Get matched with top plaster repair specialists in Scenery Hill, PA

You can technically just paint over hairline cracks in plaster since these cracks are often harmless, but this will mostly be a waste of paint. Paint will only hide the hairline crack for a few months before it shows up again. The best solution is to repair the crack with flexible filler or joint compound before repainting.

Plastering comes at a higher cost than installing drywall, but it also provides some pretty enticing benefits. First, plaster usually lasts longer than drywall, so long-term costs will usually be lower. Second, plaster is a highly insulative material, so it might help make your living area feel more comfortable and keep your heating and cooling costs lower, especially in the summer and winter. Finally, plastering is naturally textured, so it helps hide imperfections and often adds warmth to your home that drywall won’t.

The short answer is yes, a sagging plaster ceiling is dangerous. Sagging plaster on a wall is something you should fix immediately, but it isn’t a major concern. If the same type of sagging occurs on a ceiling, however, you could be in danger of your ceiling falling in large chunks. When plaster sags, it loses its strength and ability to hold itself up. The bonds that hold it together are strong, though, so if a sagging area falls, it will take large pieces down with it.

If your home was built before the 1940s and was not remodeled in the past 50 or so years, you probably have plaster walls. Aside from assuming, there are some practical ways to tell if you have plaster walls, including the following: If you knock on the wall and it feels solid, not hollow, if you can’t insert a thumbtack easily, if there are cracks that look like spiderwebs, or if your home has curved, arched, or swirled walls, doorways, or window openings.

If you have an unfinished basement or attic, you could examine the backs of any finished walls to check, too.