The Plaster Master

Mike came out to give us an estimate for our repair the day we called, and began work a few days later. We thought it was just a matter of patching the cracks, but he showed us how the plaster was no longer attached to the lath. We had two bedroom ceilings replaced, and he was able to match the texture of the existing plaster. He and his crew (his son and one other helper) worked very hard, are very friendly and tidy. After he began the work, he was able to diagnose what the problem was and took extra steps to ensure that it wouldn't happen again. We felt that the price was fair considering the amount of work involved and the dedication that Mike has to his craft. We paid below his initial estimate as well. We are very pleased with how our ceilings turned out! We would recommend him to anyone needing plaster work and would gladly use him again in the future.

Michael is an excellent craftsman and I’m so happy I found him! I left a message on his website and was contacted the same day. He came out quickly to provide an estimate and the work was schedule and completed within a few days. He is enthusiastic about his trade and does excellent honest work.

Michael and his team were terriific. They arrived early every day and worked quickly to get the house back in living condition. Michael was enthusiastic about the house and worked diligently to return the house to its original design. He did just that!. He is a true craftsman who loves what he does and will work in your home to provide the best possible plastering job. Fair price and a quality job. What more could ou ask for? I would hire him again and again!

Michael Casas arrived promptly at 9:00 am. He and his crew repaired and plastered two major spots in my den ceiling. One location was where an old, leaky HVAC had been removed and the other where plasterboard was falling down. They also fixed a part of the ceiling and wall where there was water damage. The repair was down with sturdy metal underpinnings and the new plaster matches the texture of the walls. They completed the job by 3:30 pm. They cleaned up easily as they had put down protective covering. They replaced the furniture as it had beenbefore. I was completely satisfied with their work and plan to hire them again.

If you live in LA County and need original plaster work done, this is the guy to call. He's enthustiastic about his craft and we only wish he lived closer. We are hunting for someone in Orange County. Overall, it was a good experience talking to Michael about the job. He also sent pictures of past projects so we can see many of the fireplaces he has done, which gave us a good idea of what to expect during the process.

He was very kind and spent quite a bit of time with us. I'm certain he will not disappoint you if you were to hire him.

I contacted The Plaster Master on 08/26/2011 left a message. Michael returned my call that same day, even though he was on vacation with his family. A date was set for Mike to come and view the property and evaluate job and he would e-mail me a bid. I did not choose The Plaster Master but I wanted to share what an outstanding person Mike Casas is and how he bent over backwards to try and help us. If I need plaster work done in the future I would definitely call Mike but since I needed only drywall replaced and patched I did not use him.

He is fantastic! I found him on Angie's List and he had good reviews. The main assistant for him has been with him for 7 years, which I liked. His sons sometimes work with him and they are very friendly, polite and thoughtful. The Plaster Master is such a warm, fun person to have around while he is working. He did in 3 hours what one company did in 4 days. His price is good for the amount of work he did. They are very neat while they work, not leaving a mess behind. He did take a while to come after I called him, but I told him that it was fine for me. He is very professional, and I will be using him in the future. I will also be referring him to others.

Mike is wonderful to work with and very skilled and passionate about his work. He returned my initial call promptly and came out to look at the job. He recommended a contractor, Mark of Southland Artisans, to do the wood framing. Mike really considered the final look of the project and gave us suggestions and advice about what he felt would look best. Mike always arrived promptly (and if he was delayed, he would always call). He was always in a pleasant mood and took pleasure in taking the time to describe the process, what he was doing, and how the work was progressing. He took a lot of care to be extremely neat and respectful of my home and furniture; at the end of each day's work he left the room clean. Mike also took the time to make sure the job was done right. Mike had initially anticipated that the job would take him less time. His primary focus was on a job well-done. He did not try to increase our fee from the original quote nor did he complain about having under-bid the project. In fact, he seemed to just be really happy to create these beautiful bookcases for me. The project did not stretch longer due to lack of diligence. He worked long days and offered to come on Saturdays as well (if that was convenient for us); the project took more time because of the care Mike showed in making all the angles line up, shelves straight, and arches perfectly curved. I should mention that Mike had a fantastic crew – which consisted of his two skilled sons (Nico and Carlo). They were both also wonderful to work with and very kind and courteous (how many times do contractors in your home stop their work when you are coming through the door to hold the door open for you, and put down clean paper for you to walk on so you don't dirty your shoes, can look at their work, and don't track debris into the rest of your house?). Everyone on the crew always had a pleasant demeanor and seemed to genuinely enjoy their work. I'm looking forward to having Mike and his team out again in the future for another project I have lined up. They are very nice people who do very beautiful work.

