Plastering my large high bedroom ceiling

[chriselevate]

Hi guys,

I've really got to get round to wacking some multi finish plaster up on my ceiling but I've not done any ceiling work in my own home yet and havn't done any ceiling work since I did my 2 day plastering course in Brighton about 2 years ago.

When I did it in brighton they delibrately had the ceiling of the learning bay quite low (just 240 high - the length of a PB) so we could reach it easily and see how to do it.

My question is... with a room of this dimension how tough will it be to get my two coats on and then trowel off without it drying too quickly and being tought to plaster. Obviously it depend on my ability and skills..... I'm pretty quick at working and have improved a lot in the last 2 years.

Here's the dimensions....

11ft x 18ft and a height of 8 1/2ft.

There's also the face that it tapers up at the end when the eaves cut slighlty into this room - should I just run the plaster into this angle making it smotth rather than giving a good sharp line?

I also really need to know which way to work when tackling a ceiling. With it being 2 years ago I can't remember for ceilin where you start and how to work on it.

I hear you need to be close enough to the ceiling to hand you hand on your head and touching the ceiling and this is a good distance to be working at.

Cheers

 

[dextrous]

Bloke who did my 10' ceilings in my house in London (after a fire - insurance job!) hired a scaffold tower with wheels. Had room for his bucket, but not spot board. Thus managed to do it in about 7 to 8 foot squares at a time.

But, he had arms of an orangutan and was completely insane

8.5 foot is managable with a hop-up. Just did my own using one plus a ladder to hop across, to-ing and fro-ing, just in time (13' by 14'). But I'm getting old and out of shape now, so you should manage it.

 

[brist]

As you seem to be a novice at ceiling work , this is a fairly large area . Unless you can practice on a small ceiling i would forget it . I tend to use stilts for ceiling work where practical. Are u Plastering over artex?

 

[chriselevate]

No it's plastering over some old board that's there.

When you say stilts, are these easy to use? What sort? Where from? Not from a circus surely?!?!? lol

Cheers

 

[Richard C]

That’s a fairly large one for the inexperienced to tackle in one go & you’d probably do better to split it in 2. I initially did large ceilings like this when I first started a few years ago but don't need to now; done right, you won’t see the join. You should just be able to manage that height on a hop up & I use 2 cheap pairs of kitchen steps & an 8ft scaffold board as I find it’s very easy & quick to move along the width as I go. Don’t be tempted to use blocks; the only time I did they collapsed, I fell off & badly twisted my ankle & had to finish the job in agony. Never tried stilts as I don’t really do enough but I know a young pro who swears by them. He runs his own team in Essex & does nothing but large contracts, he wouldn’t be without them but unless you do a lot of it, the learning curve will probably be too much & you’ll loose confidence in between.

I did my own slightly wider (12ft x 18ft) ceiling a couple of months ago, Bonding then Multi as it was covered in bootiful Artex stipple; I still hate ceilings.

 

[chriselevate]

Thanks guys!

So you mean fit a stop bead half way accross the ceiling and plaster up to it and then when that's gone off plaster the other half?

Can you tell me the formation that you use (i.e. the pattern) for applying the first coat of plaster. I'm under the impression that a right hander should always work a wall left to right starting at the top.

How does this relate to the ceiling? Sdoul I be pulling out as far from the wall as possible and working round the endges first before going in with my second trowel load?

Cheers

 

[Richard C]

So you mean fit a stop bead half way accross the ceiling and plaster up to it and then when that's gone off plaster the other half?

I’ve used the stop bead trick on large 4m+ high conervatory gable walls in the past but not on ceilings, I’ve just blended it in. You could use a bead but make sure you fix it so you plaster up to the outside edge & not over the mesh bit as one OP did! Remove the bead as soon as the plaster is set, ready to continue on from there. Do the new mix second half immediately you’ve finished the first & wet the old edge down well for blending in.

Can you tell me the formation that you use (i.e. the pattern) for applying the first coat of plaster. I'm under the impression that a right hander should always work a wall left to right starting at the top.

I’m right handed & always start in the bottom l/h corner on walls but with ceilings, it makes little difference to me which l/h corner of the shortest run I start in although I prefer to work away from & facing any natural light source.

How does this relate to the ceiling? Sdoul I be pulling out as far from the wall as possible and working round the endges first before going in with my second trowel load?

Unless you’re a real short arse, you should be able to comfortably pull across the ceiling in around 1 ½ meter sections. I pull from the l/h adjacent wall first (back approx 1 ½ metres) & then pull from the wall in front in approx 1m sections at a time, working my way across the room, move the hop up & start again from the same side.

 

[NickB_99]

Can you tell me the formation that you use (i.e. the pattern) for applying the first coat of plaster. I'm under the impression that a right hander should always work a wall left to right starting at the top.

I was taught the same on my course.
We were also taught to treat a ceiling like a wall - in as far as..... stand back against a wall and look up. Then pretend it is a wall!
If you lose your bearings, return to your reference point and apply same idea again.
Sounds a bit weird I know, but it worked for me!

 

[dextrous]

Luckily, when it comes to plastering I'm ambidextrous and can mess it up with both hands without either one getting tired

 

[Micilin]

Another method, dpending onexperience and size of ceiling,is to start in one corner, work around the perimeter to you get back to that corner, and then fill in the bit in the middle.

Most domestic ceilings only leave a hawkful or two in the middle.

After doing a few, you'll find your preferred way, just neve be afraid to try something different

 

[dextrous]

After doing a few, you'll find your preferred way, just neve be afraid to try something different

Instead of ladders, hop-ups and stilts, fasten some car suspension springs to your shoes and do it like zebedee

 

[Micilin]

After doing a few, you'll find your preferred way, just neve be afraid to try something different

Instead of ladders, hop-ups and stilts, fasten some car suspension springs to your shoes and do it like zebedee

Each has their merits - swings and roundabouts I always say

 

[dextrous]

After doing a few, you'll find your preferred way, just neve be afraid to try something different

Instead of ladders, hop-ups and stilts, fasten some car suspension springs to your shoes and do it like zebedee

Each has their merits - swings and roundabouts I always say

I can see the benefit of using an elevated roundabout - just load the hawk, lie back and push up.

 

[NickB_99]

'chriselevate' shouldn't struggle to reach high ceilings - no need for fancy equipment!

 

[mattylad]

Get some milk crates(see another thread here) and some boards to raise you up

Stilts are expensive but I reckon it will be fun getting used to them.
If your not used to it then you may need someone behind you ready to catch