MR Construction
Plaster Wall & Ceiling Repair in Wakefield, MA
Plaster repair for older homes, without tearing out walls that can be saved.
Cracks, loose sections and bulging ceilings in plaster over wood or metal lath, reattached, patched and skim coated so the walls keep their character and lose the cracks.
- 5.0 on Google22 reviews
- MA RegisteredHIC #212260
- Licensed & InsuredMassachusetts
- Since 200815+ years in Wakefield
- Free EstimatesIn your home, in writing
Who repairs plaster walls in Wakefield, MA?
MR Construction Revolutions repairs plaster walls and ceilings in older homes in Wakefield, Melrose, Winchester and Medford, Massachusetts, reattaching sound plaster to its lath, repairing cracks and skim-coating it smooth instead of tearing it out. Sections that cannot be saved get drywall blended in. The licensed and insured company prices repair against replacement at a free estimate.
Updated October 15, 2026 · MR Construction Revolutions, Wakefield, MA · (781) 866-1835
Old plaster is usually worth keeping
A lot of houses in Wakefield, Melrose, Winchester and Medford were built with plaster walls: layers of plaster pressed over strips of wood lath, or over metal lath in some later houses and repairs. It is harder, denser and quieter than drywall, and the curves and corners of an old house come from it.
It also cracks. Houses settle, framing moves with the seasons, and decades of paint pile up. The common reaction is to tear it out and put up drywall, which is messy, dusty and often more than the wall needs. In many cases the plaster can be reattached, the cracks repaired properly and the surface skimmed smooth.
We repair plaster walls and ceilings and blend in drywall where a section can't be saved. At the estimate, we'll press along the cracks with you, show you which parts are sound and which are not, and price the repair so you can compare it honestly against replacement.
What plaster repair involves
Checking the bond
Pressing along cracks and tapping walls and ceilings to find where plaster has let go of the lath.
Reattaching loose plaster
Loose areas pulled back tight to the lath with screws and plaster washers, sometimes with adhesive injected behind.
Crack repair
Cracks opened up slightly, taped with fiberglass mesh and filled with setting-type compound so they don't simply reopen.
Patching holes
Missing plaster filled flush, or a fitted piece of drywall set in and built up to the old plaster's thickness.
Skim coating
A thin coat over the whole surface when the wall is cracked all over, to give paint a uniform, smooth base.
Repair, skim, or replace with drywall
Start with the bond. Push gently along a crack. If the plaster on both sides is solid and doesn't move, it's a surface crack and can be repaired and painted. If it flexes, sounds hollow or bulges, the plaster's keys behind it have broken away from the lath. That section needs to be screwed back with plaster washers before any crack repair will last. If it crumbles when you press, it needs to come out.
Skim coating makes sense when a wall or ceiling is sound but covered in fine spider-web cracks, rough old patches, or a texture you want gone. A thin coat of compound or veneer plaster over the whole surface gives you a fresh, even wall without demolition. It is more work than painting over the cracks, and much less than tearing the wall out, and it keeps the original trim undisturbed.
Replacing with drywall is the right call for sections that are loose over a large area, crumbling, or badly water damaged. The new drywall usually has to be shimmed or doubled up to sit flush with the old plaster, which is often thicker than one sheet of board. Full tear-out also produces a lot of heavy, dusty debris, and in pre-1978 homes the painted surface may contain lead, so ask how it will be contained.
Why we tape plaster cracks instead of filling them
Filling a plaster crack with spackle looks fine for a few months. Then the house moves, and the same crack comes back right through the filler.
Bridging it with mesh tape and a setting-type compound, after any loose plaster has been reattached, gives the repair enough strength to stay closed. It's a bit more work up front for a repair that lasts.
Photos from our projects
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Feel Confident Working With Us
We know you have options when it comes to your home. Thank you for considering MR Construction Revolutions.
Licensed & insured
MR Construction Revolutions is fully licensed and insured. Ask for our certificate of insurance at your estimate.
Since 2008
More than fifteen years remodeling homes in Wakefield and the towns around it.
MA registered contractor
Registered Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor, HIC #212260, and a 5.0 rating on Google.
Plaster Repair: Frequently Asked Questions
Small perforated discs, usually about an inch and a half across, that go under a screw driven through loose plaster into the lath or framing. They spread the pressure so the screw pulls the plaster back tight without breaking through it. Once the plaster is secure, the washers are covered with compound and disappear under the finished wall.
Many older homes have plaster over narrow wood strips. Some later homes and repairs used metal lath or gypsum board lath. You can often tell from inside an outlet box or the attic. It matters for how loose plaster is reattached and how a patch is built up, and we check it before quoting.
Yes, if the plaster is still attached. Loose areas are secured first, larger cracks taped, then the entire surface gets a thin skim coat and is sanded smooth for primer and paint. It's a good option for ceilings covered in fine cracks, and avoids the mess of a full tear-out.
Usually the plaster has lost its grip on the lath above, often from age, vibration or a past leak. A sagging ceiling can let go without much warning, so keep people out from under it. If the plaster is still intact, it can often be screwed back up with plaster washers. If it's broken apart, that section is replaced.
Not if they're set flush and finished properly. Plaster is often thicker than standard drywall, so patches are shimmed or built up to match. The joint between them is taped and feathered, and a skim coat over the area can even out the texture difference so the wall paints as one surface.
Related: Drywall Repair · Water Damage Drywall Repair · Interior Painting · All drywall services
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Reviews From Our Satisfied Clients
The drywall work they did in our living room was flawless. The walls are smooth, and they even helped us with some minor repairs we hadn’t noticed before. Great service and very affordable.
Did an excellent job on my old walls before painting, the room looks great… Very nice person to work with, and I will call him again for work.
Marcio scheduled a visit to my home and we went through the renovation I was looking to have done in our master bathroom. After providing us the final estimate we scheduled demo and his team arrived promptly to start their work. They did a good job covering the bedroom items to avoid dust which helped quite a bit. During construction Marcio kept me informed the entire time and we made a couple minor changes to the scope of work without any issues… Overall, Marcio was a great contractor to work with at a good price.
MR Construction Revolutions quality of work and professionalism is unmatched. We appreciate the quick responses and open channels of communication. We appreciate the amount of consideration into being as cost effective as possible given the size of the job… We have very much enjoyed working with the MR Construction team!
Marcio proves to be a friendly and responsible person with his work, he did the job in an efficient way complying with the time and budget agreed, I would certainly look for your company for any construction work that I have…
Marcio is the best! He does remodels, decks and everything! He’s a great contact to have in your network. Real genuine person and will absolutely take care of your home as if it were his own.
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