Plaster Ceiling Repair or Replacement?

Question

Restoring a 1950s ranch home. Plaster ceilings have multiple cracks throughout home, some the length of rooms. Have had multiple contractors and friends suggest putting drywall over all of it. Seems like a temporary fix to me as that would eventually crack too, but I’ve never done it. Would you suggest patching cracks or lay drywall over it?

Karl B. · Answer

I've never dealt with plaster ceilings but I have dealt with plaster walls. They were in bad, bad shape in spots but I spackled the damaged areas (it took multiple attempts in spots due to shrinking of the spackle as it dried) but it was a success. After sanding down the areas and painting those areas (mainly the hallway and kitchen - they shared the same wall on opposite sides) it looked good. If your property is in a A-neighborhood and gets good rents then sure - consider drywalling. My property is in a C-neighborhood and I wasn't going to dole out four figures to a contractor or handyman for 'the proper repair'.

Wesley W. · Answer

My worry with the drywall over the plaster is:(1) If the plaster is in bad shape you oftentimes won't be able to lay the drywall flat, and the ceiling will look wavy and uneven. I own C+ properties, but it would still bother me and feel like it reflects poorly on the quality of my units.(2) The screws holding the drywall will have to be very long to reach the joists, through thickness of the drywall, plaster, and lathe before getting to the joists.(3) Eventually the plaster will continue to crack and flake off (or if there is a leak), adding to the weight of the drywall. If the screws can hold the extra weight, the drywall sheets will being to bow downward between the joists, or the sheets will pop through the fastener heads.(4) If there is a leak, it will take much longer for water to find its way through to the ceiling in order to be observed. This creates weight and/or mold concerns.If it were minor cracking, I would patch with plaster as @Karl B. suggests. If it were bad, I would tear the lathe and plaster down and replace with drywall. Not that much work and you will be happy you did in the years hence.The drop ceiling option that @Jim K. recommends would also work if the ceilings were high enough.

Carleen L. · Answer

Is it lathe and plaster? Little furring strips behind the plaster? I have a 100 year old rental with lathe and plaster walls and ceilings. The plaster can be fixed, but it is a messy job. Take a putty trowel and cut through the cracks it get rid of all the loose plaster. Knock off EVERYTHING that is loose. There will be some very large spots and some smaller areas. Using patch filler or drywall mud, fill in the new holes. It will take several layers in some spots. Allow each layer to dry completely before adding more. Once it is dry, it is time to sand, prime and paint. Be sure to sand it so that you get a very smooth surface...if it’s not perfect now, it won’t look any better with paint!Most contractors will advise you simply put new drywall directly on top of the plaster, and will attach it to the ceiling studs. This is a perfectly acceptable practice and will give you decades of maintenance free repair. While the repair I described above has lasted around 20 years, I wouldn’t do it on a modern house (which most 19050’s houses are). It is a lengthy and messy process, and there is no financial return for the effort.Good luck!

Jim K. · Answer

@Trey BurnsGenerally speaking, most renovators don't try to do much with plaster ceilings. They hang a ceiling grid and install a drop ceiling a few inches down.

Jim K. · Answer

@Trey BurnsHey, this is great news, Trey! Plaster, in my neck of the woods and target properties, is always plaster-on-lathe, usually wood, very occasionally metal. The problem with stripping out that sort of plaster and putting in drywall is that the joists of plastered walls, especially pre-1920s with old milled lumber, were never straight and even to begin with, and age and uneven weathering does not help them much. I've detailed elsewhere on BP how to make those joists suitable for drywall, but it's skilled work and it takes time. For you and the construction you're detailing, that's probably veneer plaster over blueboard (but of course there's an outside chance it's something I'm not familiar with).You can bust that out and put in a drywall ceiling, if you want to go that far...at least, that's what I would do, because that would be the most durable option. I would finish the ceilings smooth, mostly because in my properties for my purposes it's not incredibly important to do really high-quality finishing. You can go with a textured finish to hide minor imperfections, which is why textured ceilings are so popular.I think drop ceilings are cheap quick-fix options that don't hold up well in heavy-use rental properties in the C and D-classes. I do not install them. I would rather do an ugly, serviceable drywall job. I also thoroughly agree with @Wesley W. about the problems of trying to put drywall over cracking plaster on ceilings. This is veneer plaster so I think it's not quite as dangerous as doing it on a plaster-on-lathe ceiling, but still, there's a reason the plaster cracked in the first place.

Trey Burns · Answer

Thankfully it’s not lathe and plaster @Carleen L.. I guess it’s some kind of gypsum board with plaster on it? I looked at the topside from the attic and it’s a solid board connected to the roof joists. That’s a cool idea @Jim K. but the ceilings are already pretty low. I guess the drop ceilings are starting to catch on in residential?That’s encouraging @Karl B. because walls are next on the list!I agree with you @Wesley W. on the quality. It would bother me as well after hearing how it’s done. Thank you all for the replies and happy Memorial Day!