Drywall Installation and Repair in Ogden, Utah

Old Ogden houses bring their own questions: whether to repair plaster or cover it, how to handle lead paint, and whether a historic district review applies. An estimate costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Call (801) 735-8491 or send the estimate form with a short description of the job.

How the railroad and the war built Ogden's older neighborhoods

After the Union Pacific completed its line through Ogden in 1869, the city became the meeting point of the east-west railroads, and 1888 marked the start of a building boom. The years 1889 to 1892 brought many new subdivisions to the bench east of downtown. During World War II, defense workers filled the last open lots there, and about 300 small Minimal Traditional cottages went up.

Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 put the median year built for an Ogden home at 1966. About 28 percent of homes date from before 1950, and about two-thirds from before 1980. So an Ogden job may start with plaster, lead paint or old ceiling texture before any new board goes up.

Plaster walls in the Ogden Central Bench Historic District

The Ogden Central Bench Historic District, listed on the National Register in 2005, covers 80 blocks from 20th to 30th Street between Adams Avenue and Harrison Boulevard, and it takes in the Eccles Avenue and Jefferson Avenue districts. Its nomination counts nearly 3,300 buildings. Bungalows are the most common house there, with nearly 1,200 contributing examples, along with about 300 Victorian homes, and over half of the district's homes are brick.

Houses of that age were finished in plaster. The National Park Service's guide to historic flat plaster says plaster was the wall surface for nearly all buildings until the 1930s or 40s, applied over wood lath, metal lath, or directly onto brick and stone. By the late 1930s, gypsum rock lath had become the standard base for plaster in houses. In a brick bungalow, the plaster on the outside walls may sit right on the masonry.

Repairing old plaster or covering it with drywall

Plaster holds to wood lath by keys, the ridges that push through the gaps and harden behind them. Settling, old leaks and rotting lath break those keys, and the plaster loosens and bows. On a ceiling that can end with chunks on the floor, so a cracked ceiling that gives when you press it gently needs attention soon.

Sound plaster with small cracks can stay. The Park Service guide says hairline cracks can be filled with joint compound, and stress cracks over door frames can be bridged with fiberglass mesh tape and compound. When a wall or ceiling is too far gone, there are two drywall routes: screw furring strips through the old plaster into the framing and hang new board over it, or remove the plaster and lath and hang board on the studs.

Covering is faster and makes much less dust. It also thickens the wall, so door and window jambs and outlet boxes may need extensions. Tearing out keeps the original wall depth and opens the cavities for new wiring and insulation. For decorative plaster you want to save, a plasterer is the right trade.

Lead paint and asbestos checks in older Ogden homes

The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies when anyone is paid to disturb painted surfaces in a home built before 1978, and the agency says about three-quarters of U.S. homes from before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint. With about two-thirds of Ogden homes built before 1980, cutting into painted plaster, pulling trim or sanding old patches here often calls for lead-safe work practices that keep the dust contained.

Asbestos is the second check. The Central Bench nomination notes that asbestos siding was popular in the World War II era, and the EPA lists textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings among the places asbestos may be found in homes. Old texture or patch material is tested before it is sanded or scraped.

When Ogden needs a permit for basement or wall work

Ogden's permit requirements list finishing basements, bedrooms and attic spaces, cutting a new window or door opening, and relocating or building walls among the work that needs a building permit. For simple residential projects such as a basement finish or a remodel of existing space, the city offers over-the-counter plan review. Building Inspections is at 2549 Washington Boulevard, Suite 240, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ogden's list of typical inspections includes gypsum board when it is part of a shear wall or a fire-rated assembly. In those spots the board gets its own inspection, which goes on the schedule before taping starts.

Historic district review for work on an Ogden home

For a property on the Ogden City Register of Historic Resources, or in a local historic district, the Landmarks Commission must issue a Certificate of Historic Appropriateness before permits for work that affects the historic resource. The certificate applies only to the parts of the building on the register, and interior work is described only when the interior itself is listed. For most historic homes, interior drywall goes through the regular permit alone.

When the project includes exterior work, such as a new window opening, applications are due by 5 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, and the commission meets on the fourth Thursday. In 2024 and 2025 the city's planning division also held open houses on a proposed historic district for the Marilyn Drive area, 27th to 29th Street between Tyler and Buchanan Avenues, where a 2022 survey found early 20th-century homes that meet many National Register criteria.

Drywall questions from Ogden homeowners

Can drywall go over plaster walls?

Yes, if the plaster underneath is held tight. Loose areas are screwed back or cut out, then new board is screwed through the plaster into the studs or hung on furring strips. The wall gets thicker, so outlet boxes and door jambs may need extensions.

Does Ogden require a permit to move a wall?

Yes. Ogden lists relocating or building walls, along with cutting a new door or window opening, as work that needs a building permit. A simple remodel of existing space qualifies for over-the-counter plan review.

Do I need Landmarks Commission approval for drywall inside a historic Ogden home?

Usually not. The Certificate of Historic Appropriateness covers only the parts of a property on the register, and interiors count only when the interior itself is listed. Exterior changes to a listed home, like a new window opening, do need it.

Is lead paint a concern for wall repairs in my Ogden house?

It can be if the house was built before 1978. The EPA rule for paid renovation work covers disturbing painted surfaces in those homes, so cutting or sanding painted plaster needs lead-safe practices. A lead test before work starts settles it.

What makes drywall work in an old house cost more or less?

How much plaster comes out and how it is hauled away, whether lead-safe setup or an asbestos test is needed, how far out of square the old framing is, ceiling heights, and the texture you want matched. Estimates are free: call (801) 735-8491 or describe the job in the estimate form.