Patching Plaster Ceiling Cracks

For finishing you ll need primer and paint.

Patching plaster ceiling cracks.

Drive screws into both sides of the stud the nail is in. Subscribe to this old house. The cause of your ceiling crack depends on various factors such as the ceiling material and the home s age. Sand away any loose paint and drywall.

House settling and temperature or moisture fluctuations in an attic which result in the expansion or contraction of framing members. The plaster keys holding it to the underlying lath can also crack and break over time causing the plaster to partially separate from the wall. Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath.

No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound. If there s an issue with the trusses that could create a crack between the ceiling and the interior wall. 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. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area.

Typically plaster ceiling cracks have two causes. If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room. Apply mesh tape over the crack.

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. Plaster repair is much.

In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to repair a plaster ceiling. Be sure to drive screws into wood lath above. Follow these easy tips along with the video to make quick work of repairing your ceiling from cracks nail pops or large holes. If the crack is discolored you could have moisture problems.