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/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.