3 Common Plaster Problems & How To Diagnose Them

plastering company New YorkLike just about any other material out there, plaster walls and ceilings can start to develop issues over time. Whether this is the result of unforeseen damages, or just neglect, it is important to be aware of just what some of these issues are, and what they mean for your walls and ceilings, and your home overall. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with what the more common of these issues are, and what it means when you spot them can be a great way to help you save both time and labor in the event that something does go wrong with your home's plaster walls or ceiling. In an effort to help you with this task, our team of professionals have taken the time to put together this short list detailing what a few of the more common plaster issues are exactly, what they mean for your home, and how diagnosing them early can help you prevent more serious problems from arising.

Cracked Plaster

Cracking plaster is usually the first problem that homeowners notice when it comes to their walls and ceilings. The only problem with cracks, however, is that sometimes they can be a warning sign that a bigger issue is developing, and sometimes they are just a natural byproduct of your plaster aging, much like wrinkles on your face. The trick is to learn the difference. Hairline cracks are generally small enough that you should have trouble fitting a fingernail inside, and are the most benign. Unless these cracks are growing, or you really just can't stand the look of them, it usually isn't worth your time to mess with them. Delaminating cracks, on the other hand, are an indication that your plaster is pulling away from the lath behind it, and while they can show up on your walls, they are most dangerous when they show up on your ceilings. As the plaster starts to pull away from the wall behind it, there is a very real chance that it could fall away entirely, or come crashing down on top of you in the case of your ceiling. Finally, settlement cracks are usually the result of part of your home starting to sag. While it is important to patch and fill in these cracks, it is more important to address the foundational problems with your home first, as the damage will only come back as home settles further.

Discolored Plaster

Discolored plaster is a surefire first warning sign that you've got water damage in your home. Brown water stains are usually going to first show up on your plaster not long after a leak begins, effectively giving you an early warning sign before too much other damage has a chance to occur. While you can prevent these stains with a stain blocking primer, it is much more important to get a professional on the scene and make sure that the leak is addressed in its entirety before the damage has a chance to spread to other areas of your home.

Bubbling Plaster

In the event that you have a leak, your plaster might start to develop stains, but as the problem gets worse, you might notice that your plaster begins to bubble up and bulge out. It is actually possible for your plaster walls or ceilings to reach this stage of damage without developing any stains as a warning sign, but whether you have forewarning or not, it is important to ensure you have the leak resolved and remove and patch the areas that have bubbled or bulged out, otherwise you run the risk of developing mold in and around the affected area. Contact our plastering and architectual molding team European Plastering today!


If you are looking for a New York and New Jersey plaster company, give us a call today at 347-766-1654 or complete our online request form.

 

 

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New York, NY 10005

Phone: 347-766-1654

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