Plasterboarding weak ceiling vs cutting out and replacing

Shaw

I'm a complete newbie and won't even be attempting to do this myself... but a chunk of my living room ceiling has come down. It's the original 1920's ceiling made of plaster mixed with horsehair with a thin lime coating over the top. Apparently the ceiling was weakened by converting into the attic above and also putting halogen spotlights in. There is another big crack appearing at the centre of the ceiling.

The laths are still intact. One plasterer has recommended that he plasterboards over the entire ceiling and then skims it. Someone else insists that the whole ceiling needs to come down, including the laths and that he will then plasterboard over the ceiling joists and skim it, at a huge expense.

I'm inclined to go with option a as it's a lot less mess and also cheaper but am I just storing up trouble for myself a couple of years down the line?

Really hope someone can offer me some good advice!

maltaron · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:19 pm Post Subject:

Taking down a lath & plaster ceiling will make a hell of a mess and the dust gets everywhere. I screw 40 x 25mm slate laths thro' the lath & plaster into the joists. (If you want a perfect flat ceiling the battens can be packed at fixing points). Plasterboard and skim and you should have no problems.

Shaw · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:17 pm Post Subject:

Thanks for the reply. It seems that the only benefit of cutting out the old ceiling is that it's more expensive - the second plasterer was adamant that it was the only way to do the job, but wouldn't explain why! And with plaster-boarding, I'm hopeful that the original 20's coving can be saved.

noseall · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:50 pm Post Subject:

Shaw wrote:

the second plasterer was adamant that it was the only way to do the job, but wouldn't explain why! .

Unless you have been living in a monastery for the past 25 years then you must have come across the latest blame and claim culture that we happen to be living in nowadays.

There isn't a single professional that is not insured to the hilt these days in order to protect themselves from ambulance chasing lawyers, along with their - in debt, pikey, opportunistic, living above their means, greedy, selfish clients.

It is a pity everything in the building trade has to be over-engineered but that is what greed does.

Taking any risks is a foolish and forgotten business.