Removing & reinstating plaster cornicing - is it possibl

[blissbaby]

We have an old farmhouse in NE Scotland. There is some beautiful original plaster (?) cornicing or coving (not sure of the difference!) in most of the rooms. Unfortunately, we are removing the lath and plaster to insulate and are concerned that we will not be able to remove the cornicing and reinstate later - it is a little cracked in places.

Do you think it would be possible to remove and reinstate? If so, what's the best way to go about it?

If we cannot remove and reinstate, where should we get replacement? Or can we buy moulds and do ourselves?

What do you think?

Thanks for now,
BB

 

[JohnD]

depending on how old it is, and if it is near a city, canal or railway, the coving may have been bought ready-made in fibrous plaster, and nailed to the timbers before the ceiling was plastered. It was mass-produced in Visctorain times. In this case it may be possible, but difficult, to find and remove the nails and take it down in lengths. It will crack but you can fill this with new plaster when you refit.

If it was run along the ceilings using a special profiled trowel, and is not fibrous plaster, it will be extremely difficult to remove, and may have been built up on a wooden armature, which may have rotted. You could try sawing round it and removing the flat plaster while leaving the mouldings in place.

Any old nails are likely to have rusted badly so it might fall off. I would be tempted to use additional long screws to try to hold it up.

It is supposed to be quite easy to make new cornicing and mouldings to match old. You use an old length, clean and fill it, oil it, and use it to cast a female mould in a long box which you then use to cast additional new lengths. I have never tried that myself, though.

There is a way of re-fixing old loose L&P plaster, especially mouldings, which I can explain if you have e.g. centre roses.

 

[roy c]

Can you run a grinder along the side of the coving about 30mm away from the edge ? Then you could reinstate the ceiling and bring the edge in again..

 

[stevethespreader]

before attemping to remove it take a profile,make a cut using a saw then insert a card or cardboard then with a pencil draw round the profile on the card, you now have the profile of the cornice take that to a plaster moulding shop where they will make a horse and stock using the profile u have give them, then they will run a new cornice on a bench, or better still get them to come and do the profile and ask there oppinion if they can save it,as a matter of fact this method was used on my parents house on an insurance job
"edit" of course all this will be unnecessary if you remove it sucsesfully

 

[roy c]

before attemping to remove it take a profile,make a cut using a saw then insert a card or cardboard then with a pencil draw round the profile on the card, you now have the profile of the cornice take that to a plaster moulding shop where they will make a horse and stock using the profile u have give them, then they will run a new cornice on a bench, or better still get them to come and do the profile and ask there oppinion if they can save it,as a matter of fact this method was used on my parents house on an insurance job
"edit" of course all this will be unnecessary if you remove it sucsesfully

Also it is very expensive to have it replaced as "original"

 

[stevethespreader]

before attemping to remove it take a profile,make a cut using a saw then insert a card or cardboard then with a pencil draw round the profile on the card, you now have the profile of the cornice take that to a plaster moulding shop where they will make a horse and stock using the profile u have give them, then they will run a new cornice on a bench, or better still get them to come and do the profile and ask there oppinion if they can save it,as a matter of fact this method was used on my parents house on an insurance job
"edit" of course all this will be unnecessary if you remove it sucsesfully

Also it is very expensive to have it replaced as "original"

true i was under the impression he wanted like for like if he cant save it

 

[stevethespreader]

Can you run a grinder along the side of the coving about 30mm away from the edge ? Then you could reinstate the ceiling and bring the edge in again..

i think this would work roy if the new ceiling they put up will be level with the cornice but if there going to put board up its not going to be level

 

[joe-90]

Can you run a grinder along the side of the coving about 30mm away from the edge ? Then you could reinstate the ceiling and bring the edge in again..

I agree with Roy, but find a reciprocating saw may work better once the plaster has been removed via grinder.

 

[roy c]

Can you run a grinder along the side of the coving about 30mm away from the edge ? Then you could reinstate the ceiling and bring the edge in again..

i think this would work roy if the new ceiling they put up will be level with the cornice but if there going to put board up its not going to be level

I was under the impression that the "insulation" would go between the joists Steve, a recip-saw would be alright Joe when you are following the joists but you would have to be careful when the coving ran across it.

 

[jrplastering]

its not really a solution to the problem, but a couple of months back we had the same problem on a job and we tried to grind round the outside bout 300mm away from the cornice and it still fell down, so after a small swearing session on my own i got some one in to remake it in situe. the problem was it was a very intracate design and had bin originaly cast on the ceilin buy hand and the client wanted it done the same way and lucklily he was happy to pay for the extra work,
anyway long story straight and 3months of moulding and carving with gloves small tool wooden moulds and such forth it looked pukka just took aaaaaages.
........................good luck
JRP

 

[Micilin]

Is it possible to pump insulation into the void either from above or below, through holes drilled in each section?

Ceilings could be reskimmed or overboarded and skimmed using an edging bead to retain definition on top member of the cornice


If the cornice is enriched then you will have to take a moulding(or several) as posted above (and photos) instead of just a profile

 

[blissbaby]

I'm overwhelmed with the responses. Thanks for all your advice - I shall work my way through them all and let you know the outcome.
Thanks again -
BB

 

[pompeyal]

Without reading all the posts I dont think anyone has mentioned the dangers or cutting through services such as pipework or cables, check before you start sticking grinders or saws up through the ceilings.

 

[JohnD]

good point Al. It will be very dirty, dusty and gritty too, so wear a hat and goggles.

have they pulled down Fratton Park yet?

 

[stevethespreader]

have they pulled down Fratton Park yet?

pull down fratton park? where we gonna play? i blame the councilers, for ages pompey wanted fratton goods yard to build a ground on, what happens? it gets sold and they put a b&q there along with all the other shops its shocking