Understand the Process of New Plaster Ceiling Replacement

Should you repair or replace your plaster ceiling? This is a dilemma you may face when you have a damaged plaster ceiling. If only a few sections of your ceiling are damaged, you can patch those sections with new plaster products, making your ceiling look new again. But if the entire ceiling has been damaged beyond repair, you'll need a new plaster ceiling replacement. 

If a complete new plaster ceiling replacement job is what you're looking at, keep reading to find out what it typically involves.

Prep your house for ceiling removal

Removing a lath and plaster ceiling is a doable job, even for relative novices. But this task can be a tough and messy job if you don't tackle it the right way. You'll need great care and thoroughness to minimise the mess and avoid damage to your belongings.

Before you start, remove everything from the room and seal off the interior doors to prevent the dust from going into the rest of the house. Make sure you leave the windows open to ensure good ventilation within the room. Use polythene sheeting to cover stuff you can't remove from the room.

Next, remove all the lighting fittings found in the ceiling. And don't forget to turn off the power supply to your home and disconnect the wiring. Also, make sure you wear a dust mask and other appropriate personal protection equipment to protect yourself from the dusty work environment. 

Take down the old structure

The actual plaster ceiling removal job is carried out in various stages. The first step is to remove the old plaster with a claw hammer and stout trowel. The hammer breaks up the plaster while the trowel levers away the huge chunks. When all of the plaster is on the floor, clear it up and keep it in a dry and secure place as it awaits disposal.

Next, get a pick axe and use it to remove the laths. Laths are the narrow strips of wood attached to the roof framing studs that hold the plaster in place. The last part of the job is pulling out the nails that attach the laths to the framing studs. You can use a claw hammer to do this. 

Once you have removed all the laths and nails, clear up your site for new plaster installation.

Install the new plaster

This involves replacing the original plaster material with new material. Sufficient experience in plastering is required to do this job properly. If you have never installed a plaster ceiling before, it may be best to enlist the help of a professional at this point.

The cost to entirely replace a plaster ceiling is often more than a plaster repair job because of the extra time, labour, and material required to get the job done. That said, both plaster ceiling repair and replacement require a skilled tradesperson to do correctly the first time. Never hesitate to hire a professional plasterer if you need to get your plaster ceiling repaired or replaced with new plaster material.