Ann Arbor has plaster in its older houses and drywall in its newer ones, and both crack as the seasons change. We fix holes, dents, nail pops and seam cracks, then sand, prime and paint so the repair does not show.
Walls in Ann Arbor come in two kinds, and they are repaired differently. Houses built before about 1950, such as those on the Old West Side and in Burns Park, usually have plaster over wood lath. Later homes have drywall. We repair both before painting: nail pops, dents, corner damage, holes left by old fixtures and cracks that follow the seams. Every repair is filled, sanded flat and primed so it does not show through the finish coat.
Michigan's seasons cause much of the damage we see. Dry furnace heat in winter and humid air in summer make framing shrink and swell, which pops screws and opens cracks above doors and along ceiling joints. Water stains from ice at the eaves or a leaking bathroom are also common. A stain has to be dry and sealed with a stain-blocking primer before any patching or paint, or it comes back through.
A good repair should be hard to find afterward. That means feathering the compound well past the damage, matching any wall texture, priming the patch and painting the full wall from corner to corner. In homes built before 1978, sanding or cutting into painted surfaces can release lead dust, so the work area is contained and cleaned carefully. We look at the damage during a free estimate and put the repair and the painting in one written quote.
Drywall repair in Ann Arbor: common questions
Can you repair plaster as well as drywall in Ann Arbor homes?
Yes. Cracks in plaster are opened, taped and filled, and loose areas are fixed back or cut out and patched. Large failed sections may need a plaster specialist, and we will tell you if so.
Why do cracks in my walls come back every winter?
Seasonal movement. Dry heated air in winter shrinks the framing and the crack reopens. Taping the crack and using a flexible filler holds much better than filling it with compound alone.
Will the patch show after painting?
It should not. We sand the repair flat, prime it and repaint the whole wall. Patches that are only touched up tend to show as dull or shiny spots in side light.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.