. If you've never done this kind of task before, you probably aren't familiar with those terms. To truly maintain the look and feel of your historic plaster, you must have someone there that has the methods and artistry down.

Why Are Plaster Repairs Necessary?

Your building is old. You're well aware of that fact. There should be some character-building attributes like small cracks here and there, right? Wrong. You need to get your plaster repair done for several reasons. If you leave it for too long, you could be dealing with safety issues. Eventually, the plaster will pull entirely away from the foundation and fall. Large chunks landing on someone could lead to severe injuries.

Quality plaster repairs are the only way you're going to maintain the value of your property, as well. In some instances, having the restorations done will increase what your home or office space is worth. It's a little bit of an investment, but it's worth it.

How An Expert Plaster Repair Company Can Save You From Disaster

As soon as you see any cracks or sagging in your plaster, you should be on the phone with a plaster contractor. With a very tiny break, you can stucco, sand, and paint over on your own. However, usually, when there is one defect, there are more. A plaster repair contractor with experience knows what to look for.

The small blemish you notice when watching TV doesn't seem like a big issue, but there could be plaster water damage. That's a huge deal and not something you want to ignore. The longer you neglect it, the worse it will get. When your plaster contractor shows up, he or she will be able to do a thorough inspection right away to determine precisely what's happening. They can then come up with a customized solution for fixing it.

For example, if there is water damage to your plaster, then there have to be holes drilled into the material itself. This is the first step, and you can quickly find yourself in a tight spot. The gap has to be a specific size, and making it too big or too deep could lead to even further issues for the foundation.

Professional plaster repair technicians have the unique bonding compounds that need to be injected into the hole. They know the correct amount to use to ensure it holds up. You would just be guessing, and that's not an effective method.

That's just one of the ways that you could potentially find yourself in hot water. You started with damaged plaster, and now you have to have work done to the foundation. That's what makes hiring a professional the better option.

Choosing the Right Plaster Repair Company

Your general contractor isn't likely to have knowledge or experience in plaster repair. That's because most homes and businesses aren't built with this type of material anymore. Unless they are skilled in plaster restoration specifically and can prove it to you, you want to look for someone else.

If you plan on keeping your property for a while, choose a local plaster contractor. That way, you can check out the work that they've already done. You can also have them on standby if you require future plaster repairs. Before you hire anyone, make sure to check their credentials. You want someone that is licensed and insured so that you're covered if an accident occurs too.

Never hire a plastering company that promises to get the work done in a day. More often than not, it takes several different settings to complete the project because of the steps that are involved. The compounds and materials that are used have to have time to dry in between. If the other plaster companies aren't doing that, the results will not be correct or high quality.

Ask them about any warranties they offer on the work they do as well. It isn't the most expensive home improvement project, but it's not cheap either. You want what you're paying for to last. Any contractor that is confident in their work will give you some assurance that you're selecting the right company.