Repair Plaster On Ceilings

If your plaster ceiling needs repair, it's an urgent matter that requires your immediate attention. Plaster is quite heavy and can collapse at any time, endangering your home and family. Plaster can lose its hold over time, cracking and loosening from where it has been anchored, to strips of wood called a lath. If only the plaster is affected, you should be able to repair it on your own. But if the lath is damaged, it may be time to call in a professional to help with repairs.

Instructions

1. Drill ¼-inch holes with the power drill into the plaster ceiling every 4 inches. Take care not to drill so deep that you penetrate the wooden lath. Sweep away dust from the drilling with a vacuum cleaner.

2. Fill a spray bottle with water and squirt the water into the holes to soften the plaster. Squirt latex glue into the holes with the caulking gun. Wipe away excess glue that may ooze out with a dampened sponge.

3. Secure plywood boards between the plaster ceiling where you've made the repairs and the floor, gently pushing the ceiling up toward the lath to affix it with the glue you inserted. Before doing so, cover the tops of the plywood boards with plastic sheeting to protect the plaster from the sharp edges of the board. Let the repair sit and cure for at least 24 hours.

4. Remove the plywood boards and fill the holes in the plaster ceiling by applying joint compound with a putty knife.

Tags: plaster ceiling, plywood boards, holes with, into holes