Fixing Plaster Ceiling

Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area.

Fixing plaster ceiling. What old house owner doesn t have a cracking or sagging plaster ceiling in need of repair somewhere. To avoid cracking the plaster and creating an even bigger repair job don t pull the plaster tight to the lath in a single motion. Subscribe to this old house.

Besides the normal wear and tear of living plaster and lath ceilings are at the mercy of gravity and they can take only so many water leaks and structural movements before they pull away from the framing. This means that the plaster keys have come loose from the wood or wire lath that supports it which is a big problem for ceilings. How to fix sagging plaster.

Once dried you sand this down and all looks good. Steps for patching a plaster and lathe ceiling. To reattach the sagging plaster to the lath drive the washer with a power screwdriver or drill so that it penetrates the wood lath wall studs or ceiling joists.

Flaking and cracking plaster are relatively minor repair items but when the plaster starts to sag or belly out from a wall or ceiling it indicates deeper problems. Wall and ceiling repair simplified. Plaster mixed with horsehair or goat hair was then forced onto the lathe forming a key that holds it to the lathe.

The traditional plaster ceiling repair method is to mix up some plaster or drywall compound or use spackling compound to fill in the crack. The problem is the compound used to repair this is even weaker than the plaster since it lacks the fibers and as the house continues to settle the crack. Repairs become a bit more complicated when the plaster is sagging.

One option is to cut out the damaged area and install a 3 8 thick sheet of blue board and plaster. We know these products work because we use them. Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling covering the repaired area.