Repairing Plaster Ceiling Cracks

If the crack is discolored you could have moisture problems.

Repairing plaster ceiling cracks.

For more about how plaster walls are built see plaster wall construction over time these. Plaster repair is much. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area. If there s an issue with the trusses that could create a crack between the ceiling and the interior wall.

Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling covering the repaired area. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva helps a homeowner repair a cracked plaster ceiling in an older home. You want to open up the v notch so that it is approximately 1 4 to 1 2 wide at the opening and as narrow as possible next to the substrate material. For larger cracks you may need two coats of spackle because of its tendency to shrink as it dries in large gaps so double check before priming and painting.

Step 1 remove any loose plaster that s embedded in the crack. The cause of your ceiling crack depends on various factors such as the ceiling material and the home s age. 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.

No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound. Repairing these cracks can be a problem. Following the crack create a v notch by removing the plaster along both sides of the crack cutting at an angle until you see the substrate. Subscribe to this old house.

Plaster ceiling repairs are probably a fact of life if you have an older house. For finishing you ll need primer and paint. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room. If it s a small hairline crack you won t have to worry about this but larger deeper cracks will have debris in them.

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

Old houses have wonderful plaster ceilings and walls but foundations shift over time and this leads to large cracks in the plaster.