The phone calls were returned very promtly, even on the weekends. They were excellent.

My front porch ceiling developed cracks and after a while, large chunks of plaster broke off and came down. I found Plaster Master through Angie's List reviews for plaster work and contacted them over the phone. I received a prompt callback from Michael Casas who apparently owns the business along with his wife Virginia. After a couple of rounds of phone tag, we connected up and Michael came out to do an estimate. He determined that the damage was due to age and gravity and not water damage. He gave me an oral estimate that included his hourly rate and number of estimated hours, followed it up with an email estimate and job description. He quoted $750 for the job and indicated that it could be slightly less if he finished before the estimated time. On the appointed day, Michael called a little before the scheduled time to let me know he was stuck in traffic and may be a little late; I appreciated the heads-up since I was juggling a number of things that morning; in the event, he showed up not too much after the scheduled time and together with his crew (which included his sons) of 4 got started by covering the porch and breaking out the damaged plaster. I left his team to do the work and went to my own job; my wife came home just as he was finishing up in the afternoon, inspected the work and wrote the check; to our pleasure the final charge came to a little less than the estimate. We also contracted with one of his team members to paint the ceiling the next day, which he did promptly, satisfactorily and for a reasonable price. I have used the same person for another painting job since. Overall, it was a very good experience every step of the way, and Michael's company would be at the top of my list for any plaster or stucco related job. My best wishes to plaster masters.

He was a nice guy. He was very experienced and knew what he was doing with lath and plaster. The estimated price was $900. I would consider using him in the future.

We had the ceiling in our washroom separate from the wooden lathe, and we had Michael come over to give us an estimate. We contacted him on Saturday and he came the next day, yes, Sunday. We really liked him and his wife, and he seemed extremely knowledgeable and competent. He gave us a verbal estimate on the spot, and explained that if the job took less time than the 8 hours estimated, the total cost would be less. I had to reschedule our original date for repair (at which point , as predicted, our ceiling had fallen down). It was not a problem. He showed up a little late, but I received an advance phone call alerting me that they were running a little behind and that there were some traffic accidents on route to our house. Honestly, I have to say, Michael's a cool guy, that has a lot of experience, and it was a pleasure to have him working in our house. His crew (one of which was his son, which is the 3rd generation plasterer in their family) were extremely polite, very conscientious, and thorough. Michael took the time to explain the process, and showed me the work as it progressed. They moved our washer and dryer out of the room for us and also removed the door to the outside. They worked steadily and quickly, only resting in between layers of plaster, so that it could set. Allow me to clarify, that by resting, they were not plastering, but cleaning up and setting up for the next task. Our house was built in 1929, so there have been a few repairs to the kitchen ceiling that abuts the washroom, and Michael had to make a call as to what texture to match. There was never a question that he would deviate from the character of our house, and only would improve it. I followed his advice, as he is the expert. The finishing texture coat was gone over and over again, making sure that it was smoothed to look the same age as the kitchen ceiling. They put everything back together, re-hooked up and tested our washer and dryer and cleared all debris. Taking care to mop, wipe down doors, and sweep the driveway. He is a craftsman, and takes extreme pride in his work. Take some time to talk to him, as he has great stories. He also gave me a few tips for painting the ceiling when it is ready. My only regret is that we cannot have him redo more of our ceilings and walls.

