Plasterboard on ceiling - urgent advice needed!

[TryC]

1 minute ago, Cpd said:

Much more knowledgeable people will be along to advise but to my eyes it looks like a hash. @nod ? 

? sorry, i'm not up to date on the lingo?

[TryC]

here is the side of the wall where it meets the ceiling

[TonyT]

1 hour ago, TryC said:

omg it is not normal is it?

I haven’t seen anything that bad in plasterboard in 30 years.

 

tell the guy that did it to never come back he’s not even good enough to be a cowboy

[Gus Potter]

Hello TryC.

 

It's a shame you have to post about this.

 

To cut to the chase. No matter what folk say about dot and dabbing to hold up ceilings the bottom line is that for it all to work each layer needs to be able to carry the weight and for a ceiling not to fail due to the added vibrational effects. It is possible to dot and dab ceilings but often the ceiling is a concrete slab. It's not that common now but you you used to see it a while back.

 

In your case it looks like the dabs are stuck to a painted ceiling.. probably emulsion paint. This is the weak spot and no supplier.. say British Gypsom is going to warranty this.

 

From an SE point of view.. it either needs to come down or be screwed to the joists. Unless the installer has access to load tables / test information that says it's ok to stick stuff to paint! It's not going to happen.. if it does I'll donate fifty quid to BH.

 

Once screwed it will be safe but it is probably going to crack. To stop this you'll need a good quality scrim tape of a good width, a plasterer that knows their stuff.. they may say it has to come down as I'm not putting my name to that.

 

Sorry to upset but best be safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TryC]

18 minutes ago, Gus Potter said:

Hello TryC.

 

It's a shame you have to post about this.

 

To cut to the chase. No matter what folk say about dot and dabbing to hold up ceilings the bottom line is that for it all to work each layer needs to be able to carry the weight and for a ceiling not to fail due to the added vibrational effects. It is possible to dot and dab ceilings but often the ceiling is a concrete slab. It's not that common now but you you used to see it a while back.

 

In your case it looks like the dabs are stuck to a painted ceiling.. probably emulsion paint. This is the weak spot and no supplier.. say British Gypsom is going to warranty this.

 

From an SE point of view.. it either needs to come down or be screwed to the joists. Unless the installer has access to load tables / test information that says it's ok to stick stuff to paint! It's not going to happen.. if it does I'll donate fifty quid to BH.

 

Once screwed it will be safe but it is probably going to crack. To stop this you'll need a good quality scrim tape of a good width, a plasterer that knows their stuff.. they may say it has to come down as I'm not putting my name to that.

 

Sorry to upset but best be safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

i've asked him to come back and remove. and I just waiting for him to give me grief...:(, threaten or what not as I have heard horror stories...

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, TryC said:

i am not sure he can find the joists from the floor above as that has been carpeted down (new).

 

Here are some photos. 

This is uniquely, the biggest bag of shit I've seen in over 30 years. Horrific.

Did this clown screw all the original boards to the joists with new screws put in at 200mm gaps at least? The weight of the new boards, plus the dab will be huge. The risk of this falling and hurting someone is real. Get the lot pulled down, put in the skip, and tell this muppet to go back to the pub, after picking his horse up from the stables on the way........ Staggeringly shite. Do not allow this to be plastered.

[TryC]

1 minute ago, Nickfromwales said:

This is uniquely, the biggest bag of shit I've seen in over 30 years. Horrific.

Did this clown screw all the original boards to the joists with new screws put in at 200mm gaps at least? The weight of the new boards, plus the dab will be huge. The risk of this falling and hurting someone is real. Get the lot pulled down, put in the skip, and tell this muppet to go back to the pub, after picking his horse up from the stables on the way........ Staggeringly shite. Do not allow this to be plastered.

thank you all for your advice, I very much appreciate it. I just feel so down at the moment with the entire situation. he is a nice chap but will he stay nice after all is said and done?I do not know. I am very anxious about how he will react and get abusive. I'm female so I think this increases chances of happening as I've read so many stories about this happening!

[Temp]

Search youtube for "overboarding ceiling" or similar. Several vids on how it should be done/look. 

[Nickfromwales]

11 minutes ago, TryC said:

thank you all for your advice, I very much appreciate it. I just feel so down at the moment with the entire situation. he is a nice chap but will he stay nice after all is said and done?I do not know. I am very anxious about how he will react and get abusive. I'm female so I think this increases chances of happening as I've read so many stories about this happening!

Have someone with you when you confront him. Another woman will do fine ( as I'd rather fight 6 blokes than 1 woman!!  ).

