Lathe and plaster ceilings

[uphillstruggler]

I took the ceiling down in the dining room this evening.

I've taken a few of these down and two things never cease to amaze me.

1. How these ceilings stayed up in the first place.

2. How much crap they produce.

Blimey, that was a tough evening and I've got to put a new one up once the builder has taken a chimney breast and brick party wall down.

Dust sandwiches for us for a while

 

[Welsh Deano]

Bit late now, but couldn't you have just overboarded the old ceiling with plasterboard and skim?

 

[Night Train]

Which method did you use?

I usually break a small hole in the plaster and then scrape the plaster off the lathes. I can then clear all the plaster on the floor, on a plastic sheet, before pulling down all the lathes for bagging as sticks. The muck that falls down can then be cleared up and bagged. That makes it easier to collect as seperate 'stuff' for the tip.

I wear overalls, gloves, hard hat, goggles and a resperator for dropping ceilings and will tape seal myself into a room for the duration of the job to reduce the amount of black dust from spreading.

 

[Welsh Deano]

Which method did you use?

I usually break a small hole in the plaster and then scrape the plaster off the lathes. I can then clear all the plaster on the floor, on a plastic sheet, before pulling down all the lathes for bagging as sticks. The muck that falls down can then be cleared up and bagged. That makes it easier to collect as seperate 'stuff' for the tip.

I wear overalls, gloves, hard hat, goggles and a resperator for dropping ceilings and will tape seal myself into a room for the duration of the job to reduce the amount of black dust from spreading.

Blimey... you sound like you've done this a little too often! You need to get out more. Ever considered cycling?

 

[uphillstruggler]

Pretty much the same.

I just don't get used to the amount of crap produced.

The lathes are great for burning at the allotment when I have clearing to be done. Just need to keep the nails.

 

[uphillstruggler]

Not really, toddlers over ran a sink but also need to do other work so a necessary evil

 

[mickle]

I wear overalls, gloves, hard hat, goggles and a resperator for dropping ceilings and will tape seal myself into a room for the duration of the job to reduce the amount of black dust from spreading.

Add to that a Vax sucking air out of the room - not so much to reduce the dust in the room but creating a vacuum in the room stops it permeating the rest of the house.

 

[Night Train]

Bit late now, but couldn't you have just overboarded the old ceiling with plasterboard and skim?

Some of my ceilings are over boarded but I worry about the weight of loose plaster and muck that is being held up by boards and screws.

I had a friend who scaffolded around his living room to support the very decorative plaster cornice and then removed the ceiling including the bit between the cornice and the joists. He then slid plasterboard back into the gap, with adhesive, above the cornice to board the ceiling for plastering. When it was all done he had a perfectly flat ceiling and the decorative cornice was saved and more secure then it was before. He then picked the cornice clean of all paint and repainted it. Months of work.

 

[Night Train]

Blimey... you sound like you've done this a little too often! You need to get out more. Ever considered cycling?

I've got a big house! I have friends with big houses! I have done a few more then average.

It is a job that can be done DIY before getting a trades person in to put a new one in.

Cycling has been considered but it doesn't result in a fixed house. Nor does it pay enough to get someone else to do it for me.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Took an old horse hair plaster ceiling down years ago in my old house after my Son was diagnosed with asthma, bloody horrible job. I recall washing dust, dirt and debris out of my crevices for days afterwards!
Guess I clearly wasn't suitably attired for the job

 

[dellzeqq]

anthrax......................................................

(just kidding)

 

[subaqua]

anthrax......................................................

(just kidding)

we had a job stopped at a major London project when an over zealous safety advisor realised the original plaster was horse hair dating back to late 1800s and got a bit twitchy. 3 weeks delay while samples checked at a lab. all clear nothing zip nada. and we caught the delays up.

when i was an apprentice one builder we used to work with on vacant refurbs used to erect a scaffold platform about 3 foot down from the ceiling,cover with plastic sheeting sections lift the boards above and remove it from above by knocking it down. leave it overnight for dust to settle and then fold plastic sheeting and drop into skip through debris tube. i always thought it was a bit OTT

 

[Globalti]

Never done a lath & plaster ceiling but even on modern ceilings I'm always amazed at how much rubbish and dust the house builders have allowed to accumulate between the joists. I always clean it out as I go, I hate mess.

 

[Crackle]

Bit late now, but couldn't you have just overboarded the old ceiling with plasterboard and skim?

I've done that in one room where the previous owners had stored stuff in the loft on inadequate boards and the ceiling was only held up by the paper I removed, will do it in my hall, some others I sanded and filled as they were all small cracks. A few other rooms had the ceiling lowered for spot installation (kitchen, utility). Having removed boards and looked what was lurking, I decided not to pull down. I guess it really depends how bad things are and how good you want the finish to be.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Dust sandwiches for us for a while

have been there all summer...total renovation whilst living in a building site...bah!..and yes ceiling are hellish.