Hi there, can anyone give me some advice on a large crack I have on my ceiling, it is in the lounge above the fireplace and it is a long, curvy line. I filled it with stuff before and hid it then painted it and it was fine for a few months but it's back again. The ceiling was plastered about 8 years ago and there is nothing like this in any of the other rooms. The house was built in 1820 so it's kinda old but I don't want my ceiling to fall down; do you think this is serious?
Worried :-(
- Thread starter JulesK
- Start date
Significant structural cracking is generally not "curvy".
A crack in finishes which is just filled, has a 99% chance of reappearing
If the probelm existed 8 years ago and was structural related, then the ceiling would be down by now
How wide is this crack?
A crack in finishes which is just filled, has a 99% chance of reappearing
If the probelm existed 8 years ago and was structural related, then the ceiling would be down by now
How wide is this crack?
i find you get lots of cracks in old ceilings (ie not plasterboard). as long as there is no bulge then would say all ok. walls being the no1 concern.
the only way to stop them reocuring is to use decorators caulk. applied using a squeeze gun and diluted washing up liquid to smooth down using a decorators stripping /filling knife to ensure you get a flat surface. most fillers are rigid and just end up cracking again like the plaster.
if the crack is very fine then dig it out a little with the striping knife or saw blade to give enough gap for the caulk to get in and get a hold.
the only way to stop them reocuring is to use decorators caulk. applied using a squeeze gun and diluted washing up liquid to smooth down using a decorators stripping /filling knife to ensure you get a flat surface. most fillers are rigid and just end up cracking again like the plaster.
if the crack is very fine then dig it out a little with the striping knife or saw blade to give enough gap for the caulk to get in and get a hold.
can you get access to the upper surface of the ceiling through the floor above?
In such an old house the plaster was applied to split chestnut laths, maybe an inch or so wide, nailed to the joists of the floor above. The soft plaster, when applied, bulges through the gaps between the laths and flops over, the nibs formed in this way hold the plaster in place when it sets.
In time, the nibs break, or the timbers degrade, or the nails rust away.
If you have a look at the upper surface you can get an idea of the current state of the ceiling.
It is possible to repair a L&P ceiling without taking it down, but it is quite a lot of trouble. You wil find a lot of dirt and dust under the floor above.
If you take some photos that may help.
When you say it was replastered, did you see that done yourself or is it what you were told? Was new plasterboard nailed up, or was the old ceiling skimmed?
In such an old house the plaster was applied to split chestnut laths, maybe an inch or so wide, nailed to the joists of the floor above. The soft plaster, when applied, bulges through the gaps between the laths and flops over, the nibs formed in this way hold the plaster in place when it sets.
In time, the nibs break, or the timbers degrade, or the nails rust away.
If you have a look at the upper surface you can get an idea of the current state of the ceiling.
It is possible to repair a L&P ceiling without taking it down, but it is quite a lot of trouble. You wil find a lot of dirt and dust under the floor above.
If you take some photos that may help.
When you say it was replastered, did you see that done yourself or is it what you were told? Was new plasterboard nailed up, or was the old ceiling skimmed?
Thanks for all the repiles guys, sorry but I've been away. There is nothing above the lounge except the attic and I don't go up there but the water tank definately sits above this area. The crack isn't wide at all probably about 0.5-1mm but little bits can crack off from the sides of it. I used flexable chalk and a flat scraper the last time I filled it and then I painted over it with a liquid polyfiller then I painted it (it's not great and you can see it somewhat). When the ceiling was plastered 8 years ago I actually meant it was skimmed,and I definately didn't do it, a plaster chap done it for me; I don't have any plasterboard, it's just L&P and the ceiling isn't completely flat. Right, so I'll dig it out a little and try it again - do we all think thats my best option?
Jules
Jules
2
2scoops0406
Tip for future reference, do not nail plasterboard, screw it with plaster board screws instead.
yes. best way fwd is to dig out a little and use caulk. but don't put the polyfiller on (it's not flexible).
if the crack comes back then post again. water tank supports are notoriously not done that well (in terms of structural support) and this could be causing the problem.
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