Repairing Plaster Ceiling Cracks

If there s an issue with the trusses that could create a crack between the ceiling and the interior wall.

Repairing plaster ceiling cracks.

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. Be sure to drive screws into wood lath above. 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. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath.

Plaster repair is much. The cause of your ceiling crack depends on various factors such as the ceiling material and the home s age. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area. Typically plaster ceiling cracks have two causes.

If it s a small hairline crack you won t have to worry about this but larger deeper cracks will have debris in them. No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound. 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. Repairing these cracks can be a problem.

For more about how plaster walls are built see plaster wall construction over time these. Old houses have wonderful plaster ceilings and walls but foundations shift over time and this leads to large cracks in the plaster. If the crack is discolored you could have moisture problems. Step 1 remove any loose plaster that s embedded in the crack.

Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling covering the repaired area. For finishing you ll need primer and paint. If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva helps a homeowner repair a cracked plaster ceiling in an older home.

A ceiling crack is not an uncommon sight in older homes. House settling and temperature or moisture fluctuations in an attic which result in the expansion or contraction of framing members. Subscribe to this old house. Plaster ceiling repairs are probably a fact of life if you have an older house.

Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room.