Lath Ceiling

[Conan1302]

I have just had a lump fall off my ceiling!!!!!

I have a lath and plaster ceiling which has previously (5 years ago) had a leak in the roof.

There was a bulge in the ceiling and, while changing a light bulb, i prodded it!! (big mistake!!!)

A lump of plaster fell off leaving a hole about 6" by 8". The lath is in good repair behind it adn i have brushed off all the loose plaster from around the edges.

However, what should I fill it with??

Is there somehting special I should use or will a patch of bog-standard Polyfilla do the trick.

The whole ceiling is going to be covered with lining paper and painted afterwards.

 

[DAZB]

You will first have to check if any more of the ceiling has 'blown' by gently tapping around the edge of the hole and listening for a solid sound or a hollow knock. If you get a hollow knock then i'm afraid more of the ceiling needs to be replaced. Once you have got your final patch brush the laths with a diluted solution of PVA to help the plaster stick better then it would be best to use what they call Bonding plaster to bring it back to within a couple of mm of the surface and then finally skim over that once it has dried with Finish plaster. With the Bonding be sure to press firmly as you apply it because you want it to push itself between the laths and provide a good base for the Finish plaster.

 

[oilman]

I would suggest you search around on the internet and contact some of the companies who supply lime (links here )and associated products for its use. It is not difficult to use, and you will be able to make a repair which has the same characteristics as the original ceiling. It will be more expensive, but you'll only be talking of pounds, not hundreds. The modern materials are harder than lime plaster and tend to crack instead of flexing.

The support for the lime plaster is the nibs created behind the laths, so the laths need to be in reasonable condition, and then the lime gets pushed through the gaps.

As you have a lime mortar building, you will find this exercise useful (daunting, I know), as you will find out how easy lime is to work with and how you can maintain your building.

Best of luck.