How To Patch Plaster Ceiling Cracks

Cracks can appear for a number of reasons.

How to patch plaster ceiling cracks. Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging. If the crack is discolored you could have moisture problems. 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.

Be sure to drive screws into wood lath above. If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above. No matter what the cause.

In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to repair a plaster ceiling. For finishing you ll need primer and paint. 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.

Typically plaster ceiling cracks have two causes. Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath. If there s an issue with the trusses that could create a crack between the ceiling and the interior wall.

For more about how plaster walls are built see plaster wall construction over time these. For larger cracks you may need two coats of spackle because of its tendency to shrink as it dries in large gaps so double check before priming and painting. Plaster repair is much.

Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling covering the repaired area. The cause of your ceiling crack depends on various factors such as the ceiling material and the home s age. Screw plaster washers to ceiling along and around cracked area.