Can you tell where the damp is coming from?

Often, yes, from what we can see on site. For anything serious, like persistent rising damp, you may need a damp specialist to confirm, and we will say so rather than guess.

Do I have to redecorate the whole room?

Not necessarily. We can repair and skim a single damaged area, though fresh plaster will need painting once dry and may not perfectly match aged paint nearby.

Will the repair last?

It should, as long as the cause of the damp has been sorted. That is why we look at the source first. A repair over an unsolved leak is money wasted. Our work also comes with a 12 month guarantee.

Plaster Repair in York

When plaster bubbles, crumbles, or sounds hollow when you tap it, it has blown. The plaster has lost its bond with the wall behind. Paint over it and the problem comes straight back through. We repair blown and damp damaged plaster across York, and we make sure the cause is dealt with first, not just the symptom.

Not sure if yours has blown? Our guide on how to spot when your walls need replastering has a simple tap test.

Why plaster blows

Usually damp. A leaking gutter, rising damp at the base of a wall, condensation in a cold room, an old chimney breast drawing moisture. The water gets into the plaster, breaks the bond, and the surface lets go. There can be other reasons, like a bad mix or movement in the wall, but damp is the common one in older York housing stock.

Here is the part people skip. If you replaster a damp wall without dealing with where the water is coming from, you have spent money on a repair that will fail again. We look for the source first.

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How we put it right

We hack off the blown plaster back to a sound edge, let the wall dry where damp is involved, and treat or tank it where needed. Then we replaster, build the surface back up in coats, and skim it flat to match the rest of the room. By the time we are done you should not be able to see where the repair was.

Older properties

A lot of our repair work is in period homes around York, where solid walls and old materials behave differently to modern cavity walls. Some of those walls need to let moisture move rather than have it sealed in. We will tell you what your wall is made of and what it needs before any work starts.

Call McHandy on 07940 099 976 for a free plaster repair quote, or contact us.

Walls and ceiling replastered during a York room renovation

Fresh ceiling plaster above a bay window with decorative coving

Newly skimmed ceiling drying in a York living room

McHandy decorator applying a clean paint finish in a York home

Plaster repair questions we get asked

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you tell where the damp is coming from?

Often, yes, from what we can see on site. For anything serious, like persistent rising damp, you may need a damp specialist to confirm, and we will say so rather than guess.
Do I have to redecorate the whole room?

Not necessarily. We can repair and skim a single damaged area, though fresh plaster will need painting once dry and may not perfectly match aged paint nearby.
Will the repair last?

It should, as long as the cause of the damp has been sorted. That is why we look at the source first. A repair over an unsolved leak is money wasted. Our work also comes with a 12 month guarantee.