Ceiling Repair – Second Opinion Anyone?

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I’m in the middle of renovating a 2 bed Victorian terrace. The ceiling in our second bedroom was bowing badly, apparently caused by water damage / damp to the loft joists (stains of which are visible on the original plasterboard in the photos linked below)… the roof has now been repaired and damp solved.

I asked my builder to level the ceiling for cosmetic reasons, they suggested a new suspended ceiling but didn't prepare me for losing almost 20cm in ceiling height! I’ve only just come to realise this since seeing the framework that has been put up ready for the new plasterboard:

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http://bpkersey.com/images/IMG_8652.JPG

http://bpkersey.com/images/IMG_8653.JPG

According to the builder that’s the only way to tackle the problem if we want a level ceiling and any framework they put up to hold the new plasterboard will need to have at least 5cm distance between old and new plasterboard in case of further movement from above. Is this right??

Given the difference between highest and lowest point of the original bowed plasterboard is 9cm, with the additional 5cm space that’s a minimum of 14cm we’re going to lose from our ceiling height!

We simply can’t afford to have the whole loft joist system replaced.

The only other option we’ve been given is to abandon the levelling and skim over the old plasterboard for a smooth – but still bowed – ceiling finish.

Thoughts anyone? Need to arrive at a course if action today… and it needs to be SAFE, little people will be in that room one day in the not too distant future.

Thanks
 
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wouldn't it be the lath and plaster thats bowing off the joists rather than the joists themselves being bent?
in which case I'd have pulled the lot down and re-boarded
 
Personally I'd just have had it skimmed if it is stable, a slightly bowed ceiling just adds to the character of these older properties.
 
I have an old Victorian house and the ceilings were over 9' high so I dropped them down to just over the height of a p/board(2400mm). If he has dropped them any lower I think that would be too much! Have a look in my albums under new bedroom 2 and new bedroom. you will see how I did it and how it turned out,,,, ;)
 
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I have an old Victorian house and the ceilings were over 9' high so I dropped them down to just over the height of a p/board(2400mm). If he has dropped them any lower I think that would be too much! Have a look in my albums under new bedroom 2 and new bedroom. you will see how I did it and how it turned out,,,, ;)

Our original ceiling height was only 2.5m though... which means we're looking at a new height of approx 2.35m :cry:

And if we go down the dropped ceiling route it means all other ceiling son that floor remain at 2.5m apart from that room... will that not look even worse than a bowed ceiling?
 
I think that might be a bit low it would show if you had lights hanging down aswell, might hit your head on them!! They could of ripped the old ceiling down and took out any "bowing" and straightened it up and re boarded it or put fibre-mesh over original ceiling and skimmed it, seems as tho they took the "easy" route but I wouldn't accept it! You don't want to lose height on a normal height ceiling it would be too low. See what the other lads say. It wouldn't take long to take the framing down and work off original height.. ;)Ps. Don't forget you have the thickness of the boards and skim aswell as the framing could be another 15mm!!
 
seems as tho they took the "easy" route but I wouldn't accept it!

It was actually me who opted for the dropped ceiling route ... they said it would be a safe option but we would lose ceiling height ... they just didn't tell me it would be as much as 20cm! So a bit of miscommunication really.

What would be the process of ripping out the old ceiling? And would this work effect the bedroom next door which has just been finished?
 
if it's lath and plaster a lot of mess, dust and nails
if it's plasterboard nowhere near as bad depending on whats sat on it above (insulation?)
won't affect any other room, as you're exposing the joists and re-boarding

depending on how bad, could just knock out the bowed section and overboard the whole lot, that'd only drop it by half inch or so
 
You could also cross batten it with 25mmx50mm battens and then reboard it this would save a lot of mess and still keep the height.
 
Some good suggestions here...

It's just been noted elsewhere that the metal framework they've put up isn't the correct one anyway and that it's meant for partition walls not ceilings, is that right?!
 
Not sure about the framing as when l used it for my rooms l found it quicker than stud work but put wooden joists in for ceiling.l think you would be better going with the cross battening idea..
 
yeah looks like it's commercial guys doing the work with the metal firrings (if thats what they are as I always use timber too) and the tape and jointing on the walls :)
 
Cowboys?! Or do different people just have different ways of approaching this sort of job?

Should i pull them off the job or ask them to discuss other ceiling repair options with me before contiuning?
 
my comment above wasn't suggesting anything wrong with the work, just looks more the approach used on commercial jobs (in my experience) but no reason to think anything wrong with it. can't comment on the metal furrings as never used em.
 
I have just noticed that the metal frames on the ceiling look like they are at 600mm centres instead of 400mm!,
 

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