Might need filling that!

[Delicatedave]

Finally got the bedroom ceiling in to a shape where I can fill and then very lightly skim. It's a cottage so not looking for perfection here but had press the laths back up and support them with plaster from above to make it a flat as possible. The whole of that ceiling is supported by the external walls and one main beam in the centre. More for my own comfort I've add wire support above so it doesn't sag again. Horrid job in the loft because whoever replaced the roof left all their shit in there. So I sent days vacuuming the loft and took out at least 3 bags of stuff. Naturally the insects were disturbed and we then had to cope with a regular flow of flies looking for light.

[ProDave]

That ceiling is in a poor state.  Have you ever seen the mess made when a lath and plaster ceiling comes down?  And i suspect there is not a lot holding that one up.

 

Personally I would take it down and replace the lot with new plasterboard. Yes it's going to be a miserable messy job.

 

OR as a very minimum leave it there and over board with plasterboard.  At least that will hold it up. Put in more screws (and of course longer screws) than if you were just doing a plasterboard new ceiling.

[joe90]

1 minute ago, ProDave said:

leave it there and over board with plasterboard. 

if you do this, lots less work and mess and the existing “mass.” Will reduce noise transference.

[Delicatedave]

Oh chaps you have no soul. The is nothing wrong with the ceiling now it's rock solid. If I wanted to put boards up the is no way I could do without add extra beams above to support the boards because if I secure the board to the existing beam - which are just quarter sawn tree trunks - the weight will bring it down surely.  Read the post, what I've done is the best way, I'll fill the gaps and wash the lot with PVA and give a very light skim.

[Jeremy Harris]

If you're pretty confident that the plaster nibs through the laths are all sound, and haven't cracked away from the plaster, then patching should be OK.  TBH it may well not be a long term solution, though, as the patches won't grip the laths as well, just because it's hard to force the stuff up through a narrow slot so it forms a nib to lock it behind the laths.

 

If you've vacuumed up above the ceiling then I'd guess you've had a good look at all the plaster nibs on that side and will have spotted if any were loose.

[Delicatedave]

1 hour ago, Jeremy Harris said:

If you're pretty confident that the plaster nibs through the laths are all sound, and haven't cracked away from the plaster, then patching should be OK.  TBH it may well not be a long term solution, though, as the patches won't grip the laths as well, just because it's hard to force the stuff up through a narrow slot so it forms a nib to lock it behind the laths.

 

If you've vacuumed up above the ceiling then I'd guess you've had a good look at all the plaster nibs on that side and will have spotted if any were loose.

Ok people are getting confused here so let give more detail on what I've done and why I'm so confident.

1. Supported the ceiling with polls pushing back what was were 2 inch sags in places.
2. From above the ceiling I've scrapped all the loose plaster from the laths and vacuumed it out.
3. Brushed PVA along all the laths before pouring well mixed plaster along them.
4. While still wet I brushed nylon mesh in to the plaster.
5. Then for extra support I stretched thick wire from the roof supports to the ceiling joists. The ceiling is now flat enough and firm
6. Naturally that wasn't all done at once but leaving a few days inbetween, when done I inspected the ceiling and pulled out by hand any plaster that was still loose.
7. I then chased out all the old cracks to give a wide/deep enough channel to fill, the large holes I've used plasterboard cement & mesh pushing well though the laths.
8. I'll then wash the whole ceiling with PVA before doing a very thin skim. Not having lights in the ceiling so don't need to worry about that.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Delicatedave

[Tom]

10/10 for effort Dave! We had a ceiling in very similar condition in our victorian terrace in London, went for the replace-with-plasterboard option. God what a mess. Sounds like you've done a through job on yours so no reason to expect it won't be there in another 100 years or so.

[Delicatedave]

29 minutes ago, Tom said:

10/10 for effort Dave! We had a ceiling in very similar condition in our victorian terrace in London, went for the replace-with-plasterboard option. God what a mess. Sounds like you've done a through job on yours so no reason to expect it won't be there in another 100 years or so.

To get to where we could start that we had to remove a emersion heater and all the tanks inc the one in the loft ?

We don't intend moving again and I'm very traditional with lots of time I didn't think I would have 5 years ago. Enjoying it but not rushing helps.
 

[Delicatedave]

38 minutes ago, Tom said:

10/10 for effort Dave! We had a ceiling in very similar condition in our victorian terrace in London, went for the replace-with-plasterboard option. God what a mess. Sounds like you've done a through job on yours so no reason to expect it won't be there in another 100 years or so.

Didn't have much option of putting boards up. The rafters wouldn't hold boards so it was boards and new rafters or fix it that way. This ended up being very cheap too as DIY goes.