Repairing Plaster Ceiling Cracks

Typically plaster ceiling cracks have two causes.

Repairing plaster ceiling cracks.

The key to any fix is to reunite the plaster with the strips of wood lath underneath. 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. Plaster repair is much. 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.

No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound. In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to repair a plaster ceiling. Otherwise the cracks come back no matter how many times you patch over them. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room.

To repair a crack in a ceiling. Step 1 remove any loose plaster that s embedded in the crack. Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area.

A ceiling crack is not an uncommon sight in older homes. He asks us in an e mail. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath. If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above.

Score the crack with a utility knife to remove any loose plaster or other material that may be inside the crack. 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. House settling and temperature or moisture fluctuations in an attic which result in the expansion or contraction of framing members.

Be sure to drive screws into wood lath above. For finishing you ll need primer and paint. An overview photo by david carmack. What old house owner doesn t have a cracking or sagging plaster ceiling in need of repair somewhere.