Your demeanour will do the talking. If you are firm and factual he will just have to accept this. If he doesn't agree, just tell him to leave there and then. This is your house and he has been invited in. Do not get into an argument, or raise your voice, but if he does, then tell him to leave or you will call the police and have him removed. Having a friend there recording on their mobile phone, just laid on a sideboard with the camera facing nothing particular will gather sufficient evidence for the police to enforce and side with you.

Let me be totally clear here. This work absolutely CANNOT remain. It is not safe. There are even building regs guidelines for vertical studwork, differentiating  between bathrooms and other spaces, where the studs have to be no more than 400mm centres vs the normal spacings of 600mm centres. That is prescribed so the VERTICAL walls can take an assumed load per m2 of plasterboard / tiles / adhesive / grout etc. This is the chuffing CEILING ffs!! 

Stop this guy now, agree a departure plan, and get him gone.  

[Roundtuit]

Sorry, I can't add anything other than to echo the previous comments, but out of interest, is it an old house? Perhaps a lath and plaster ceiling?

[TryC]

1 minute ago, Roundtuit said:

Sorry, I can't add anything other than to echo the previous comments, but out of interest, is it an old house? Perhaps a lath and plaster ceiling?

i'm not sure what you mean by a lath and plaster ceiling

[TryC]

4 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Have someone with you when you confront him. Another woman will do fine ( as I'd rather fight 6 blokes than 1 woman!!  ).

Your demeanour will do the talking. If you are firm and factual he will just have to accept this. If he doesn't agree, just tell him to leave there and then. This is your house and he has been invited in. Do not get into an argument, or raise your voice, but if he does, then tell him to leave or you will call the police and have him removed. Having a friend there recording on their mobile phone, just laid on a sideboard with the camera facing nothing particular will gather sufficient evidence for the police to enforce and side with you.

Let me be totally clear here. This work absolutely CANNOT remain. It is not safe. There are even building regs guidelines for vertical studwork, differentiating  between bathrooms and other spaces, where the studs have to be no more than 400mm centres vs the normal spacings of 600mm centres. That is prescribed so the VERTICAL walls can take an assumed load per m2 of plasterboard / tiles / adhesive / grout etc. This is the chuffing CEILING ffs!! 

Stop this guy now, agree a departure plan, and get him gone.  

thank you! may I know if I should ask him (trust that he will remove it safely and not cause unnecessary damage or just be down right vindictive), or is it best for me to remove myself, if so, how best to remove and will it be difficult? touching the boards seems like it is firmly stuck, but I know this will not last. I just don't want to cause more damage and have to pay more to fix this when it comes off!

[Iceverge]

15 minutes ago, TryC said:

I just feel so down at the moment with the entire situation

 

Every build project has disasters no matter how diligent or experienced you are. We've all employed people who've let us down in one way or another. It happens unfortunately, don't beat yourself up.  

 

19 minutes ago, TryC said:

he is a nice chap but will he stay nice after all is said and done?I do not know. I am very anxious about how he will react and get abusive

 

Impossible for us to tell I'm afraid. Of course please make sure you are safe when bringing it up with him, maybe a phonecall is best. Don't expect him to be delighted but give the man a chance to hold his hands up and admit he got it wrong. 

 

I suspect the most likely scenario is that he will answer your call, probably be defensive and after you hang up you'll never hear from him again but you never know. 

 

 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

1 minute ago, TryC said:

thank you! may I know if I should ask him (trust that he will remove it safely and not cause unnecessary damage or just be down right vindictive), or is it best for me to remove myself, if so, how best to remove and will it be difficult? touching the boards seems like it is firmly stuck, but I know this will not last. I just don't want to cause more damage and have to pay more to fix this when it comes off!

Removing this abomination will likely result in the original boards needing coming off. Prepare yourself for this to get worse before it gets better.

Offer this chap a resolve. Tell him ( not ask ) that the only way you will let him finish this job will be for him to remove both the new "stuck" bits of PB and the original ceiling and for him to remove the spoil at his cost.

Once at a clear ceiling, void of any ceiling boards whatsoever, employ a new person to board and skim ( plaster ) as required. Do you have some available funds to do so? 

[Marvin]

15 minutes ago, Roundtuit said:

Sorry, I can't add anything other than to echo the previous comments, but out of interest, is it an old house? Perhaps a lath and plaster ceiling?

Better prey not.

