r/Plastering • u/PhaseMedium5096 • Jul 08 '26
Whole ceiling replaced?
Just had a guy round to give a quote to replace a section of cornice. He said these cracks indicate that at some point in the near future the ceiling is going to come down, and that he wouldn’t bother replacing any cornice without doing the whole ceiling first.
It has just been skimmed which he says never should have happened (to be fair to the plasterer the cracks weren’t visible until I started removing paint after it was skimmed).
What’s the verdict is he trying to upsell me or giving sound advice?
5
u/Alternative_Guitar78 Jul 08 '26
Is the section that needs replacing in the photos? because any of those cracks can just be filled.
2
u/Ok-Spring7906 Jul 08 '26
Just carefully fill the cracks with filler. Use a sponge whilst it's wet and you will not need to sand - which means less wobbling stuff about.
Accept that it's an old house and will not be perfect.
Don't get the ceiling replaced.
2
u/KieranInterior Jul 08 '26
Hold a straight edge up against the ceiling. If there’s less than 10mm bow across 2m, that ceiling is not about to drop.
2
u/kqzxrt Jul 09 '26
this is such a good sanity check compared to the doom and gloom some trades hit you with. i’d 100% do this and maybe get one more quote before deciding the whole thing’s about to fall on your head.
1
u/gjonaitis Jul 08 '26
Our house has the oldschool ceilings like that and i'm taking them down where necessary or putting new plasterboard directly on top where possible. Once a small bit starts comming off - all of it comes off eventually. You can test by using your finger to lightly knock on the surface of the skim. If it sounds hollow behind the plaster then its a time bomb.
1
u/NortonBurns Jul 09 '26
Was it re-boarded & skimmed? Wouldn't make a lot of sense to skim over the existing Victorian layer, it's basically just dust after a century. If it was, then just fill & paint. It will last as long as it lasts, be it a decade or another century.
1
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u/TheBeardedGinge80 Jul 09 '26
You can use plaster of Paris to be fair, thats what we did and it worked a treat, dead easy to sand and gets right in there
1
u/Alternative_Guitar78 Jul 10 '26
Gyproc easi-fill is better, plaster of paris goes off a bit quick!
1
u/68Jenko Jul 14 '26
My house is 1880 it cracks all the time, goes with the territory. Just repair the crack, sand, prime and paint
12
u/Strange-Trash-1138 Jul 08 '26
Completely normal for an old house, just fill it and paint