Sagging ceiling-what to do?

Hi

Our bedroom ceiling sags quite badly and according to the insulation people the joists /beams were too "bouncy" for them to put in insulation.

We want the ceiling fixed so that it doesn't sag and then we want new plasterboard over it, so we can decorate.

The problem is that nobody wants to fix our ceiling. They all want to build another one 6 inches below it. This seems crazy to me-but what do I know??????

Does anyone have any comments or advice please?

Thanks a lot!

In the abscence of any other suggestions.......

Another way is to strengthen the existing joists by running and fixing thicker/stronger ones along side. These will need to sit on interior exterior walls to do their job. If you have the access these could solve your problem.

It is a relatively simple matter to reboard then.

I have 4 X 2's in my loft and where they span a large gap they were a bit bouncy so I dog bolted 6 X 2's to them. Did the job nicely.

Thanks a lot Toptec. I was thinking along those lines. Not competent to do the job myself and can't find [yet] anyone willing to do it. Maybe I'm asking the wrong people-is it a builder's job or a carpenter? Maybe the job is too basic for anyone to bother to do it?

Thanks again for your reply!

Fay

Fay

I would say it is a builders job. Dog bolts are those with a serrated washer that digs into the wood as you tighten preventing any movement.

hi, topdeck is completly right in what he/she say's, however a cheaper solution would be to jack the joists back up to a point where all the loists and ceiling are level, regardless of how much plaster falls off, and some amount will!!, then whilst it jacked up and supported, you go into the loft area and install "hangers from the roofing rafters to the ceiling joists" these would be timber members 75mm x 25mm, fixing them with 75mm srews or nails, fix them from every other ceiling joist, keep them verticle be cafeful not to split the ends of the hangers, if they do split use screws instead of nails, then now the ceiling is level and supported, remove any loose or unstable plaster, now dampen the surface or apply PVA at 50/50,
now apply 1 or 2 coats of bonding plaster, if you have to apply 2 x coats you need to key or scratch the 1st coat, now apply 1 x coat of multi finish plaster. job done for around 60-70% less than having new timbers and plastering the new ceiling. cheers
PS as a guide if i did the job and the area of sagg was , say! 2m square
it would cost around £150 - £200 materials and all. Hope this helps.

If the people that see it all say the same thing - then that's going to be the best fix. We can't see it so we can't give any intelligent advice.

Csrt wrote,
hi, topdeck is completly right in what he/she say's, however a cheaper solution would be to jack the joists back up to a point where all the loists and ceiling are level, regardless of how much plaster falls off, and some amount will!!, then whilst it jacked up and supported, you go into the loft area and install "hangers from the roofing rafters to the ceiling joists" these would be timber members 75mm x 25mm, fixing them with 75mm srews or nails, fix them from every other ceiling joist, keep them verticle be cafeful not to split the ends of the hangers, if they do split use screws instead of nails, then now the ceiling is level and supported, remove any loose or unstable plaster, now dampen the surface or apply PVA at 50/50,
now apply 1 or 2 coats of bonding plaster, if you have to apply 2 x coats you need to key or scratch the 1st coat, now

apply 1 x coat of multi finish plaster.

Click to expand...

"Two" coats of multi finish plaster is always the best.

Roughcaster.

csrt; why do you keep resurecting old threads look at the last post dates!