[Nickfromwales]

13 minutes ago, Roundtuit said:

Sorry, I can't add anything other than to echo the previous comments, but out of interest, is it an old house? Perhaps a lath and plaster ceiling?

If it was, I'd have expected the moisture of the dab and the weight of the new bits of boards to have pulled the lot down already. If it is lath then it's deffo on borrowed time.

[Roundtuit]

4 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Better prey not.

My thoughts exactly...

[TryC]

8 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Removing this abomination will likely result in the original boards needing coming off. Prepare yourself for this to get worse before it gets better.

Offer this chap a resolve. Tell him ( not ask ) that the only way you will let him finish this job will be for him to remove both the new "stuck" bits of PB and the original ceiling and for him to remove the spoil at his cost.

Once at a clear ceiling, void of any ceiling boards whatsoever, employ a new person to board and skim ( plaster ) as required. Do you have some available funds to do so? 

oh my

 

I have asked him to remove. I contacted my original plasterer who did the bedrooms but he is not available until March 2022 - if you're wondering why i didn't get this guy in before. I tried and it was a 6 month wait, but i might as well of waited as November would of been his go date too! But by the time I would of booked him, it wouldn't of been November, so hence waited for four months for the one who turned up today.

 

Anyway, the original plasterer was so angry for me! but i guess my question is, iff the PB is taken down, will it be OK until March 2022? He cannot come in any sooner and I really don't want to chance it on anyone else. My luck is I choose another cowboy!

Edited November 18, 2021 by TryC

[Nickfromwales]

Honest answer is I don't know how "safe" it would be to leave as-is, sorry. A temporary 'fix' would be to get a trade in who has a functioning brain, who could locate the joists and screw through these boards, through the original, and into the wooden joists, to get a mechanical fix. Then the risk of them falling would be mitigated.

[TryC]

18 minutes ago, Iceverge said:

 

Every build project has disasters no matter how diligent or experienced you are. We've all employed people who've let us down in one way or another. It happens unfortunately, don't beat yourself up.  

 

 

Impossible for us to tell I'm afraid. Of course please make sure you are safe when bringing it up with him, maybe a phonecall is best. Don't expect him to be delighted but give the man a chance to hold his hands up and admit he got it wrong. 

 

I suspect the most likely scenario is that he will answer your call, probably be defensive and after you hang up you'll never hear from him again but you never know. 

 

 

 

 

It cannot be helped!  I'm still beating myself up...a few months ago, I hired a decorator who claimed to have 15 years experience to decorate my stairway, hall and landing...I could of done a better job myself!

 

This guy CUT bubbles out of my wallpaper. Had hoped I didn't see them and only did something about it when I asked...but it never crossed my mind that he would CUT freaking bubbles out with a stanley knife. or patch up his work like a jigsaw puzzle.

 

I decorated 3 bedrooms and I didn't patch or cut bubbles out or have bubbles, I only hired him because I cannot do stairway/landing and hallways (did it once but I was much younger!!)

Edited November 18, 2021 by TryC

[TryC]

4 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Honest answer is I don't know how "safe" it would be to leave as-is, sorry. A temporary 'fix' would be to get a trade in who has a functioning brain, who could locate the joists and screw through these boards, through the original, and into the wooden joists, to get a mechanical fix. Then the risk of them falling would be mitigated.

i see. i can ask if the original plasterer can put in a temporary board with screws, when he comes to quote. good idea! thank you

Edited November 18, 2021 by TryC

[Roundtuit]

14 minutes ago, TryC said:

i'm not sure what you mean by a lath and plaster ceiling

For info, in the 'olden days', before the advent of plasterboard, walls/ceilings were built with thin laths of wood nailed to studs/joists and then plastered over with lime plaster, often with horse hair in the mix to help it bind.  Phased out from 1930's I think.

[Nickfromwales]

Just now, TryC said:

i see. i can ask if the original plasterer can put in a temporary board with screws, good idea! thank you

The screws will need to be around 60-70mm long and be seen to be pulling into the surface of the bits of boards so you know they're not just spinning into thin air. If not, it is a waste of effort / time / cost.

[Nickfromwales]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXQ5UbE-h2vg&psig=AOvVaw3VoqFsJGD6Hzd3SPG3JyiH&ust=1637361517939000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLiA55X9ovQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

[Nickfromwales]

If the room is empty, I would recommend pulling the lot down and starting over. Get a friend around, get suited up, and just beat the shit out of it until its all on the floor. A few rubble bags half-filled and sealed, then carried outside, and a couple of bottles of vino to celebrate thereafter. Would give some much needed therapy too  .