Repairing Plaster Ceiling Cracks

No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound.

Repairing plaster ceiling cracks.

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. Step 1 remove any loose plaster that s embedded in the crack. He asks us in an e mail. An overview photo by david carmack.

Typically plaster ceiling cracks have two causes. Be sure to drive screws into wood lath above. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath. A ceiling crack is not an uncommon sight in older homes.

The key to any fix is to reunite the plaster with the strips of wood lath underneath. If it s a small hairline crack you won t have to worry about this but larger deeper cracks will have debris in them. House settling and temperature or moisture fluctuations in an attic which result in the expansion or contraction of framing members. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area.

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. Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging. 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.

Plaster repair is much. Here tom silva shows how to repair plaster walls to make them look as good as new. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room. For finishing you ll need primer and paint.

Score the crack with a utility knife to remove any loose plaster or other material that may be inside the crack. If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above. In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to repair a plaster ceiling. To repair a crack in a ceiling.