Drywall, Plaster & Sheetrock
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2008 - 2011 Reviews
Seeking recommendations for Drywall work
Jan 2011I am looking to hire someone for Drywall work in my house. It's existing drywall in my staircase that needs to be sanded & primed. Does anyone have any recommendations for Drywall people..?? Thanks..
My husband and I recommend Robin O'Donnell (510-649-1501) for his excellent job in sheet rocking, finding and replacing/repairing dry rot in our 1923 bungalow, and rewiring the ceiling light fixture's wiring. It's the best the stairwell and bedroom have looked since 1923! Robin is very professional, punctual, thorough, and pleasant to have around. Liz
Need a good, detail oriented plasterer
Feb 2010I thought I'd seen a rave review for a plasterer on this site, but I can't find it. We have cracked and buckling lathe and plaster walls from earthquakes and from having our house leveled. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good, detail oriented plasterer? Reasonably priced? Or a good painter who plasters? But mostly we need these walls fixed. Living in the Adams famiy house
I would highly recommend Patrick Griffin - mobile (510) 693-5116. He and his crew are fast, well priced and produce high-quality work. We had him replaster our lath and plaster style walls (vs. today's current drywall). Don't be taken aback by his ''interesting'' communication style - he may seem totally with it but he comes through and the work is great.
We loved working with Carlotta Grochowski, aka ''the mud queen.'' (415) 585-5121 She is based in SF, but works in the East Bay. Personable, knowledgeable, reasonable ;-) Hate to skim coat
We would highly recommend Antelmo Prestegui at (415) 424-3186. He did beautiful repair and replastering work for nearly every room of our 1904-era house. Fixing cracked lath and plaster is one of his specialties, as well as painting and many other handyman tasks. Very reasonable, reliable, and trustworthy. Please e-mail us if you would like more references. Antelmo has worked for many of our friends and neighbors as well. Ted and Sally
Hi, I know a wonderful plasterer who can do anything from traditional venetian plaster to environmentally friendly mud plasters and anything else you might need. He is not the typical contractor from my experience. He takes deadlines seriously - although he does have to take ordering products into account. He is a good worker and easy to have around. His name is Jesse Butterfield. ph 510 672 0152 www.jessebutterfield.com Alexandria
try will perez at perez construction. excellent rates great work 415-806-3859. oaksmoke
Drywaller for Laundry Room
Jan 2010I've searched the archives but haven't found any recent recommendations to complete a small drywalling project. I need some old drywall & plaster removed, and then the whole thing redone. It's a fair sized room, but still a small project by drywalling standards. Thanks for your advice. mcel
We have recently used Chuck Below of Norstar Construction for several plaster/drywall projects and he is wonderful. He is a licensed contractor and his work is meticulous. His prices are reasonable and he is honest and trustworthy. Chuck Below, 510 333-9399. Satisfied Customer
for handyman/building projects, we've had great results with perez construction. excellent quality work, reasonable rates, nice guy, a pleasure to work with. they can handle anything from small projects to entire remodels. try will perez 415-806-3859. oaksmoke
When I have a maintenance/repair/upgrade project like he drywall one, I've been calling on Glen Larsen. He and his partner, Juan, have proven so reliable, capable and cost-effective, that I just call and hand over my keys. Example: I was out of town in October when a plumbing mess occurred in a rental property I own. I called Glen, who arranged for a great plumber, and then came in to repair the plaster and repaint the ceiling below the bathroom. He ended doing other small jobs for the tenants who live there as well. Glen Larsen glenlarsen [at] verizon.net
jessica
Hi, I have a perfect person for you for your drywall job. He is an expert. He went to school for 4 years just to learn how to remove and install drywall. He was a union worker for drywall for many years. Now he has his own business called Golden Hands and He and his workers do all kind of home construction and remodeling. You can call him at 510- 333-5465 or 510-289-2757 His name is Eladio. I feel so comfortable recommending this person to you and you will be very happy with his work and attitude. Good luck, Martha
Retexture lath and plaster walls
Feb 2009I'm looking for a painter that can retexture our lath and plaster walls. Our house was built in the 1920's and it looks like they just slapped on the texture. I'm not sure how to go about smoothing down the walls, but I'm so tired of how it looks. Oakland homeowner
I don't know exactly how you get rid of the texture, but I think you can either do new sheet rock or plaster existing walls. I have a wonderful painter that does do plaster. She's fair, has a great team and I highly recommend her. Patricia Dunne of Dunne Painting 415-516-8445. Good luck!