They were great. They were beyond knowledgeable and were amazing. I did not pay anything. Their responsiveness was excellent. They were professional.

We are very pleased with the great job Michael and his crew performed. The project ended up to be a two day project spread over several weeks. The first day, the lath was rebuilt and the hole re-plastered. Due to the damp weather, it took several weeks for the plaster to dry before it could be repainted. Michael matched the paint color perfectly. During the painting process, Michael also repaired and patched several 'settling' cracks on the repaired wall. We totally appreciated Michael and Virginia's professionalism, their promptness in returning calls and showing up when expected, the excellent quality of their work, the neatness and complete clean-up of the worksite, and staying true to their estimate/bid. I will not hesitate to call them again.

Michael scheduled an appointment to give me an estimate the same day I called. My husband and I were impressed by his promptness and his description of what he would do and what materials he would use to re-plaster the big holes in the ceiling (metal screen mesh, not just tape). He also said if we didn't like the job he did, then we didn't have to pay him. He was the type of person you like and trust the minute you see him. We had to wait about three weeks to finish tiling in our kitchen before we had Michael come to work for us. He covered everything in plastic (it was a hot and humid day, so he and his helpers were working in sauna-like temperatures!) The entire job was done efficiently and professionally. His team was friendly and trustworthy and cleaned up well afterwards. Michael gave detailed instructions of the type of oil-based primer to use on his fresh plaster areas. He said to insist on it when the painters come. He was likable and friendly, a good family man. My husband was very pleased with Michael's work which is a very high compliment. He didn't have to call Michael back to re-do anything!

After a missed appointment, Mike and his wife came out to give us an estimate. We walked through the job pointing out all that was visible to replace, Mike explained how he would do the repair and how long it would take. The next day I had an estimate in my inbox. It was higher than I had expected and it was the highest quote we had received. Mike explained that he generally bid high to cover anything that was unforeseen but generally the actual job cost came in lower. We felt most comfortable with Mike's detail and the way he was going to go about making the repairs sounded to us like they would be more long lasting. Mike and his crew showed up promptly, I believe they may have been early. Each time I showed up to the job site, Mike always was happy to take the time to show me what was going on and what he was doing. He also found some hidden problems and was able to repair a couple of them. He finished the job two days over his estimated time, which was fine considering the other areas that needed a more intense focus. Even with the added hours he still came in under his original estimate. I would certainly use him again. He is truly dedicated to his art and I would rather spend the extra money for a higher quality job!

I didn't use them because I thought of using a general contractor. They impressed me that they gave a really nice estimate. He was high; but he is very good. He really knows his work. He is an old school master technician with plasters. He is really nice. One point we had confusion about the time and appointment, so he came back to clear it. He knows his technique, and there are few like him left, so I will highly recommend him. I was very much impressed with them. He is an artisan.

Michael & his son Carlo had an emergency on their way to do our job but I received not just one but two phone calls letting me know when they would arrive. Upon their arrival they apologized for the delay and were very friendly and professional. Michael quickly assessed the damage to the wall, explained what he needed to do and why, then went straight to work, working without a break until the job was finished 3 hours later. After completing the job he explained the best way to prep & paint the surface and told us what materials we needed to get a good match with the existing paint and texture of the walls. When they left, the area was cleaner than when they found it -- they even rolled up the hose that had been unrolled when they arrived! I would recommend their work to anyone.

We received several estimates for the work to be done but Mike was by far the more experienced and knew more about how to maintain our house's character and not just do a quick fix. He and his crew arrived on time and were a pleasure to work with. Not only did he do a beautiful job but he gave me some advice on how we could protect other areas of our home from water damage ourselves - without trying to sell us on his services. Mike really knows his craft and I will hire him in the fuuture for other plastering jobs that come up. His price was only $50.00 higher than the other estimates we got but I'm so glad that we spent the extra $50.00 and hired Mike. You get what you pay for.

