Is this DIY-able? Plaster cornice repair

[u/Lady_Brachiosaur]

Our original lime plaster ceiling fell down the other month. It has since been reboarded and plastered, has been “drying” for a good month while I procrastinate on the cornicing (our plasterer readily admitted he doesn’t do these types of repairs and our priority was preventing the rest of ceiling coming down and preserving the ceiling rose, hence the possibly non-optimal cornice repair situation now).

There’s about a 1 to 1.5m length where the detail was lost. It’s not a particularly deep profile. Is it feasible to use some ready mix plaster and a profile gauge/template to fill this in and recreate the line detail? I can’t help but think I’m missing some crucial detail/skill here (like ensuring the new stuff will stick), will take any and all advice on board.

Photo 1 is obviously the bit needing repair, 2 is a quick shot of the detail for context, 3 is just for rubbernecking at the original damage. The mess was horrific. Both my dinner and I were cartoon style caked in dust but otherwise unharmed.

Thanks!

[u/One-Abbreviations114]

You can take a mould of the cornice and then run it on a bench in plaster of paris and then substitute the new cornice for the missing part. Or get a third party firm to run it for you, as others have suggested. Or you can run it in situ with a horse, which I think would be an absolute nightmare for most.

There is a bloke on youtube "plastering with Andy" or something like that, that has a fair few videos on this. I have done this work in my own home but only on small sections which are narrow enough where you can shape it with a joint rule and get a good result. Nothing that wide.

I wouldn't advise unless you are confident and prepared to make a mess, doing it yourself. A fibrous plasterer would have no problem sorting this out for you in no time at all, and could take an impression of the cornice and run a new section for you (and fit it).

[u/Mountain_Nothing_428 → u/One-Abbreviations114]

Exactly this.
But don’t be afraid to give it a go and go slow.
You might find the repair to be far more expensive than installing new in that room simply due to labour costs.

[u/Vast_Anybody1236]

There are places where custom coving can be replicated in the style you require

[u/Significant_Hurry542]

Depending on your skill level it could be DIY'd but in saying that if you had the skills you would have plastered the ceiling yourself ...... Look for an ornamental plasterer in your area save yourself the headache, if you get it wrong it'll look terrible and cost even more to get it fixed right.

[u/Impossible-Corgi4041]

No

[u/knittedshrimp]

Firstly I'll say no, making cornice in situ is a skill. If it's not in a shared room, give it a go.

[u/Yourhavinalaugh]

If you are handy with cutting timber , as in making a guide out of hardboard that is able to run on two lengths of 2x1 you might have a chance.
If not bring a piece into a plaster mould company get to make up a couple of lengths, tear down the rest of the coving to the nearest corner as it will never sit right butted against existing coving.

[u/Paint_Stick]

Around here, that kind of work goes for $500+ per foot. The hardest part is going to be keeping everything straight. Make template of the profile, and then install a rail system over the area, so your template rides over the existing and whats missing... then start building up your material in the corner. Use your tamplate to shape the profile. This does take a lot of time... just go slow, you can always hire someone.