Many Brooklyn walls are plaster on lath, patched over the years with drywall. Cracks return above doors and along ceilings, and leaks from above leave stains and soft spots. We repair holes and cracks, skim coat where the wall is uneven, prime every patch and paint.
The page is called drywall repair, but in Brooklyn the wall is often plaster. Row houses and prewar apartment buildings were built with plaster on wood or metal lath, and later repairs added sections of drywall beside it. Newer condos and gut renovations are drywall throughout. The two materials fail in different ways. Plaster cracks along the lath lines and pulls loose in patches. Drywall gets dents, popped fasteners and holes from door handles. We check what is behind the paint so the repair matches the wall.
Small holes are filled and sanded. Larger ones get a new piece of board fixed to the framing, then tape and joint compound in thin layers. Cracks that return are opened and taped, since filler alone will split again. Loose plaster can sometimes be fastened back to the lath. If it is too far gone, the section is cut out and patched. Walls that are rough from decades of patches can be skim coated for one flat surface. Every repair is primed, or it will show through the paint.
Water is behind a large share of repairs here: a neighbor's bathroom overhead, a radiator valve, a roof or parapet leak. The leak has to be stopped and the wall dry before we repair it, or the stain and the damage return. In co-ops and condos, damage coming from another unit usually involves the managing agent, so report it early. Sanding makes dust, and in an old home it can contain lead from earlier coats, so we contain the area and clean up with care.
Drywall repair in Brooklyn: common questions
Should a damaged plaster wall be repaired or replaced with drywall?
Repair it where the plaster is still firmly attached. Plaster is hard, dense and quiets sound between rooms. Where large areas have come loose from the lath, replacing that section with drywall and blending it in is usually the sensible route.
A leak from the apartment above stained my ceiling. Can you fix it?
Yes, once the leak is fixed and the ceiling is dry. We cut out anything soft, patch it, seal the stain with a stain-blocking primer and repaint. Report the leak to your super or managing agent first.
Will the patch show after painting?
A patch that is feathered wide, sanded flat and primed should not stand out. On a wall with a sheen, we often repaint corner to corner, because a touched-up spot can flash in the side light from a window.
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.