Making good holes in ceiling

[matt80]

I've got a very large airing cupboard that I want to tidy up and make into storage space. The ceiling is very tatty and has some holes in, through which you can see the loft insulation above.

1. The first hole is quite large, about 20cm in each direction. I've no idea how to fill this neatly!


2. The other holes are around central heating pipework that go up through the ceiling and into the loft. I would normally think to use expanding foam, but I know it is very flammable and it says on the tin not to apply in areas where the temperature will exceed 50 degrees celcius. Given that these are central heating pipes, I guess I shouldn't use it. What else can I use?

Any help would be much appreciated

 

[Diyisfun]

I would use a piece of plaster board to fill large holes.
You can cut a piece that will go through the hole, drill a small hole through this b4 you put it in the hole.
Mix a bit of plaster, put it on the edges of either the off cut or the hole, pass the plaster board through the hole, use a piece of wire to pass through the small hole & pull the off cut back down.
When that has set, you can cut another piece & plaster that onto the piece you have just put up.
Hope you understood that, there might be a better explanation soon.

Its not difficult to do. I just made it seen difficult

 

[matt80]

I'm not sure what the purpose to the small hole and the wire is, but are you basically saying to use plaster like an adhesive around the edge of the offcut to hold it in place?

 

[roughcaster]

The purpose of the piece of wire coming down through the small hole, is to enable you to pull down on the plasterboard off-cut, and bed it firmly into the plaster around the edges. To help you pull on the wire, wrap it around say a 3" nail as an anchor, and then put the wire through the small hole and pull,, to stick the plasterboard patch.

Roughcaster.

 

[roughcaster]

You could also use a piece of string instead of wire if you wanted, same method.

Roughcaster.

 

[roughcaster]

I've got a very large airing cupboard that I want to tidy up and make into storage space.

The ceiling is very tatty and has some holes in, through which you can see the loft insulation above.

Matt80, I have just re-read your post and noticed you have a loft, it would be simple to carry out the repair from within the loft by placing a piece of plasterboard over the hole and stick it down with a grip adhesive, say "No More Nails", and then fit another piece of p/board from underneath, to flush it off. Then, just tape it over, sand it down and that's it,,,, ready to paint.

Roughcaster.

 

[matt80]

Thanks roughcaster, that sounds quite easy. But can you explain what you mean by "tape it over"? I was assuming I would need to re-plaster over the new plasterboard...?

 

[roughcaster]

When you fix another piece of plasterboard underneath the piece you have stuck down in your loft, the hole that was in your ceiling is now flush with the rest of the ceiling. But you can still see the patch. You would now put some pieces of self adhesive fibre tape over the patch (tape it over) and cover it either with plaster, or some filler/ready mix joint cement, sand it down when dry, and then paint.

Roughcaster.