Athens Painting Co. (510) 637-8973 is the solution for you! Petros, the owner from Greece, is very talented. He specializes in smoothing and re-texturing walls. You are left with beautiful results! It totally transforms the look of you home. Check out the website athenspaintingco.com. for samples. linda
I had a situation just like yours and I hired Arana Residential and Commercial Painting. They did such a beautiful job. Retexturing old plaster took a lot of steps and it required a lot of sanding. They handled the whole thing efficiently and kept the dust to a minimum. What I was most impressed with was how clean and orderly they left everything, not to mention the gorgeous job. Their number is 510-567-9559 Christina
Dec 2008
Re: Remodeller needed to sheetrock ceilings
Bought a great old house that needs lots of work. Just had most of the ceilings sheetrocked and Ron Bermudez did an amazing job -- so good that the painter went on and on about how great the work is. Smooth finish in the kitchen (that's where the painter really 'oohhed' and 'ahhed') and a light skip-trial finish in the other rooms to blend with the plaster texture on the walls. Painter kept commenting on how this is becoming a lost art, that only the old pros know how to do it really well. Really reasonable cost, too. If you need sheetrock/plaster repairs, I recommend Ron Bermudez, JR Drywall, (650) 992-3839, (510) 985-0080. - Chris
Someone to complete a sheetrock job
Sept 2008We are looking for someone to complete a sheetrock job for us and haven't seen any reviews for just that kind of work, when we looked through the archives. Does anyone have any recent great experiences with someone they'd love to recommend? We are looking for someone good at what they do, good at listening and communicating with us and trustworthy. Thanks! Been burned already and cautious
Alejandro Morales and his crew of brothers do lathe and plaster, stucco and drywall. He is not only honest and trustworthy, he also does good work at a competetive price. He can be reached at 510-224-6969. - good luck
Want to smooth textured plaster walls
August 2008We have a 1940's home and are looking to resurface the walls. Currently they are plaster and we would like them to be smooth. There are 3 rooms total that need to be done. Any recomendations? Thank you Hoping to update
I really Recommend Castro Contruction Company. THe owner is very nice and listen to you. He just finish our interior drywall, it is excellent. He has very competitive price and show up on time. If he cannot show up, he will call (where can you get contractor like that!!!). His number is 415-871-5927, name Castro. K.C.
Repair cracked lathe and plaster walls
April 2008Our lathe and plaster walls were quite badly damaged in last summer's earthquake - we have cracks that run the span of the room in several places, and I think we have several spots that may require sheetrocking in addition to repairing plaster. Does anyone have any recommendations for people that could do the work at a semi-reasonable price? I'm hoping to have them do the painting as well, if we're not completely broke by the end of the plaster repair... Carrie
My 1930's home had sections of lath and plaster coming down in some areas as well as extensive cracking. He came in and repaired the damage and I haven't had any trouble with it since. It was nice because he did all the work including the painting. He did a thorough job on all the work for a fair and reasonable price. I can recommend Glen Larsen as a good contractor for this type of work. His number is 510-232-9122. Lois
I've heard consistently positive things about Foggs Lath & Plaster for stucco work, waterproofing and plaster work, including some really beautiful venetian plaster. THey are Diamond Certified and work in Marin, SF and the East Bay. I don't have their number off hand but the website is Foggslathandplaster.com. Good luck!
2004 - 2007 Reviews
Plaster to work on cracks from earthquake?
