#Fixing plaster ceiling how to#
#Fixing plaster ceiling crack#

The plaster magic is a permanent fix that does not need to redone again. Drill additional holes about 3” to 4” apart across the area that is loose or bulging. Using the enclosed 3/16” masonry drill bit drill holes 1” to 2” from the crack, when you hit the lath stop (don’t drill thru the lath).

Here’s a quick list of the tools and supplies you’ll need. Using Plaster Magic prevents having to skim the entire ceiling because it uses a very effective adhesive to reattach the plaster to the lathe meaning no permanent plaster washers.īefore doing any plaster ceiling repair make sure to setup drop clothes and wear eye protection. I prefer using a product called Big Wally’s Plaster Magic to reattach sagging plaster in my projects and I’ll walk you through the steps below. Then to cover the washers you would have to apply a couple coats of plaster over the ceiling building it up as much as 3/16”. The old way of doing this was by using plaster washers which are a larger wash the is screwed through the face of the plaster into the lath to mechanically support the plaster. The preferred way to resolve this is not by pulling the ceiling down and replacing it with drywall, but rather to reattach the plaster ceiling to the supporting lath. Plaster failure after coming loose from lath This means that the plaster keys have come loose from the wood or wire lath that supports it which is a big problem for ceilings.Ī plaster ceiling can support itself for a while but if enough of the keys come loose the ceiling can eventually unzip itself and come down in one tragic failure like a row of dominoes failing one after the other so this is important to resolve quickly. Repairs become a bit more complicated when the plaster is sagging. If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above.įor larger cracks you may need two coats of spackle because of its tendency to shrink as it dries in large gaps so double check before priming and painting. If it’s loose then skip to the section below on sagging plaster. Once you’ve resolved the settling issues check along the sides of the cracks to determine if you have sagging plaster that has come loose from the supporting lath. The latter should be addressed immediately to prevent further damage. Perhaps the settling has occurred years ago and is now stable or maybe it’s ongoing. Parallel cracks are a sign of settling that should be address before doing any plaster repair. If you have large cracks, the size of a quarter or larger, or converging cracks where you see several cracks running roughly parallel to each other then these are a sign of potential issues. For smooth plaster simply fill, sand smooth, prime, and touch up the paint. If you have a rough texture or sanded plaster you can add some sand to your spackle or use a sponge to match the texture as closely as possible.

These pose you no real issue to the structural health of the plaster ceiling and can be left alone unless they bother you.įor these small cracks the easiest solution is to use a 5-in-1 tool to dig any loose plaster out of the cracks very gently and then fill them with a spackling paste or joint compound.

#Fixing plaster ceiling crack#

You’ll deal with each type of crack a little differently. Sometimes these cracks are small, no more than a hairline crack and other times those cracks can grow quite large.

Old lime and gypsum plaster gets harder and harder as decades pass and this rigidity can cause small stress cracks. If you want to keep your plaster ceiling and make it look in tip top shape keep reading.

#Fixing plaster ceiling how to#

In this post, I’ll show you how to deal with everything from hairline cracks to sagging plaster ceilings to water damaged plaster and beyond. Over time everything needs a little maintenance and that includes plaster ceilings which take the brunt of gravity’s destructive force constantly working against them. The reasons to keep your plaster are numerous and may surprise you. An old-fashioned plaster ceiling can be a long lived and beautiful thing or it can look like a train wreck depending on how your old house has been treated over the years.