I have a whole ceiling that is cracked in a very old house. What would you recommend I do to try and repair it?
It is about 17'*30'.

 

Wow, big ceiling. Definately not a do it yourself plaster repair job!. For do it yourself, I would install 1x2 firring strips to the ceiling joist and then install sheetrock. End result is you'll spend less time and no headaches and have a great ceiling when your finished. Side note, make sure to screw the wood to the ceilng joist using multi purpose drywal screws. Do not attempt to remove the old plaster ceiling as this is a huge mess, and most certainly there is lead paint somewhere applied to the ceiling and mouse droppings may be present ontop of the plaster creating a potential health hazard..

 

OOOOOOOO I hate those mouse droppings too.Taz hit the nail on the head not only will you get a great ceilng but alittle added insulation in the bargain!

you may also refer to the thread 10 foot ceiling crack.





THE HILLBILLY HANDYMAN!

[Edited by DOC__J on 12-31-00 at 01:12]

 

I'm starting to fix walls in my house that are cracked and falling apart. The 1x2 idea is a great start, but what about insulating outside walls?

 

I would recommend that you use blown in cellulose insulation.This is usually installed by drilling holes in the exterior walls and useing a machine to blow the insulation into the voids in the walls.This is also a great way to up the R factor in your attic as well.The insulation can be bought at most home improvment centers and the machine is a common rent-a-tool item.Just be sure you know where your wiring and plumbing are located before you drill or you may be in for a shocking expierience.After your installation is complete you will need to fill the holes you drilled with plugs that you can also find at the home improvment center.these come in a wide array of colors and styles so you should be able to find a close match for your siding.Make certain you put a small amt of clear silicone caulk around each one so as to reduce the risk of damage from the elements.good luck and keep us up to date!

THE HILLBILLY HANDYMAN!

 

Bj
If what your looking at is the paint cracking or are there clear cracks where plaster is falling out, if you have any loose plaster I would remove this, cause if you do put drywall up over your plaster ceiling you have now created alot more weight, with the size of your ceiling it has to weigh in around 3000 lbs, now your going to add more sheetrock, at about 30lbs per 4' x 8'x 5/8 sheet, then figure in mud, and you get the picture, if what is happening is due to water, you can take and remove the paint failures, using a 4" or 5" razor wallpaper stripper,
any cracks in the plaster can be fixed by using self setting joint compound in the brown bags,brand name Durabond by USG, use this as your bedcoat or basecoat and paper drywall tape not the mesh tape, let dry and apply another coat, using a 12" or 14" taping knife, then finish off using a 18" knife and put topping compound on for your last coat, let dry over night, sand out to a nice smooth finish,
Prime the whole ceiling then you can spackle the pott marks and nicks and low spots, pole sand after spackling is dry, then paint two finish coats of paint,
Good Luck
Frank
Frankawitz Custom Painting &
Plastering Repairs