Ceiling replacement?

Question

What are some of the basics that go into replacing/updating a plaster ceiling? Is it as hard as it seems?? I have absolutely fallen in love with this house but it was built in 1900 and the ceiling is sagging and the second floor is soft and unlevel. Is this something that I could research and do (with help) or do I have to call a contractor of some sort? I know it would be a great undertaking but I'm not sure I have the funds to hire someone.

If you have it in your heart to donate to my project, I have a paypal account under [e-mail]. Shameless, I know but I love this house with all my heart and I want it forever and ever!!!

Answer 1

the others have given good advice. i won't repeat. the 'keys' in your plaster ceiling may have broken with age. keys are the cement bulges that are pushed through the lathe and holds the ceiling to the lathe. also, the nails that hold the lathe have likely pulled out from wood shrinkage and the weight of the ceiling, so the wood lathe is sagging too. if you don't "have to" have a plaster ceiling, take it down, and replace it with dry wall. now you can reinforce the 2nd floor joists to stiffen the 2nd floor, if needed. a word about dust control, seal the doorways with plastic taped to the trim, with painters tape (blue masking tape), use .06 mils plastic, it's extra thick. place a box window fan, blowing out, in one of the windows. now, i only taped the plastic to the top and sides of the doorways in my house, so that the fan would pull air in under the plastic and any dust would flow out the window. you can put a scrap of carpet in the doorways to filter the air and wipe your feet when entering and exiting the room. also, you can buy zipper kits that peel and stick to the plastic so that you can easily move in and out of it. you can find Stik 'n Zip, by Strom Closures, at hardware or paint stores, the kits contain one or two 6' zippers, that you apply to the plastic, then open the zipper, then cut the plastic, and they are ready to use. once you have these up, you can do your demo, install the dry wall, compound and sand, paint and prime, and all of the mess is in just one room! they have saved my life on my remodel in our house, the girlfriend is kind of a neat freak! when you finish with the plastic, peal the tape and fold it back on the plastic, roll the plastic around some old gift wrap tubes, and use them for the next project later. now as far as donations to your worthwhile cause, let me know if this works out for you, and i'll try it!!! lol. i have lot's of advice to 'give', but all of my money is going into our remodeling projects, sorry! good luck, hope this helps you with your project.

Answer 2

Seems your Ceilings (given the age) are "lathe and plaster" this means there are battens across the joists abour 10 mm apart, they push the basecoat of plaster up, it 'mushrooms' over the lathes,and stays put, for 106 yrs...
Why not do it yourself, but get a plasterer to skim the ceiling? that would minimise your cost but maximise the result.
Ripping the old ceiling out is not difficult, messy yes!!! Once you have got going alot easier.Remember how its made (above). Open windows wide, seal the room, get lots of rubble bags, wear a dustmask, goggles and gloves. When you have the bulk off, go over the joists and be sure to remove all the nails, or at least, punch them back in.
Now, to get your plasterboard (sheetrock?) up. First, measure the boards relative to the joists,so that any joints fall halfway on a joist, you may need to trim the boards. Getting the boards up on the ceiling looks daunting, but its easy between 2 people. Get 3 lengths of 3 X 2 timber 8ft long. Cut one in half, now on the ends of each 8 ft length secure a 4 ft length, so its a "T" . One person holds one T, other slips the board on top of the "T", other then grabs other "T", slips it under other end, and up you go. You can jam the board up to the ceiling. Loosen the jam a little to release the board so you slide it into final position & jam hard. Now, using a power screwdriver & dryline (sheetrock?) screws, secure the board to the joists every 9 inches or so. In this way, do the whole ceiling. To 'tidy' the edges, use a coving...cheating, but easy. Now, all your joints MUST be taped with scrim tape to prevent cracks on the joints later. You may wish to delay the plasterer skimming the ceiling (cashflow limitations) but, at least, skim is all you need.

Answer 3

Replacing a ceiling is not at all an easy job, and is definitely not a one person job. I repaired (not replaced) a plaster roof in my garage, and even that was not easy.

Just a word of warning, the dusts contained in the ceiling of a building of that age can be very toxic. The remains of lead paint and asbestos are just some of the possible contaminants in that dust. Plaster compounds contained in the ceiling can also contain asbestos. Pulling the ceiling down will release all that dust. Remember, your health is important, so take appropriate precautions.

In my opinion, it is better to pay a professional to do the job, and make sure to ask how they deal with the dust problem.

Hope it goes well.....

Answer 4

I just replaced the ceiling in my dining room. It had water stains and was soggy. I had two professional painters tear down the ceiling and then replace it with new sheet rock.
They floated the walls beautifully. do it!!

Answer 5

you ceiling will have to come down from the
sound of it and the drywall replaced and refinished. If you take it down yourself you can save a lot of money if you have it all ready for the hanger and finisher. Do not try to finish it yourself if you have no experience it will cost a lot to redo it. it is not as easy as it looks. hire a pro.

Answer 6

if your cieling is sagging and upstairs floors are soft, dont even consider self repairs. check with your local homebuilders assn. to find qualified contractor. it sounds like your floor joists might need to be checked, probally replaced.