Plaster repairs in Melbourne: holes, cracks and water damage

What kind of damage is it?

A plasterer prices a repair by its size and by how much of the wall or ceiling has to be redone to hide it. Measure the damage, photograph it from close up and from across the room, and describe it.

• A hole: from a door handle, a removed fitting, or an impact
• A crack: hairline, along a sheet joint, or running from the corner of a door or window
• Cracks in the cornice, where the wall meets the ceiling
• A water stain, bubbling paint or soft plaster
• A ceiling that sags or bulges
• The wall itself: plasterboard (often called by the brand name Gyprock), or older lath and plaster

Fix the cause first

If water caused the damage, the leak has to be found and fixed before the plaster is repaired, or the stain and soft patches come back. The Building and Plumbing Commission says water getting into homes often develops gradually and isn't always visible at first, so a stain can be the first sign of a roof, plumbing or shower leak.

Cracks that keep coming back, get wider, or come with doors and windows that start to stick can mean movement in the building. Get advice on the cause, from a builder or engineer, before paying to patch over it.

Sagging or wet ceilings

Keep people out from under a ceiling that's sagging, bulging or holding water, and don't push on it. Treat it as urgent: call a plasterer or builder to make it safe, and fix the source of any water.

If you're insured, contact your insurer first to check what's covered. If you rent, damage that makes the property unsafe is on Victoria's urgent repairs list, so tell your rental provider or agent straight away.

Asbestos in older walls and ceilings

In homes built or renovated before 1990, wall and ceiling sheeting, plaster patching compounds and textured paint may contain asbestos. Don't cut, sand or drill them with high-speed power tools until you know. A sample can be tested, and removal is best left to a licensed asbestos removalist.

Who can do it

Plastering on its own doesn't need a registered builder in Victoria, even for a job worth more than $10,000, so check the business instead: an active ABN, insurance, reviews from more than one source, and a written quote (for a job over $10,000, Consumer Affairs Victoria still says to use a major domestic building contract). If one contract combines plastering with other trades and is worth more than $10,000, it needs a registered builder.

Moving a light, switch or power point while the ceiling or wall is open is electrical work, and needs a licensed electrician.

Patch or replace, and the finish

A small hole can be patched; a large or water-damaged area often means cutting out and replacing part of a sheet. Ask which the plasterer recommends and why, and whether the repair will show once painted, particularly on a ceiling or a wall lit from the side.

Some plasterers leave the repair sanded and ready for paint, and don't paint it themselves. Ask, and if yours doesn't, get the painting quoted at the same time.

What the quote should list

• Cutting out damaged material, and disposal
• Patching or new plasterboard, and the area covered
• Jointing, sanding and priming
• Cornice repair or replacement, and matching the existing profile
• Painting, or a note that it's excluded
• Dust protection for floors and furniture
• Access for high ceilings, and return visits while compound dries

Example brief

“Bathroom ceiling has a brown stain about 50 cm across and the plaster feels soft; it's under the roof, and a roofer fixed a cracked tile there last month. Single-storey 1990s house in Werribee. Please quote cutting out and replacing the damaged section, jointing and sanding, and say whether you paint or I need a painter.”

Before booking a plasterer

• The cause of water damage or cracking fixed first
• Measurements and photos of the damage
• Asbestos checked in a pre-1990 home
• Patch or replace, and whether it will show
• Painting included, or quoted separately

Ready to describe it? Start a job request or browse plastering work. Water coming through the ceiling? See roof leaks. Painting after? See interior painting. Availability depends on real postings, and registration must be enabled to submit.