Plaster Repair in Columbia, MO — done so well you can't find the repair
Plaster was applied wet over wood lath in three coats and keyed into the gaps between the laths. Over a hundred years those keys break, the plaster separates from the lath, and the wall develops map cracks, bulges and hollow spots. Water from an old roof or a radiator leak turns it soft. Doorknob holes and anchor holes punch straight through. Patching plaster with drywall compound alone doesn't work because the two materials move differently and the patch never bonds to the lath.
We repair plaster with the right materials and the right sequence: re-anchoring loose plaster to the lath with adhesive and screws, filling holes with a setting-type compound that bonds to the lath, bridging cracks with fiberglass mesh so they don't reopen, and skim-coating so the surface reads as one continuous wall. Where a section is too far gone, we cut it back and fill with drywall shimmed flush to the plaster, then blend the two.
Before 
After Plaster Problems We Fix
Common in Columbia's older neighborhoods and the historic river towns:
- Map and spider cracks — Networks of fine cracks across a wall or ceiling from a century of movement. Bridged with mesh and skimmed so they stay closed.
- Loose, bulging or hollow plaster — Plaster that has separated from the lath. We re-anchor it with plaster washers or adhesive rather than letting it fall.
- Holes and missing sections — Doorknob holes, anchor holes, sections that fell. Filled and keyed into the lath, or replaced with drywall shimmed flush.
- Water-damaged and crumbling plaster — Soft plaster under old roof leaks or radiator drips, removed and rebuilt once the source is fixed.
- Sagging plaster ceilings — The most urgent plaster problem. Reattached or replaced before it comes down on its own.
- Plaster-to-drywall transitions — Blending an old plaster wall into a newer drywall addition or remodel so there is no visible step.
If you own a home in one of Columbia's historic districts, keeping the plaster is usually worth it — it is denser, quieter and more fire-resistant than drywall, and repair is cheaper than gutting. We'll tell you honestly when a wall is past saving.
Every quote is flat-rate and free, given before any work starts. If something behind the wall changes the scope, we stop and tell you before we keep going — no surprise charges, no upsells.
How We Repair Plaster
Different materials, same standard — a repair you can't find:
Step 1: Stabilize
Loose plaster is reattached to the lath with plaster washers, screws or injected adhesive. Anything that can't be saved is removed back to sound material.
Step 2: Rebuild
Holes are filled with a setting-type base coat keyed into the lath; cracks are opened, filled and bridged with fiberglass mesh; missing sections get drywall shimmed flush.
Step 3: Skim and finish
The repair area is skim-coated in thin coats and sanded so it reads as one continuous surface, then primed. Smooth is standard; we can match a historic sand or swirl finish too.
What Plaster Repair Costs in Columbia, MO
Most plaster crack and hole repairs in Columbia run $175–$550, a little more than the equivalent drywall repair because of the extra anchoring and skim work. Re-securing a large loose ceiling or rebuilding a whole wall is quoted after a free look.
Quotes are free and flat-rate, and we will tell you if a wall is beyond saving before you spend anything.
See the full table in our Columbia drywall repair cost guide.
Why Columbia homeowners choose us for plaster repair
Tiger Drywall Repair is a residential drywall repair specialist — not a general handyman, not a remodeler with drywall on the side. We're two Mizzou students who learned the trade in a family drywall business, we carry liability insurance, we show up on time, we cover your floors, we manage the dust, and we don't leave until you're happy with the finish. Texture matching is included in every repair, the price is flat-rate before we start, and most quotes come back within the hour from a photo. Serving Columbia, Ashland, Hallsville, Centralia, Rocheport, Fulton, Jefferson City, Boonville and Holts Summit.
