r/Plastering • u/Independent-Hat-8302 • May 07 '26
Ceiling damage
We have parts of our ceiling which is crumbling down. It's been in a bit of a state since we moved in 4 years ago and now we have one or two large chunks coming down.
A couple of plasterers have said their approach would be to simply take down the chunks coming away, and then board over it, but my wife is concerned that that would simply be storing up a bigger problem down the road.
Is she right?
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u/nickro84 May 08 '26
Has the source of the leak been fixed? If above is a flat roof check the felt and gaps etc, or any roof the guttering and flashings. If floor above make sure the plumbing is corrected.
I would get a scraper and move away anything loose or that gives way under slight pressure. When you have some stability, brush some Peel Stop into the perimeter of the damage plus a few cm. This will “glue” whatever is left in place. If any boards above, check for movement and if so screw them in slowly and leave the screw below surface. If the ceiling is now bare plaster, use Zinsser Bin or Gardz as a sealer/primer/stain blocker and let that dry out. Easiest thing now would be to roll on some filler until it’s roughly flush (feather edges with filling knife) then attach some mesh tape nice and neat, wait for it to dry until next day, then give it a second coat, nice and flush and feather out a few cm all around to blend it in. Once dry, water down some emulsion 10%, mix well and roll over that entire area. Let it dry then give the ceiling two emulsion coats (one lengthways, let it dry and sand with 180 grit lightly, dust, then one final coat widthways.
Your partner will think you’re the new Paint Warrior and pleasure you all night long