![]() ![]() DecorationĬeilings sometimes tell a story. Reforming short lengths of defective moulding or cornicing costs around £63/m.Įven where a ceiling genuinely needs to be demolished (not usually advisable) it should be possible to remove the ceiling right up to the mouldings, leaving them in position. Missing sections can normally be professionally recast (DIY store mass-produced coving is a vastly inferior species compared with intricate original plaster mouldings). However, major restoration of decorative plasterwork is a skilled job. Wherever possible, these small works of art should be preserved and restored - for most buyers they add to the property’s appeal and value.īy now most will be clogged with paint, but a lot can be achieved to restore them to their original glory using poultice strippers, a brush and a toothpick. Victorian ceilings usually have beautiful plaster cornices and mouldings at the junctions of walls and ceilings, and commonly feature elaborate ceiling roses. Repairs to existing ceilings such as filling cracks and decorating are often within the remit of the DIYer, but tasks such as plastering are jobs best left to the trades (Image credit: iStock) Cornices and Roses Such ceilings can be concealed with plasterboard or by a new suspended ceiling. Because this form of asbestos isn’t usually a hazard (as long as the fibres are not breathed in) there shouldn’t be any significant risk. Both these types of ceiling often comprise of a timber framework infilled with panels. Thankfully less common are ceilings made from asbestos cement sheets, again sometimes seen in 1920s and ’30s houses (used also to repair bomb damage in the war). Defects are similar to those of plasterboard, although fibreboard is flammable. Made from compressed wood fibre, the sheets are tan in colour with a soft spongy feel. ‘Fibreboard’ sheets were a forerunner to plasterboard during the inter-war period. Once the plasterboard is in place, the joints can then be sealed with scrim tape, filled and the surface given a skim finish with a thin coat of plaster. Boards are available in thicknesses of 9.5mm or 12.5mm and are fixed to joists using drywall screws (clout nails are no longer used). Plasterboard consists of sheets of compressed rigid gypsum plaster sandwiched between heavy-duty lining paper. Unfortunately, some builders are quick to condemn old ceilings with the odd crack or bulge, but they are usually repairable for a fraction of the cost of replacement. As well as enhancing historic interiors, traditional lath and plaster is chunkier and has better soundproofing and insulating qualities than modern plasterboard. There are good reasons for retaining original ceilings. If there are a lot of small timber laths with creamy blobs of plaster in between, the ceiling is original. To check what type of ceiling you have, take a look from above, under the loft insulation, or lift a bedroom floorboard. The plaster was made from lime mixed with sand, bulked up with horse hair for strength, usually applied in two or three layers to an increasingly fine finish. Plaster was then applied to the underside of the laths, held in place by being squeezed through the gaps to create a ‘key’. ‘Laths’ are thin strips of wood (about 25mm wide) nailed to the ceiling joists, spaced about 5mm apart. Most pre-1930s houses have ceilings made of traditional lath and plaster which has a pleasing texture that’s slightly irregular. ![]()
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