Plaster Repair: Cracks, Holes and Water Damage in Walls and Ceilings

What plaster repair covers

Plaster repair means fixing a damaged patch of plaster, not redoing the whole wall or ceiling. Think of a crack, a hole, a patch that has come loose, or a ceiling damaged by a leak. I always look closely at what is actually going on first, because a hairline crack needs a different approach to a hole where a light switch used to sit.

Not every bit of damage needs a repair. If a wall is covered in cracks, or a whole ceiling is due for replacement, replastering it is often the better choice, rather than patching one spot after another. This page is about where that line sits.

The damage I see most often is a hairline crack, a moving crack, a small or large hole, plaster coming away from the wall, and water damage to a ceiling. I will go through each of these below, so you can work out which category your job falls into before you start.

Hairline cracks in plaster: usually a DIY job

A hairline crack is a thin, shallow line in the top layer. It usually happens because the wall has moved slightly, or because the paint layer itself has shrunk a little. You can normally deal with a line like this yourself: touch it up, paint over it, and it disappears.

You recognise a hairline crack by how thin it is: narrower than a couple of millimetres, and it does not feel like a real opening under your finger. It often follows the join between two plasterboard sheets, or a spot where the wall has taken a small knock in the past.

It becomes a different story once a crack like this comes back after a while, in exactly the same place. Then the cause sits deeper than the top layer, and touching it up is at best a temporary fix. At that point I would rather come and take a look than have you patch it again every year.

Repairing a moving crack

A moving crack shifts with the house, from settling, temperature changes or vibration in the structure. It keeps coming back, even after you have touched it up neatly, because the movement sits in the wall itself, not in the layer on top of it.

That is why a moving crack is not a job to keep tackling yourself. I look at where the movement is coming from and finish the crack so it can move without pulling straight open again, sometimes with a different build-up of layers, sometimes with a strip of reinforcement worked in.

If the crack comes from subsidence or another structural cause, home insurance can sometimes help cover it. I do not arrange that for you, but I will give you a clear description of the damage that you can use with the insurer.

A hole in the wall: small or large

A small hole from a screw or a nail, you can fill yourself in a couple of minutes. No need to call me for that.

A large or deep hole is a different matter. Think of the spot where a socket used to sit, a pipe has been removed, or a door handle has punched through the wall. The new layer has to blend into the existing wall, without a visible seam, and a couple of dabs of filler will not do that.

It needs the same texture as the rest of the wall, with the edges feathered into the existing surface. Skip that step, and you will see a shadow line or a bump the moment raking light hits it, even once it is painted over.

Repairing loose plaster

Plaster that is coming away sounds hollow when you tap it. The layer is still there, but it is no longer fully attached to the wall. Painting over it will not fix that. It still sounds hollow once the paint has dried.

It is usually caused by damp that has got in behind the layer, a surface that was not properly prepared at the time, or simply age. I tap the spot to hear how far it reaches, take off the loose part, and apply a new layer that actually bonds. Skip that step, and it starts cracking or flaking again shortly after a repaint.

Water damage to a ceiling

A ceiling with water damage shows as a stain, a sagging patch, or plaster that has come loose after a leak. The source of the leak needs to be gone first, and the ceiling properly dry, otherwise you are working a new layer onto a surface that is still damp underneath.

Once that is sorted, I take off the damaged section and apply new plaster that lines up with the rest of the ceiling. A hallway ceiling in Geertruidenberg needed exactly that kind of repair after a leak.

Cracks in an exterior wall

A crack in an exterior wall has to deal with rain, frost and sun, so I use a different, cement-based layer outside than I do indoors. A single, isolated crack is usually a straightforward repair. If water sits in the crack and freezing weather pulls it further open, a small crack turns into a bigger problem quickly, so I would rather not leave it too long.

If the rest of the wall is also showing plenty of cracking or loose patches, replastering the whole exterior wall is often the smarter move, rather than patching one spot after another.

After the repair: drying and the right finish

A repaired patch needs to dry properly before you paint or wallpaper over it. How long that takes depends on the thickness of the new layer and how humid the room is, and I will tell you what to expect once the repair is done.

Painting afterwards, a thin, paint-ready finish on the repair is usually enough. Wallpapering, the new layer needs to be just as flat as the rest of the wall, because thin wallpaper shows up every little unevenness underneath. I prime the patch where needed, so you do not end up seeing a different colour or texture on it later on.

DIY or call a plasterer: the overview

Not sure which column your job falls into? Just send a photo. I can see straight away what is going on, and whether it is worth trying yourself.

How I handle a repair

1. Photo and first look. You send a photo of the damage, and I can tell straight away what kind of crack, hole or patch we are dealing with.
2. Checking the cause. If I am not sure, I come and take a look in person, to feel and tap the spot and check whether the crack or patch is still moving.
3. Quote and planning. You get a quote, and we agree on a date.
4. The repair itself. I remove the damaged section, prepare the surface, and apply a new layer that matches the thickness and texture of the rest of the wall or ceiling.
5. Clean-up. I clear everything away before I leave, including the dust and the leftover bits of old plaster.

For a single repair I come alone. For several patches at once, or a bigger job like a whole wall full of cracks, I bring a colleague along so it gets done in one go. I run this business myself, as Sterk Stukadoor, Dutch for “strong plasterer”: Osman is the plasterer behind it.

Plaster repairs in Gorinchem and the region

I repair cracks, holes and water damage in Gorinchem and the wider region around it, from Dordrecht and the Drechtsteden area to Utrecht and parts of Brabant. What a repair actually involves depends on the damage and its cause, not on a fixed rate per crack or per hole. I look at the size, the location in the house, and whether there is more going on than what shows up in the photo. Send a photo and I will quickly tell you what I am looking at.

What customers say about repairs

Reviews are in Dutch, because they come straight from Werkspot. Not every repair is the same, but the pattern in the reviews is consistent: tidy work, done as agreed, and straight talk about what it costs.

“Waterlekkage gangplafond weer netjes. Snel, netjes en vakkundig geholpen. Alles duidelijk vooraf, tijdens en na de klus. Alles netjes achtergelaten. Nogmaals bedankt!” Source: Werkspot user from Geertruidenberg (Werkspot review)

“Super lieve man. Super eerlijk en duidelijk. Echt vakwerk. Eerlijke prijs. Komt afspraken na. Als je geen gedoe of hoofdpijn wilt, moet je Osman hebben.” Source: Gurtej, Klaaswaal (Werkspot review)

“Keurig gewerkt volgens afspraak. Kosten wel fors. Handig als de communicatie wat beter zou gaan. Spreekt maar een paar woorden Nederlands.” Source: Werkspot user from Breda (Werkspot review)

“Netjes gewerkt!” Source: Wessel, Breda (Werkspot review)

I have been doing this work for close to 20 years, and it shows in how quickly I can size up a crack, a hole or a water-damaged patch. Sterk Stukadoor scores 4.9 out of 5 across 34 reviews on Werkspot, from small repairs to bigger jobs.

Got a crack, a hole or water damage you would rather have looked at than tackle yourself? Send a photo and I will tell you what it needs.