Repairing cornice

[Karolisko]

Good morning,

I hope this is the right forum to ask about it.

My old kitchen hood (recirculating) has died, and as I could not find the exact replacement of the same dimensions (I foresaw the ensuing issues), I decided to replace it with an extractor fan. As there were some logistical issues with installing the duct etc. I have hired a "professional".
Long story short - I was left with a bit of a mess - bare wall, gap in the cornice and dirty, damaged ceiling. See the attached photo for details.
For the wall we are thinking to put colourful tiles along the hood, so that hopefully will not be an issue.

I wanted to ask for your advice on the cornice and the ceiling. What would be the best way to deal with the damage?

For the cornice - I was told I would have to buy a whole length and cut out matching pieces. That seems daunting and of course there will be still cracks etc to deal with.
Would working with gypsum/grout (can't remember what is it called), and adding layers once dry, possibly work?

Also - what would be the best way to deal with the ceiling (of course it, and the surrounding area will need a lick of paint) ?

Thank you for any/all ideas.

 

[blup]

The advice you have been given is pretty much correct: find and fit a matching cornice, plaster the wall, you will probably need to re board the ceiling if it’s impractical to repair and fill the damage.

Blup

 

[opps]

There are a number of ways of filling it.

The fastest (curing) way is to use two pack filler, but if you make a mess, it will be a paint to sand back.

I would recommend a base coat plaster, built up in stages and then finished with a soft filler.

The following images were a job I did where the customer had a new lock plate fitted.









The above was 2 pack filler, applied in stages and after sanding, a soft filler was used to fill any dimples. I used something like a metal ruler to follow the profile of the woodwork.

I used polythene to prevent the two pack from sticking to the lock receiver (most fillers will not stick to polythene). Once the two pack filler had cured, I removed the lock receiver so that I could sand the filler. I wrapped the sandpaper around a combination of square edge timber and long wooden doweling.

From the above, you will need something to stop your filler of choice sticking to the chimney. In your case a thicker gauge such as a section of rubble sack might be advisable. Perhaps hold it in place with a low tack tape (do not use too much tape- you need to be able to pull the plastic away after).

Being able to lower the chimney will make life a lot easier when it comes to doing the final sand, but that may not be possible if the screws for the fixing bracket are hidden behind the coving. In such an event, you may be able to use a 10mm brush to smooth the edge where it meets the chimney (if working with plaster).

BTW The lock plate filling was half a day of filling and sanding. It would have taken longer if I had not been able to remove the receiver, and the finish at the receiver end would have been less accurate.

 

[Karolisko]

Thank you both for your ideas and taking your time to reply . None of the ways seems easy but I think I will give opps' way a try, as this was something I had in mind originally . Wish me luck )

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Would working with gypsum/grout (can't remember what is it called), and adding layers once dry, possibly work?

Plaster? That is what I would do, but make sure it will be on a firm wall and ceiling, plus key the surfaces. To save time/make it more stable, I would try to add a large lump of something to reduce the volume needed to be filled, help make it even more stable - maybe bits of wood, pushed into the soft plaster. Leave the surface rough, to add extra coats once set. Use the existing cornice as a guide to the levels, with a bit of straight timber.

 

[Karolisko]

Awesome stuff. Very helpful tips.