First I have to admit that no person in his right mind should ever have taken this job! Our 1923 apartment building is built around an air shaft that is approximately 28 feet tall by 15 feet across. There is no access to the shaft from inside the apartments, except through small bathroom windows which open to the air shaft. The only way to access the shaft is to be lowered down from on top of the roof, or to erect scaffolding. Need I say more? The plaster in the shaft was badly cracked, allowing water intrusion into the the walls of the building. I called Mike Casas, whom I had used before, to take a look at the job. He said it was a "challenging job" and he would welcome the opportunity to undertake it. Mike, his two sons and an assistant had to extend a tall ladder up the side of the building in order to access the roof. They carried all of their supplies from the ground, up the ladder, to the air shaft. They built and lowered scaffolding into the shaft so they could access the shaft. They removed the damaged wall and found termite and dry rot to the studs. There was no blocking between the studs in the original construction. In addition, the original cement had been applied over a gypsum fiber board without any metal lath. (building codes were different in those days) . To make a long story short, Mike and his crew completely rebuilt the shaft to today's standards and codes.(see above description under "services performed.") He worked long hours under adverse conditions. (It rained heavily off and on, and temperatures dropped to the '40's on some days). After each day of work, he would email me pictures of the work performed that day, plus a diary of eveything they had accomplished and an action plan for the following day. In the end, he also offered to prime and paint the shaft; as I am sure I never would have been able to get a painter down into that shaft to paint it! Mike was unfailingly cheerful, professional, and an outstanding artist in the field of plastering. If only the rest of my building was as beautifully constructed as the air shaft now is! I only wish that Mike was a plumber, an electrician and a general contractor, too! It is such a pleasure dealing with a true professional who is a master of his trade.

Everything about my experience with Mike and his company was excellent. His long history in the business is evident by his skill level and expertise. The estimates he provided seemed fair and he provided them in a timely manner. The work started immediately and he completed it in exactly the time indicated. Mike and his team were all very nice and did a fantastic job. They also did a great job cleaning up after the jobs which I find very little folks actually take the time to do and do well! I will be hiring them to do a few more jobs in our home and would highly recommend them to others.

We have an old 1923 fourplex. After the extensive rain we had this winter in Los Angeles, I got a call from one of our tenants stating that the plaster ceiling in their master bedroom was sagging in the middle of the room. I called Mike Casas, spoke to his friendly wife, Virginia. Mike called me right back and came out immediately to assess the situation. He certainly understands old buildings and told me that the sagging wasn't from the rain or a roof leak but rather the plaster had become separated from the lath over temperature fluxuations over the years. Mike came back the next day with his two sons and spent a twelve hour day removing the old plaster ceiling and installing metal lath over the old wood lath, and then applying a plaster scratch/basecoat. He finished up with a finish coat of mortar and textured the ceiling to match the existing plaster walls. He and his sons cleaned everything up and left the apartment in great shape. Mike was very knowledgable and friendly. His sons and wife, Virginia, were very friendly also. Mike went out of his way to finish the job in one day so as to inconvenience our tenants as little as possible. He is an old fashioned craftsman. I would use him again in a heartbeat. A true professional.

Mike was prompt and professional during the whole process. I would have uploaded photos but it appears the site does not provide that option anymore.

We have a room in our 100 year old house where the plaster has separated from the wood lath, and has some pretty big cracks in places. I would love to preserve the texture of the plaster walls and hoped that we could repair the separated spots, and patch the cracks. I contacted the Plaster Master and he came to take a look. As described above, he was very helpful. Replastering the room would be a few thousand dollars, more than we have to invest, so I asked for his help on an interim solution. He gave me some options and estimates of how long each would last. When we parted he said that he would welcome a call with questions once i had delved into the other options more.