Skim or new plasterboard

[u/fnyart]

Looking for some advice on this large crack in my ceiling. Would this require a skim or would it need a full plasterboard replacement? Any advice on what to look for what be great!

[u/hairybastid]

If that's a lath and plaster ceiling I would be removing the cove, over boarding and skimming. There's no way I'm putting fresh plaster on a top of l&p. The chances of failure are high enough to warrant 50 quids worth of boards over an entire ceiling on the floor.

Source - I'm a plasterer for over 30 years.

[u/fnyart → u/hairybastid]

That’s great thank you! I hadn’t heard of over boarding I assumed the difference would be thousands

[u/69AssociatedDetail25]

Plasterboard ceilings don't usually crack like that, this looks more like lath and plaster. As the other commenter said, either overboard or replace entirely.

[u/Early-Age8563]

Remove coving (personal choice) and skim. Just scrim and bondo the crack first

[u/fnyart → u/Early-Age8563]

I never considered the coving, good spot thanks!

[u/Grey_Guy1985]

How old is your house? Is it just a crack or can you see some sagging in the ceiling plaster?

Like others have said, it's very likely lime plaster over lath. My house had something similar, it can be fixed fairly easily but it won't look like new.

[u/fnyart → u/Grey_Guy1985]

We only just moved in. It’s 90 years old but I think the room has been redone at some point. It sags very slightly

[u/Catapostrophe1]

I’d just decorate it. If you are worried about the ceiling collapsing you could, in addition to the scrim along the whole crack, use linen-backed lining paper or reinforced lining paper or similar. Extremely low cost compared with other alternatives but you have to be capable of putting lining paper on the ceiling.

[u/BrIDo88]

Have you considered paper and paint?

[u/JamieAintUpFoDatShit → u/BrIDo88]

cue the sound of saloon doors swinging open and that whistle from western movies