ProfessionalPlaster Wall Crack Repair

Plaster is a different material from drywall — a hard, sand-and-lime or gypsum coating troweled on wet over wood lath, common in Charleston's historic downtown homes built long before drywall existed. It cracks in thin, often web-like lines as the building settles and humidity swings through the seasons, which is normal aging rather than a sign the wall is failing. Repairing it means working with the plaster itself, not cutting it out and swapping in sheetrock, which is a different look and feel that doesn't belong in an old plaster room.

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What you get

What’s included

An inspection to tell surface cracking from a crack that signals movement or a loose section behind it
Cleaning out and widening the crack slightly so patching material has something to grip
Flexible, plaster-compatible patching material rather than standard drywall joint compound alone
Reinforcing tape or fabric under the patch on wider or repeat-prone cracks
Sanding, blending, and priming to match the surrounding plaster's texture and slight waviness

Simple & stress-free

How it works

Inspect the crack

We check whether it's a normal hairline surface crack or a sign of loose plaster or movement behind it, since the two need different repairs.

Prepare and fill

The crack is cleaned out and slightly widened so the patching material bonds properly, then filled with a material compatible with plaster rather than standard drywall mud alone.

Blend into the plaster

The patch is sanded and feathered to match the surrounding plaster's texture and slight unevenness, since a perfectly flat patch can actually stand out on an old, hand-troweled wall.

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Problems we fix

Thin, branching hairline cracks across a ceiling or wall in an older home
A crack that reopens along the same line after a previous drywall-style patch
Cracking around door and window openings from long-term settling
Cracks that widen or narrow noticeably with the seasons as humidity changes
A crack accompanied by a section of plaster that sounds hollow or feels loose when pressed

Good to know

Plaster Wall Crack Repair — FAQ

Can you just patch my plaster with drywall joint compound?

Standard joint compound can work for a very minor hairline crack, but it doesn't flex or bond the same way plaster does, so it's prone to cracking again along the same line. We use materials suited to plaster for a repair that holds.

Should a crack in my historic home's plaster worry me?

Most cracking in an older plaster wall is cosmetic, caused by decades of settling and seasonal humidity changes. A crack that's widening, running diagonally from a window or door corner, or paired with a soft, hollow-sounding section is worth having looked at directly.

Will you cut out my plaster and replace it with drywall?

Not as a default. Plaster has a different texture, thickness, and sound than drywall, and swapping in a sheetrock patch changes the character of an old room. We repair the plaster itself unless the damage genuinely requires more.

Does Charleston's humidity affect plaster cracking?

Seasonal humidity swings make old plaster and the wood lath behind it expand and contract slightly, which is part of why hairline cracking is so common in older downtown homes. It's a slow, ongoing process rather than something that gets permanently solved.

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