Lowering ceiling by 100mm?

Joined
14 Sep 2010
Messages
7,034
Reaction score
874
Location
Rochdale
Country
United Kingdom
My daughters house has lath and plaster ceilings in poor condition upstairs and there is an angle on the ceiling where the roof rafters must come slightly into the rooms.

If we could lower the ceilings by about 100mm it would take that angle out, rather than simply overboarding.

Could we screw a 4x2 through the current ceilings and into the joist above (guessing they are 3x2’s) and if so would you go along the same line as the existing joists or across them?

I can’t really bolt anything to the walls because of the angled bits on 2 sides and those hollow blocks on the other 2 sides. Bit hard to see on this pic but that’s the room before she stripped it:
A1F7C71A-D7FB-4467-85EA-B3E93087ED1F.jpeg
 
Sponsored Links
You’ll struggle with screw length to get 4x2s fixed through the existing plaster (particularly if lath and plaster as it’ll be thicker). You might be able to do it using 2x2s, then counter battened the other way... out of interest why do you want to lose the combed ceiling?
I’d have thought lowering the whole lot would end up looking worse than just overboarding and keeping the combed section which can either be flat or form a barrel curve when plastering

Edit: can see from your other post that you’ve got lath and plaster ceilings. Poke a little screwdriver up through the existing ceiling until you hit the joist to get an idea or how how thick the lath and plaster is. It can be like an inch or more. So you need to consider screw lengths if you batten/overboard
 
Last edited:
You’ll struggle with screw length to get 4x2s fixed through the existing plaster (particularly if lath and plaster as it’ll be thicker). You might be able to do it using 2x2s, then counter battened the other way... out of interest why do you want to lose the combed ceiling?

It just looks crap on the 2 sides and then 1 corner comes lower where the hip is. The 2 lots of 2x2’ is a good idea (y)

We had another thought which was just to lower around the edge like this:
9BC3D818-8138-4E88-B422-569B3F5E4F65.jpeg


But not so posh :LOL:
 
Sponsored Links
Last time I looked you could get quite long screws, I hear they also make drills and drill bits, whatever they are.
 
The headroom in there doesn't look massive, can you afford to lose 100mm?
If you're determined to go ahead, 2 x 2 fixed to walls, 2 x 2 at 400 centres across the room (all nogged again at 400), pick up a few supports across the framework from the existing joists.
Or just drop the lath & plaster...
 
It’s about 2.4 tall to the main flat bit of ceiling.

I’m not sure what to do for the best now. The angled bit looks crap now, a bit all over the place but if I overboarded the main bit and stripped and double boarded the angled bit maybe it wouldn’t look so bad?
 
I’d deffo overboard the lot, and keep the combed bit. It’s part of the design of the house and you’re not going to be able to get rid of it without making a big compromise like a really noticeable drop in ceiling height or massive boxed out section.
You could chop the curves out and do it with sharp square lines rather than the current curves if that helps...if I’m seeing your pic right
 
But not so posh :LOL:
looks chintzy US style - fussy and hideous. Furnished like back street disco. Show some class man.

Nowt wrong with fixing (4" x 2") timbers through into existing as long as you can pull the lighting cable through, don't risk hitting any other services and just buy a box of 6" screws (let into the timber a little). We have some behemoth Spax screws that would eat it. You could fill the gap with 90mm Celotex and foil tape, then add Duplex boards.

Piece of cake.
 
looks chintzy US style - fussy and hideous. Furnished like back street disco. Show some class man.

Nowt wrong with fixing (4" x 2") timbers through into existing as long as you can pull the lighting cable through, don't risk hitting any other services and just buy a box of 6" screws (let into the timber a little). We have some behemoth Spax screws that would eat it. You could fill the gap with 90mm Celotex and foil tape, then add Duplex boards.

Piece of cake.
Would go along under the existing joist or across them?
 
Just to add my bit...

If you lower the ceiling in that one room, I feel that that room will then look and feel noticably weird/different (or low) compared to the other rooms on that floor.

Sfk
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top