Nov 2007We had extensive damage to our home in an earthquake a few months ago, and have realized the damage is beyond our DIY abilities. Can you recommend a plasterer who can work on the myriad of cracks in our home, some large, some small? The walls are lathe and plaster, and some are just cracks, but other parts will likely need to be filled with drywall or the like. Like everyone, we'd like someone who is reliable, does quality work, but is reasonably priced, and works in the Oakland area. Any suggestions welcome! Carrie
I just recently had re-plastering done on my living room, which had multiple multiple cracks on the ceilings and walls. I couldn't recommend anyone more highly than the man who did the job. He also re-plastered 4 of the ceilings in my sisters home a few years ago. My living room looks brand new! I don't know if he's cheap or not, as I didn't compare. His name is Armando and the company is Armando Plastering in San Pablo. 510)669- 9290. Good luck. llyana
I can highly recommend Armando Plastering. They do interior & exterior plastering. Armando has a professional crew and is reasonably priced. They completley plastered our basement (w/ skip trowel technique) and did an excellent job matching our upstairs plaster. We will have them come back to repair some old, major cracks that we can't spackle ourselves. Armando can be reached at (510) 669-9290, cell (510) 517-9511. anke
Oct 2007
I wanted to share a recommendation for a drywaller who just finished working for us. We're redoing our kitchen and needed a professional to mud and tape (he doesn't hang, but has contacts who do). Shujaa (pronounced shoo-jaw) Sumchai did a fabulous job. He was strikingly responsible, professional, prompt (frankly, early every single day), and just a nice guy so it was easy to work with him. It took the same amount of time he said it would and it cost what he said it would. He kept the space far cleaner than I expected for drywalling. Most importantly, the quality of his work was outstanding. Before we painted, we kept going into the room to marvel at the smooth, beautiful walls he created. We plan to hire him again for future projects. His number is 415-648-0394. Kim
April 2007
Hello All. If you are in need of a REAL Plasterer, I think I have found your man. I live in a 100+ yo VIC here in Berkeley with the original lathe and plaster walls. Well some are not in the best of condition and so I went looking for some one who could do a true repair and would use the real plaster vs. hotmud, or some other sheetrock material. His name is Noel and he uses Structolite and Dimond finish for a beautiful sand free finish. I wanted a smooth finish and that is what he gave me. As I've done plaster work myself I know that he did it the correct way. I did most of the prep work, under his guidance and he came in and did the plastering. I've completed one rooom and when I move on to the rest I'll be giving Noel a call again. He runs an add in Craigslist, but here is his contact info. Cell 415 368-1809 email noelfitz04 at yahoo.com His rates were reasonable as well. You can email me if you have any questions. Good luck Tim
Need to modify drywall for electrical outlets
Oct 2006We've just had a quote for electrical upgrades, but our electrician may have to cut holes in the drywall of our 1916 home for access to the knob and tube wiring, and we will need a separate person to repair the drywall and re-paint.
I recently had an entire wall repaired by Robin O'Donnell (510-649-1501). He did a great job, was reasonably priced and a pleasure to have around Ruth
Plaster over a fireplace
August 2006I am looking for someone who can come in and plaster over a fireplace that my husband tore the facade off (and obviously never finished the job). I also have a couple of other plaster-related jobs--closing up some open wall (from another unfinished project!), patching the ceiling where we used to have a leak, etc. I'd like to find someone who has specific experience with plastering, especially fireplaces. Thanks in advance.
I heartily recommend Richard Spencer of Berkeley Plastering. I've used his crew for outside stucco and for interior plastering. His bids have been competitive, his crews are great and probably the tidiest I've ever had in my home and now I don't even get bids, I just call Richard. Berkeley Plastering: 540-0404 Rachel
We just had some fairly substantial plaster repair done as part of a remodel. The person our contractor used was Ramon Garcia - his company name is Textura. He did a fantastic job of blending the repair work with our existing hand troweled walls. His phone number is 510-219-9187. Pleased with Plaster
Feb 2006
Our 1925 Oakland hills home sustained rain damage during the New Year's storm. I'm searching for a good plasterer to repair our living room walls and ceiling. There are a few dated recommendations online; I'd love to hear from someone who has had current experience with a competant craftsman or woman. Many thanks. Also looking for someone to replace the crown molding. Becky
I've used Armando Plastering (669 9290)to replaster a Living Room and Dining Room ceiling. He also fixed a number of cracks around windows, doors etc on the walls and the new work blended in really well with existing texture etc. Our walls are textured and he was able to match that. I've also seen work at a friend's where he has done a perfectly smooth plastering finish. Good clean up. Loraine
I recently hired Arnulfo Ramos to repair a small section of leak-damaged plaster in my home. It is difficult to find someone with the skills for such a project, and still more so to find someone willing to do a small job. Arnulfo and his assistant did an excellent job, did it quickly, and charged a reasonable rate. Christine
June 2005
Great Drywaller!
Reid Ochs is a wonderful person, so is his family, and I highly recommend him for drywalling projects or metal framing. His work is detailed, he is super helpful, and has a highly trained crew; he is always very available too. I highly recommend him! Leia
We just had our front room (parlor) done by Isidro and his crew. They did a fantastic job. I was not aware when I contacted him that it would take multiple visits with drying in between. Be warned... it is a long process! Isidro's number is +15108601394
We have a queen Anne Victorian that we had plaster work done by Jesus +15107543857
He did an awesome job.
McKenna plastering. Seamus apprenticed in his home of Ireland, where apparently this is a more common trade. He replastered our whole house (it was a major fixer) and did a great job. We only got a couple quotes but his was the cheaper one at the time. 650-623-5321
We had our interior and exterior custom plaster for our Mediterranean done several years ago by Nesto Morales, and he just did another excellent job for us on another specialty plaster project. He’s extremely skilled, efficient, reliable, and easy to work with. We highly recommend him. His number is: +1 (510) 485-4171.