Repairing Plaster Ceiling Cracks

Besides the normal wear and tear of living plaster and lath ceilings are at the mercy of gravity and they can take only so many water leaks and structural movements before they pull away from the framing.

Repairing plaster ceiling cracks.

Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging. House settling and temperature or moisture fluctuations in an attic which result in the expansion or contraction of framing members. Step 1 remove any loose plaster that s embedded in the crack. A ceiling crack is not an uncommon sight in older homes.

For finishing you ll need primer and paint. Typically plaster ceiling cracks have two causes. In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to repair a plaster ceiling. Plaster repair is much.

To repair small cracks in plaster you ll need patching compound medium and fine grit sandpaper a sanding block a putty knife a masonry chisel a paintbrush a rag and a screwdriver. If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above. For more about how plaster walls are built see plaster wall construction over time these. Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling covering the repaired area.

To repair a crack in a ceiling. He asks us in an e mail. For 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. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area.

An overview photo by david carmack. Otherwise the cracks come back no matter how many times you patch over them. The key to any fix is to reunite the plaster with the strips of wood lath underneath. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath.

Be sure to drive screws into wood lath above. What old house owner doesn t have a cracking or sagging plaster ceiling in need of repair somewhere. Score the crack with a utility knife to remove any loose plaster or other material that may be inside the crack. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room.