Advice on cracked plaster in the ceiling
rob m
Just about to start DIY painting the living / dining room.
Understand prep very important.
I have a crack in the plaster running right accross the ceiling.
I took a few shots here
http://flic.kr/p/98SzVV
http://flic.kr/p/98VEuo
Any ideas how I tackle this, I dont want to do it again in a few
months!
Thanks
Professor Strabismus
I rake out the crack to remove any lose plaster then use flexible decorating
filler then emulsion over and it's been fine.
--
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
harry
> Hi,
> Just about to start DIY painting the living / dining room.
> Understand prep very important.
> I have a crack in the plaster running right accross the ceiling.
>
>
> Any ideas how I tackle this, I dont want to do it again in a few
> months!
> Thanks
The reason it has cracked is that it has not been (scrimmed). Scrim is
a roll of stuff like loose weave bandage that is applied over the
joints when the plasterboard is skimmed. The new stuff is sticky. The
only guaranteed fix is to get a belt sander and grind the plaster back
about 4" wide and stick scrim on and then replaster. You could use one
of the polyskim things, easier than proper plaster. They sell scrim
at builder's merchants. The finest grade is what you want if there's
a choice.
http://www.tomps.com/shop/-c-18.html
Just fill the crack and it will reopen.
Tim Watts
Yeah - but let's be practical here harry - are *you* going to use a belt
sander on plaster in an occupied house? I wouldn't. It was bad enough in
building-site mode...
--
Tim Watts
JW
The guy next door to us is having great fun. He moved in about 5 months
ago. He's replaced all the plasterboard (walls and ceiling), then plastered
everything himself. Then sanded down all the lumps and bumps where his
plastering was not the best. This has been going on since September.
Yesterday he was playing with an angle grinder, and covered both of our
front porches and doors with some sort of plaster/concrete dust. Of course
it's me who suffers the most, getting it in the neck from 'er indoors, who
goes out, making a point of noisily scrubbing the front path and doorstep
down.
I'm all for DIY - but sometimes, it's a bit much.
--
Cheers
JW
rob m
> harry (haroldhr...@aol.com) wibbled on Monday 10 January 2011 08:30:
Someone else said that they had not been 'taped' but you guessed it i
dont want to sand it.
I was thinking polyfiller flexible gap.
Tabby
I wouldnt follow any of the suggestions so far, they're much more work
than needed. Just get some filler and wipe it along the crack with
your finger, remove any excess, job done. Its so fast.
Flexible filler flexes so little that practically speaking its
pointless.
NT
harry
>
> - Show quoted text -
You can get a belt sander that attaches to a vacuum cleaner. Makes
very little mess.
fred
<8dc48137-aa1f-424c...@g26g2000vbz.googlegroups.com>, rob
m <gene...@gmail.com> writes
>
>Someone else said that they had not been 'taped' but you guessed it i
>dont want to sand it.
>I was thinking polyfiller flexible gap.
This should do the job:
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/27023/
I'd fill the crack first with Polyfilla fine crack filler, finish it
really smooth (removing all dust with a damp cloth) then apply the
repair tape. It is flexible and will cover the crack if it opens again.
You overpaint it and blends in reasonably well, certainly better looking
than a crack. It would probably show up more on dark colours but should
be fine on your white.
I should say that it is an absolute b'trd to use, v sticky and stretchy
(by necessity) so it is very easy for it to go on wrong (and it wont
come off).
--
fred
FIVE TV's superbright logo - not the DOG's, it's bollocks
Tabby
> In article
> <8dc48137-aa1f-424c-ab67-50b082403...@g26g2000vbz.googlegroups.com>, rob
> m <gener...@gmail.com> writes
>
>
>
> >Someone else said that they had not been 'taped' but you guessed it i
> >dont want to sand it.
> >I was thinking polyfiller flexible gap.
>
> This should do the job:http://www.screwfix.com/prods/27023/
>
> I'd fill the crack first with Polyfilla fine crack filler, finish it
> really smooth (removing all dust with a damp cloth) then apply the
> repair tape. It is flexible and will cover the crack if it opens again.
> You overpaint it and blends in reasonably well, certainly better looking
> than a crack. It would probably show up more on dark colours but should
> be fine on your white.
>
> I should say that it is an absolute b'trd to use, v sticky and stretchy
> (by necessity) so it is very easy for it to go on wrong (and it wont
> come off).
Putting repair tape over the crack will make it look far worse. IT has
a rough surface and shows up dirt badly after a while. Such tape is a
bodge pure & simple.
