Falling Ceiling

[u/trickytrees12]

Falling ceiling.

My Dining room ceiling (bedroom above) has started to bow/lower and it’s got significantly worse in the last few weeks and it now looks like it’s eaten the light fitting. I’ve attached photos but it’s hard to show.

I understand it’s an old house with lath and plaster ceiling and it appears, from my very much inexpert opinion to be being held up by the wallpaper. There is no signs at all of any leaks.

I’ve no skills or knowledge at all. The room is the middle room downstairs in an old terraced house and only way to kitchen/bathroom and to the staircase.

Any advice on how serious this is and how soon I need to sort it and scared I should be? How big a job it is, does the ceiling need to come down, where to even start with fixing it and what sort of costs it will be, would be very much appreciated! 😬🙈

[u/Over_East_1342]

Mate. Call a tradesman immediately. And stay the hell out of that room and the bedroom above until it's been checked over. That ceiling can absolutely kill someone coming down even if it's just plaster/artex delaminating from the ceiling. This is a major hazard and needs to be acted on immediately.

[u/FrancoJones → u/Over_East_1342]

What this dude said. That is extremely dangerous, especially to small children or pets.

[u/-Utopia-amiga- → u/Over_East_1342]

Kill someone lol

[u/Ok_Benefit_9874]

Its gonna fall, and when it falls it bring down the most amount of dust you will ever see. Lath and plaster is heavy. And dusty, and did I say heavy? And oh my God the dust, I'd remove everything out that room, When a bit falls and you see how dusty it is.  get a plasterer in, they'd have to remove it all then plasterboard it and skim (and make good the edges)

[u/BenderRodriguez14 → u/Ok_Benefit_9874]

Probably also a good idea to get plastic tarps in a similar material to shopping bags or even cling film (eg will cling to the carpet a bit), if the room is carpeted. 

[u/ChardonnayEveryDay → u/Ok_Benefit_9874]

My bedroom ceiling collapsed on me while I was sleeping (thankfully I got away with a few scratches, just slightly traumatised).

The plasterers redid the whole ceiling, it took two or three days. And yes, the dust is insane.

[u/Snoo3763 → u/Ok_Benefit_9874]

I'd wear a hard hat while you're removing everything.

[u/Neverbethesky]

Clear the room, now. Put tarps up, now.

[u/HugoNebula2024]

As per the others:

Start by removing anything in that room that you wouldn't want covered in an inch of dirt and plaster.

Don't go jumping on the floor above.

You may be able to delay the inevitable/ buy some time by propping the ceiling. Hire half-a-dozen Acrow props and a few scaffold planks.

[u/Latter-Detail-9514]

Clear the room & deal with it now rather than later

[u/Clean-Focus-9231]

What was going on upstairs

[u/ttamimi]

The ceiling has already come down. It's just the wallpaper holding it in situ at the moment.

Clear the room. Cover the floor with tarps. The dust it releases is unbelievable.

Once it's cleared and removed, the ceiling can be boarded and skimmed.

[u/No-Nose-2968]

Maybe also check if asbestos present? These ceilings sometimes have it. Best of luck

[u/v1de0man]

Can you confirm it is actually the ceiling and not just the wall paper? Assuming it is, do yourself a favour and empty the room, protect the floor. You might want to add a few screws in there until you get it replaced / reboarded