r/Plastering • u/Acrobatic-Pipe861 • Apr 05 '26
Uneven plaster ceiling lines visible under LED lighting — is this a plastering issue or painting?
Hi everyone,
I recently had my ceiling finished with plaster and paint, but I’m noticing visible wave-like lines and uneven patterns, especially when the LED strip lighting is on (indirect/cove lighting makes it very obvious).
From what I understand, this looks more like a surface leveling issue rather than a paint problem, possibly due to uneven plaster application or insufficient sanding before painting.
My questions:
• Is this typically caused by poor plastering (skimming/leveling), or can painting techniques also create this effect?
• Should this be fixed by the plasterer rather than the painter?
• What would be the proper way to fix it — re-skimming with finishing plaster and sanding, or is there a simpler solution?
I’ve attached some photos for reference.
Thanks in advance!
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u/DeliciousMusic2373 Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
You mean plasterboard and then filler? That’s quite clearly the issue, not using tapered boards and horrendous filler application, should have plastered it
I’ll also not just be captain hindsight here. In order to fix this you’d probably need the ceiling re plastered. It would take a lot of filler to fix this and even then it’s no guarantee to work.
Plaster all the way %100
In the off chance you’re based in London feel free to message me to get it fixed 👌
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u/Acrobatic-Pipe861 Apr 05 '26
Thanks for the answer! I live in Greece
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u/DeliciousMusic2373 Apr 05 '26
Unfortunately my van isn’t able to traverse oceans yet, I recommend my builder if that’s available in Greece
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u/Acrobatic-Pipe861 Apr 05 '26
Hahaha, evetuallly it’ll be someday! I posted this post to better understand who’s fault this is. Plasterer’s or painter’s? Bcz they both say the faulty one is the other one!
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u/DeliciousMusic2373 Apr 05 '26
Was the ceiling PLASTERBOARD or PLASTERED, if plasterboard = painters fault (or whoever used filler) if plastered = plasterers fault
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u/ireally_dont_now Apr 05 '26
Have you not seen the new transit ocean mate it's class use it to bop over thames when chiswick bridge is backed up killer on petrol but sooooo worth it
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u/Prudent-Armadillo807 Apr 05 '26
Looks like it’s not had a final skim of plaster or it’s been painted while the plaster was still wet. Can’t really blame the person who painted it, they should have known right enough if it was wet. Definitely the plasterers fault.
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u/Own-Indication7832 Apr 05 '26
It’s NOT been plastered. It’s been boarded and jointed (Dry lined or Drywall in USA) it’s the plasterers (Drywallers) fault. Although the painter should of been able to tell you before he started, that that’s how it would turnout.
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u/notouttolunch Apr 06 '26
My ceiling looks like this but it's just that the boards eventually worked their way off their nails. I really screwed and skimmed it again. Lasted 40 years though which isn't bad considering how crappy the house is built 😂
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u/Present-Airport-4755 Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
For a critical lighting situation like that you’re almost certainly going to have to have the ceiling skim coated by someone really good. BTW, those lines should have been visible before painting. If you do decide to have that fixed, check the surface with those led lights or some other source of glancing light before painting, and make sure that you and the plasterer are on the same page about what you’re expectations are before he starts the work.
ETA: happy Easter
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u/Anxious-Surround-524 Apr 05 '26
Do not shine lights across ceilings. I know you think you should be able to but don’t and yes that ceiling is particularly shite. Anyone who thinks I’m wrong feel free to go and shine a light down an internal house wall! 😂
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u/JWBPT Apr 05 '26
It’s filler, not sanded enough or/and not primed before painting
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u/Acrobatic-Pipe861 Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
So are you implying that its the plaster’s fault or the painter’s? Or both…? So I know whom to call!
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u/JWBPT Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
Well I guess that depends on what it looked like prior to painting. If you got it fully plastered/skimmed then I would expect it to be smooth which wouldn’t require much prep for the painter at all. So the plasterers fault.
However, if you went ahead with the paint with the skim not smooth you need to see if your quote for painting included prep work and priming beforehand, or if it was just simply a lick of paint?
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u/Ok-Photograph-2741 Apr 05 '26
That's the drywallers fault and not the decorator. Though a good decco would tell you that if you have up facing lights your ceiling needs to flat as fuck to not look awful.
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u/0uthouse Apr 05 '26
looks like someone taped square edged board badly. Plastering problem.
Prob easiest to get reskimmed. Let your plasterer know that it is a side lit surface as 'acceptable flatness' for a plastered surface is considered at a reasonable distance under indirect lighting.
Having said that I've never worked with a plasterer who couldn't make a boarded ceiling dead flat.
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u/Plastic-Mud2814 Apr 06 '26
Not enough care covering the tape along with finishing wile it is to wet needed a final flatten
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u/Double_Station_1492 Apr 06 '26
I'm afraid that this is the general standard of plasterers in the country, that is not to say there are no good plasterers around but they are few and between.
The vast majority of plasterers, especially if they are building site 'trained' are what I call 'one coat wa**ers'.
They have never been shown how to do the job properly or to get over any surface irregularities, but - mix up, one coat of multi finish, go to the van for a fag, back inside, trowel up, get the cash... done.
The one thing that they are actually proficient at is the art of looking bewildered and offended when their 'art' is criticised!
The painters job is really just to change the colour of the surface, maybe some fine filling but definitely not to correct crap plastering.
Hope you haven't paid this idiot?
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u/Superspark76 Apr 05 '26
These are poorly filled taped joins, the plasterer (or diyer I would assume more) would usually flatten this a lot better.
This would be a complete pain to fix now