Plaster ceiling repair cracked#
Plaster ceiling repair series#
Plaster ceiling repair crack#

I wanted to be certain that the ceiling would not come away from the wood lath in the future.Īt this point in the repair, I could have proceeded with conventional patching spackle but I decided to proceed with epoxy so the repair could be finished quickly. The surrounding area beyond the drilled and filled area sounded a bit off-key, so I drilled more holes and injected a bit more epoxy into the surrounding area. Thankfully, all of the repaired spots had a nice crisp, solid sound to them. I tapped all around the repair listening for dull sounds that would indicate poor adhesion. Remove the prop sticks, plywood caul, and plastic after an overnight cure. Adjust the prop sticks as necessary by inserting shims between the tops of the prop sticks and the plywood caul. The cut-out sections on the plywood caul allow you to check alignment. Realign the pieces of plaster at the cracks if necessary.I used 404 filler thickened to a mayonnaise viscosity because it cures with less heat (in mass) than our other fillers and because it will wet out dry surfaces. Inject thickened epoxy into all of the holes-about ½ of an 807 syringe-full (☖ cc) per hole.Drill holes through the plywood and through the plaster, stopping short of drilling through the wood lath layer.Use a hacksaw blade as a depth gauge to check how tight the plaster fits against the lath. Verify that the plaster is in position by checking the fit of the intersecting cracks. I used the hack saw blade to fish out a few loose chunks of plaster that had come loose that kept the plaster from getting back against the wood slats. Dry-fit the repair to verify that the plaster can be forced back into position.I used several prop sticks cut to length from scrap ¾” × 2½” lumber.

Use prop sticks cut to a length that will push and hold the loose plaster up against the lath.

Prop the plywood caul in place over the area.

Tape the plastic back in position on the ceiling. This allows you to verify if the cracks are coming together uniformly during the propping sequence (below).

Cut openings in the plywood, using a saber saw, at the points where the major cracks intersect.

Plaster ceiling repair crack#

Remove the plastic and trace the crack pattern onto the plywood caul.Tape a piece of 4-mil clear plastic sheathing to the ceiling and trace the crack pattern onto the plastic.

Plaster ceiling repair cracked#

Plywood propped against the ceiling helps in repairing cracked plaster.

Plaster ceiling repair series#

My plan was to drill a series of holes through the plaster, inject some thickened epoxy into the holes, and force the plaster back into position with a plywood caul (a sheet of plywood to provide broad support) and prop sticks to hold it up, and let it cure. I assured her that it could be repaired without tearing the ceiling down, then went home to get the necessary supplies for repairing cracked plaster. I carefully pressed upon the plaster and verified that it had pulled away from the wood lath layer. The straight edge revealed about 1″ of sag in one corner of the ceiling.

I took my 4′ aluminum straight edge so I could determine if the plaster had pulled away from the wood lath. I did my best to calm her and offered to come over and take a quick look. Above: Tom’s approach to repairing cracked plaster involves Drilling into the lath and injecting thickened WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.Ī 100-year-old friend called in tears because her living room ceiling had cracked and she was afraid that the plaster was going to fall.