ceiling Ask your questions and find answers on many subjects relating to plastering and dry lining

[mellorhouse]

i have papered ceilings and instead of taking the paper off i would like to plaster over them instead.

Can somebody put me in the right direction what i need to do. I have heard i need to put on the paper a special pva first, if so where do i get this from


Regards

Mellorhouse :)

[rosebery]

Why? At what point do you want the whole lot to come down?

Don't do it!!

Cheers

[kbrownie]

Hi,
Rosebery right! Strip the paper off, it's maddness not too.
Regards
KB

[mellorhouse]

[quote="kbrownie"]Hi,
Rosebery right! Strip the paper off, it's maddness not too.
Regards
KB[/quote] Thank you for your answer, if apparently I take the paper off, a plasterer said it depends on what is underneath the paper (bearing in mind it is anaclyta paper and sometimes there are reasons why paper aer put on ceilings), the whole ceiling may have to be replaced, and they have quoted 700.00 to replace ceiling and plaster, which i could do without. Somebody told me that you can use a special PVA , which will then make the ceiling smooth and the plaster straight over , if this i so, which PVA do I need to use

[kbrownie]

HI mellorhouse,
It's true they are solutions that will do that, the problem is: if the plaster underneath the paper has deteriated. The weight of putting more plaster on the ceiling could well bring it down regardless of how good the adhesive is.
It's a CATCH 22
If you intend to go ahead and use that method, you may end up paying for the plastering to be done and it may stay up or more than likely in time, not!
May I offer an option:
Your need to skimming it anyway, but we don't want the ceiling falling in, low cost alternative.
Forget removing paper, overboard the ceiling.
By that I mean leave ceiling up, locate the ceiling joist centres and cross nogins.
Buy some plasterboards 2400x1200x9 or 12mm, they cover just short of 3 square metres at about a cost of 5.70 pound a board. but you can get 1800x900 and 1200x900.
(I personally prefer bigger boards covers area quicker and normally less joints, but thats me!)
Then board over the ceiling, no knocking off or anything like that!
It will workout at about 2 pound a square metre, maybe 10 pound for screws? I can only guess how big the ceiling is but say it was 5x5 metres that's 60 quid including screws! You can get a mate to give you hand putting it up, make sure that the screws you use are long enough to go through board ceiling and in to joist, recommend 65mm. Screws every 6-8 inch on joists and cross nogins. Keep boards square to each other with staggered joints. Starting from one corner of room boarding in rows.
Then all it needs is skimming and that was happening anyway?
Be carefull of live cable and pipework.
Won't cost anywhere near 700 notes!
Good Luck, hope this was helpfull and not too long winded. I'd like to know how you have gone on.
Best Wishes
KB

[LCL]

Mellorhouse

kbrownie has come up with a good solution there. One tiny point to add. If you buy tapered edge plasterboard you and take and skim the joints and fixings so wont even need to skim it!

Possibly an even bigger saving.

LCL

[kbrownie]

Hi again,
LCL makes good point, You apply tapes and fill out joints with compound. sand down when dry may take two/three application (because the filling compound shrinks a little while drying), spot fill the screws a couple of times too and sand so ceiling smooth and even. Then apply top coat/primer. It's dusty job so be prepared for that. Then your ready to decorate.
Good Luck with which ever method you decide to do the job.
KB
ps tapered plasterboards normally 8x4 footers

[rosebery]

KB

Doesn't the jointing compound remain rather dusty and friable - ie it doesn't set rock hard? Wouldn't it be better to overfill the joints, once taped and jointed, with topcoat plaster and then just lightly sand that back?

Cheers

[kbrownie]

HI rosebery,
I use a jointing compound called easyfill on tapered edged plasterboards, it dries and hardens quite quickly, especially in a residental enviroment ( I.E. with heating on and not open to moisture as it would be on say a construction site/new build) All you need to do is tape and fill it out beyond the tapered edge and sand to level and smooth. This does take a couple of application because it shrinks a little then apply a top coat/primer. No need to plaster joint out. I'd guess if you did it would leave a shadow on the joint when you painted it? and I wouldn't! Plaster square edge and tape tapered edge
You can wipe the edge of joint with a wet sponge when it's starting to set, to make the sanding easier latter.
Hope this is not getting to complicated for Mellorhouse
KB

[rosebery]

Thanks - used the wrong stuff in the past then. Gloom!!

Cheers

[mellorhouse]

[quote="kbrownie"]HI rosebery,
I use a jointing compound called easyfill on tapered edged plasterboards, it dries and hardens quite quickly, especially in a residental enviroment ( I.E. with heating on and not open to moisture as it would be on say a construction site/new build) All you need to do is tape and fill it out beyond the tapered edge and sand to level and smooth. This does take a couple of application because it shrinks a little then apply a top coat/primer. No need to plaster joint out. I'd guess if you did it would leave a shadow on the joint when you painted it? and I wouldn't! Plaster square edge and tape tapered edge
You can wipe the edge of joint with a wet sponge when it's starting to set, to make the sanding easier latter.
Hope this is not getting to complicated for Mellorhouse
KB[/quote] no not gettimg complicated, thank you so much for the advise, hoping to have done soon will let you know outcome - mellorhouse

[GeorgeB]

[quote="kbrownie"]Buy some plasterboards 2400x1200x9 or 12mm, they cover just short of 3 square metres at about a cost of 5.70 pound a board. but you can get 1800x900 and 1200x900.
([/quote]

Thank you for this encouragement. I seek to smooth out Artex and fit down-lights in a plaster board ceiling (mid 80s build).

Is it a very big job to pull down / rip out the old ceiling boards and fit new ones? I can imagine quite a lot of debris and dust but are there any complications beyond that? I might give it a try.

I reckon that replacement might be easier than smoothing and wiring in-situ.

Regards
George