Ceiling drops in one corner of room

[pezza72]

Hello,

I hope I am in the right forum here, but i really don't know how to explain this in technical terms

We have an old terraced house (build 1875) and in one corner of the room in the alcove, the ceiling drops and forms like a ledge. There is coving around the ceiling but obviously drops and is uneven around this corner so we wanted to know what was causing the drop, and we wanted to find the best/easiest/cheapest way to level the ceiling off.

When we have taken the paper off we can see that there is a piece of wood in this corner with a piece of plywood also attached to form another layer, so to speak. It also appears that it goes in to the original fireplace wall and also in to the external wall, assumingly for support?

What is also strange is that one square corner of this area seems to have been filled several times but it almost seems as if this whole area has been put in around this square, maybe to space it out across the whole alcove area.

My girlfriends mother, who is a bit of a know it all seems to think that this may be from an old chimney (coal) for a whites wash, but I really haven't got a clue what it is or why it is there, other than I know that there has to be a reason why someone would have done that, and more importantly why everyone who has lived here has just decorated around it without taking it down.

I wondered if anyone has come across this before and if anyone knows what it is. Also, having established what and why, I want to know if this is something that can be removed.

Above this area is where our combi boiler lives in the bedroom but also wondering whether there may have been some old heavy boiler system that may have possibly needed additional support in the olden days.

I hope someone can help me with this. It may be better to provide a picture to be honest, so i can provide this if necessary.

Thanks In Advance

Andrew

 

[ladylola]

It may be better to provide a picture to be honest, so i can provide this if necessary.

Thanks In Advance

Andrew

Pictures may be a good idea, I'm not quite visualising the situation to be honest.
Generally a ceiling dropping could be a sign of possible timber decay , shoddy building or fixing failure.

 

[pezza72]

Andrew



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alcove drop

• pezza72
• 28 Aug 2011
• 1

 

[foxhole]

Could have been a built in cupboard which damaged ceiling on removal?, looks like a sheet of timber was put up as a bodge job.The only way to be sure is to take it down and see, will only need a piece of plasterboard to repair and maybe a little timber work.

 

[ladylola]

Having seen the picture I'm inclined to agree, take it down and investigate.

 

[pezza72]

Thanks both,

That is the bit that scared me wondering what would happen if i removed it lol

From upstairs it just appears to be the floor boards and beams so in theory like you say it just needs to come down and then replace.

If I live to tell the tale, I will reply back once done

Andrew

 

[ladylola]

Googles, a mask and a bar and go for it!

 

[pezza72]

Well I am still alive! and solved the mystery. In some ways not as bad as I thought but in others, I think I might have to leave it there.

The thicker wood was just a thin strip put on to the ceiling used to tack the plywood to, so that comes off ok, and I will just need to pull this strip of wood off. Just lots of dust, bits of old ceiling and some spiders and cobwebs,

The reason why it is there is it is covering up a pipe that comes out of the wall, diagonally across that area of the ceiling and then in to the ceiling where the boiler is upstairs. So its covering up the pipe.

Not sure which looks worse, the drop in the ceiling and the odd looking coving or having a pipe visible running across the ceiling!

My uncle is a plumber, so my next job I think, is to ask if there is an easy/cheapish way to change the pipe so that it runs straight up first and then across when it is above ceiling level. That way I can then just fill in the whole and Bobs your Uncle, well his name is Dave actually!

I guess I know need to ask some questions in the plumbing forum

At least the mystery is solved and I have a few options now!

Thanks everyone

Andrew