plastering ceiling

[roberte]

i am stripping wallpaper from bedroom walls and ceiling. ceiling is crumbling in area about a foot square and the rest feels spongy to the touch .under the plaster is wooden lats . is it a take down and re board job or is there anything i can do with it. any advice would be gratefully appreciated

 

[Static]

Is it wet? Check above the ceiling (loft or floor) and see if anything is leaking.. if its dry then over boarding is less messy

 

[roberte]

thanks static its not wet just very old plaster thanks for the tip will get onto it this afternoon

 

[Richard C]

ceiling is crumbling in area about a foot square and the rest feels spongy to the touch

Over boarding is the quickest & least messy but the old lath must be reasonably sound & flat. If it’s crumbling & falling down, it wont provide sufficient support for the new boards & the plaster joints will crack. Whatever you do it's important to board it out correctly & fix through into the joists with screws not nails.

 

[roughcaster]

ceiling is crumbling in area about a foot square and the rest feels spongy to the touch

Over boarding is the quickest & least messy but the old lath must be reasonably sound & flat. If it’s crumbling & falling down, it wont provide sufficient support for the new boards & the plaster joints will crack. Whatever you do it's important to board it out correctly & fix through into the joists with screws not nails.

Agree 100% with Richard. If an old loose lath and plaster ceiling that's been overboarded, starts to give way big time,, it'll cause damage to your new, plasterboarded ceiling below. I'm a great believer in keeping any original lath and plaster if possible, or even re-plastering back onto the original lath if it's sound, but sometimes, you have to bite the bullet. I know it's a messy job ripping down the old stuff, but you'll only have to do it once in that room,,,, i'd rip it all down and re-board/skim.

 

[DJM]

Due to some rot in a rafter I have just taken down a lathe and plaster ceiling and it really does make a mess. If you intend doing it then clear the room fully and use more than a couple of sheet for teh floor or you can say good bye to your carpet

It is quite satisfying watching it come down in a peverse kind of way, but do be careful not to catch hidden pipes and wires with the crow bar.

The other thing worth remembering is that you will end up with a lot of rubble and lathes which you'll have to get a skip or down the dump somehow. And if you can't getthe stuff out the window easily (assuming you are happy to ignore HSE) then you have to carry it down the stairs which is no mean feat.

Richard C gave me some advice on another thread when I was helping SWMBOs friend about overboarding, and it did work well and with much, much less mess. Had the rot not been an issue and lathes required to be removed, I'd have gone that route again.

 

[ajrobb]

Does lime plaster come under the 2005 regulation for gypsum? Plasterboard cannot be dumped in landfill with organic matter. I don't know the rest. I assume lime plaster/mortar/cement is OK 'cos it is pretty close to limestone.