NT
fred
<d52699dd-88c0-401c...@g26g2000vba.googlegroups.com>,
Tabby <meow...@care2.com> writes
geraldthehamster
>
> - Show quoted text -
I'd agree with that, with the proviso that I'd run a bit of sandpaper
along it first to remove any loose or proud material, and lightly hand
sand again after filling and before painting.
I've done this myself, and a similar repair done two years ago still
looks fine.
Cheers
Richard
Chris J Dixon
>On Jan 10, 11:33 am, Tabby <meow2...@care2.com> wrote:
>> I wouldnt follow any of the suggestions so far, they're much more work
>> than needed. Just get some filler and wipe it along the crack with
>> your finger, remove any excess, job done. Its so fast.
>>
>> Flexible filler flexes so little that practically speaking its
>> pointless.
>I'd agree with that, with the proviso that I'd run a bit of sandpaper
>along it first to remove any loose or proud material, and lightly hand
>sand again after filling and before painting.
>
>I've done this myself, and a similar repair done two years ago still
>looks fine.
>
Sounds fair enough. The reality is that we can't know what caused
the original crack, and how much it will move in future. The
reality is that houses all move a little, due to temperature and
humidity changes. Some move a lot, for a variety of reasons,
without reaching a stage where there is a structural problem.
In my own experience, some times you are lucky, and the crack is
pretty well invisible for years. Sometimes it returns, but you
probably notice it more, because you know about it. I discovered
one such yesterday :-(
Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
ch...@cdixon.me.uk
Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.
Tabby
> In article
> Tabby <meow2...@care2.com> writes
>
> >On Jan 10, 5:10 pm, fred <n...@for.mail> wrote:
> >> In article
> >> <8dc48137-aa1f-424c-ab67-50b082403...@g26g2000vbz.googlegroups.com>, rob
> >> m <gener...@gmail.com> writes
>
> >> >Someone else said that they had not been 'taped' but you guessed it i
> >> >dont want to sand it.
> >> >I was thinking polyfiller flexible gap.
>
> >> This should do the job:http://www.screwfix.com/prods/27023/
>
> >> I'd fill the crack first with Polyfilla fine crack filler, finish it
> >> really smooth (removing all dust with a damp cloth) then apply the
> >> repair tape. It is flexible and will cover the crack if it opens again.
> >> You overpaint it and blends in reasonably well, certainly better looking
> >> than a crack. It would probably show up more on dark colours but should
> >> be fine on your white.
>
> >> I should say that it is an absolute b'trd to use, v sticky and stretchy
> >> (by necessity) so it is very easy for it to go on wrong (and it wont
> >> come off).
>
> >Putting repair tape over the crack will make it look far worse. IT has
> >a rough surface and shows up dirt badly after a while. Such tape is a
> >bodge pure & simple.
>
> IYNSHO
Well, I've used the stuff since 2003 in a few different places, and
all 3 have gotten dirty while the rest of the wall looked fine. I
presume it would last longer on the ceiling, but its still going to
get grotty well before the rest needs a repaint.
There are also the facts that the surface on this tape is not smooth,
and its noticeable, and the fact that here and there its started to
peel off, and finally if you overpaint a couple of times then remove
the tape, you're left with 3 dimensional edges to deal with, so all in
all I'd give it a miss in most situations.
NT
geraldthehamster
Doesn't take long to do it again, though ;-)
Cheers
Richard
fred
<c3ee1a38-1998-4a51...@c39g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>,
Tabby <meow...@care2.com> writes
>
>Well, I've used the stuff since 2003 in a few different places, and
>all 3 have gotten dirty while the rest of the wall looked fine. I
>presume it would last longer on the ceiling, but its still going to
>get grotty well before the rest needs a repaint.
>
ceiling application. I've used it on a Victorian lath and plaster
ceiling over some delicate linear mouldings that are subject to movement
and it has worked well to control at least the visible effects of
hairline cracking (5yrs).
I know it's hairy and visibility worried me at the time but ISTR
smoothing it over after the first coat of wet emulsion and to all
intents (and on an 11' ceiling) it was virtually invisible. That's using
white matt emulsion as it appears to be on the o/p's app btw.
I don't view it as a bodge but as a pragmatic approach where a full fix
would be impractical or involve a disproportionate amount of work.
You'll note I recommended filling and smoothing the crack before adding
the tape for longevity. I'll be using it again but only on ceilings and
probably only when they're painted matt white.
Tabby
> In article
> Tabby <meow2...@care2.com> writes
> I don't view it as a bodge but as a pragmatic approach where a full fix
> would be impractical or involve a disproportionate amount of work.
Yes, agreed. I've just concluded after my experiences that most cracks
are readily and happily and better done with filler.