my son lives in a 90yr old home. the ceilingxs are all wallpapered. we are considering putting 1/2 inch drywall up on the ceiling, over the existing plaster and lathe strips, than plastering the joints and putting back the original crown molding. the existing ceiling is fairly level, and he would just as soon not do a texture finish. is it ok to put new drywall over the existing ceiling? thanks

 

It is ok to hang rock over the plaster ceiling PROVIDED you use screws long enough to secure it to the rafters and you hit the rafters with the screws. It has to be secured to good wood. Screws in the lath might hold temporarily but don't have sufficent holding capabilities. He may need to use a box extension [available at elec supply house] for any electrical in the ceiling.

 

just a word of caution, please be aware of the possibility of abestos in the existing ceiling, it was widely used in homes of that age, take all of the precautions needed not to breathe the dust. you might want someone come out to see if it is free of that stuff. just a suggestion.

barry

 

From what I understand, the three places you might find asbestos in a ceiling would be in surface texture (quite possible, but it sounds like you don't have any texture), in insulation above the ceiling (only a problem for top floor and if there is vermiculite insulation) or in the base plaster (less likely to be present). You can take small samples and send them out for testing. I don't think you would be disturbing any layer a great deal by drywalling over the ceiling, but I guess it doesn't hurt to be careful. There is also likely to be lead paint under the wallpaper, and you will no doubt disturb a small amount of this. Again, what precautions you want to take depends on your level of concern. I always try to be careful, but with an awareness that the stuff has been there (and in many other places) for many many years and little bits of it are likely being disturbed regularly just through living in the house, so minimally invasive repairs are not going to cause a great deal of extra danger. Just to note, asbestos and lead were widely used in most houses built until quite recently, so this is not just a consideration in "old" houses. I don't think asbestos was as widely used 90 years ago as it was 50 years ago. Remember those silver oven mitts that every mom in the 50's and 60's had which would allow you to put your hand in a blast furnace and the "linoleum" tiles which decorated every basement rec room during that time?