Plaster Repairs in Falkirk: What to Fix, When and How

The plaster problems Falkirk homes actually get

Older homes around Falkirk, Grangemouth and Camelon often have lime plaster on lath. It behaves differently from modern gypsum plaster. Lath and plaster ceilings sag when the nibs that hold the plaster to the wooden laths break. If you tap the area, it will often sound hollow. In older houses, solid stone walls were usually plastered straight onto the stone or onto wooden strips. So damp coming through the stone shows up as stains, salts or soft, crumbly patches.

In post-war and modern homes, the usual problems are different. You see cracks around door frames and windows as the house settles. You see nail or screw heads popping through plasterboard ceilings. You also see damage where radiators or shelves have come off, or where old wallpaper has pulled the top skim away with it. None of these are hard to repair, but each needs a slightly different approach. That is why a proper look at the wall matters more than a quote over the phone.

• Hairline cracks under 2mm: usually seasonal movement or drying, cosmetic in most cases
• Blown or hollow plaster: the bond to the wall has failed and the loose area needs cut back
• Sagging lath and plaster ceilings: often repairable, but a badly sagged ceiling may need overboarding
• Damp, salty or crumbling patches: fix the moisture source first, then repair the plaster

Patch repair or replaster? How to decide

A good rule is to look at how much of the wall is damaged. If it is less than about a third, a patch repair blended into the wall is usually the sensible option. Once you are patching half the wall, a full skim coat over the lot often costs little more. It also gives you one clean, flat surface. A patchwork of repairs can show through paint in low light.

Ceilings are a little different. A small crack or a couple of popped screws are quick repairs. But if a lath and plaster ceiling has sagged or lost large pieces, it is often better to cover it with plasterboard and skim it. That avoids the mess of pulling the whole ceiling down. It also gives a sound, modern finish, as long as the joists above are in good condition.

What affects the cost of a repair

Every repair is priced on access, the state of the existing plaster and whether damp or movement needs sorting first. A small patch is a quick job. Skimming a full room, walls and ceiling, is a much bigger one. We look at the job for free and give you one fixed price before any work starts.

Repairs to lath and plaster, lime work or damp walls cost more, because the materials and preparation take longer. Lime plaster needs time to harden between coats, so a matching repair on an older house cannot be rushed in one visit. If a quote for an old stone house seems very cheap, ask what it is for. It could be a proper repair that lets the wall breathe. Or it could be a quick gypsum patch that fails once damp gets behind it.

Getting the repair to last

The repair itself is only half the job. Cracks that keep coming back usually mean the cause has not been fixed. It might be a leaking gutter soaking a gable wall, or condensation in a room with poor airflow. It might also be a wooden floor above that moves with the seasons. A good plasterer will tell you if they think the problem will come back. They will also tell you what needs doing first, even if that delays their own work.

Drying time matters too. New plaster needs 7 to 10 days to dry before painting, and longer in a cold Scottish winter. Wait until it is an even pale pink all over before you decorate. A mist coat of watered-down emulsion goes on first so the paint bonds properly. Painting too early with vinyl paint is one of the most common reasons a good repair ends up peeling.

• Fix leaks, gutters and ventilation before plastering, not after
• Let plaster dry fully to a uniform light pink before any paint
• Always start with a mist coat, roughly 70 percent emulsion to 30 percent water
• Keep some heat and airflow in the room while it dries, but avoid blasting it with a dehumidifier against fresh plaster

Common questions

More on this: Plastering · Falkirk