How to add back the swirls to a plaster ceiling?

Debbie
by Debbie
1946 house with beautiful swirled plaster ceiling. The previous homeowner patched an area of the ceiling but made it smoott. I want to put the swirls back in to match the ceiling. How do I accomplish this.

  3 answers
  • Nancy Moody Nancy Moody on May 19, 2018

    Apply more plaster. While still wet use a “tool” to draw the circles in. The “tool” referenced here could be a screwdriver, a wooden skewer, the nonworking end of a toothbrush.... any item that closely matches the diameter of the swirled circles.

    • Debbie Debbie on May 19, 2018

      Thank you, that is what I needed to know about adding more plaster should just a thin layer be applied.

  • Hire an artisan plasterer to do this for you. May be a bit of a hunt as this style has fallen out of favor for the time being. I have a house built in the mid-20's and had a good guy until he retired, and it took a bit to find a true artisan, but it was well worth it. Do not get sticker shock once you find someone.

  • Jcraw Jcraw on May 19, 2018

    If you plan to do this yourself, I would suggest lots of practice inside closets or or on a piece of scrap wallboard.