How do i fix this if the rest of the room is plaster?
by
Amber
+11
I'm a little confused I live in a really old house that is made of all plaster walls and ceilings that I'm in the middle of trying to fix a little bit and repaint but when I got to this room I noticed this was here and from what I saw online it doesn't look like you can get nail and screw Pops in plaster so I'm not sure how to go about fixing it. I'm a single mom on a very tight budget so am learning how to do things as I go by searching things online and fixing them on my own so any help even tips would really be appreciated
The rest of the ceiling looks like this and I'm thinking is plaster like the rest of the house
here is info I found for you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujjJzARHXNQ
That looks like they did not put enough plaster and it's also uneven. The screws also throw another loop into it. I'm wondering if you are a renter or owner. You might consider covering the area completely and tapering down. If you are an owner, try living it while you save your money for a true solution. I would go with styrofoam panels for easiest solution to cover the area.
Hi Amber,
You have a fair bit of work ahead of you on this one, but much respect for taking it on. Just about anything you do will be better so don't be afraid to just get in there and do it. Here is the basic process: first, you need to remove the screws and wood (at least I think its wood) that is being used as a patch. Then you might need to cut the plaster and lath back a bit to get to a piece of strapping or a floor joist that you will screw a new piece of drywall (either 3/8, 1/2, or 5/8 inch thick) onto based on the thickness of the surrounding material. Cut a piece of drywall to fit into the space and screw it in with drywall screws. Make sure it is not thicker that the surrounding ceiling. After that you will tape the seems between the old ceiling and new patch. Finally, you will use plaster you mix up (not joint compound) to cover the whole area including and beyond the patched area in several thin coats. Check out videos by the guy I linked below. He is brilliant these types of repairs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoWWE7d7UU8
And this one as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKxya3jNhYg
Looks like somebody at one time had some kind of problem in the ceiling and did a terrible job patching any openings they had to make in the ceiling. If this is only in one area first step would be to remove that screwed in panel and replace it with a drywall panel using drywall screws. To me it looks like a piece of plywood they painted and it warped over time. Use drywall mesh tape and drywall compound over the seams. It will take quite a bit of sanding to smooth out the bad patching with the rest of the ceiling. Just take your time.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/patch-hole-ceiling-37698.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HM13HTPbi0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdRRCbQDhVE
Since this is a rental, it would be up to the landlord to fix. Have you contacted them?
14 Ways to Cover a Hideous Ceiling
https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/14-ways-to-cover-a-hideous-ceiling/
Try this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDb75m3mXds
Hello Amber, if you want to try to feather a layer of plaster on the there, that would be the easiest to ease the look of this big patch, taper as you mentions and it should look a lot better.
Fill in the gap, and then over board the lot with vinyl shiplap etc.
It looks to me, like William said, like a patch job done very poorly with some kind of metal flashing piece screwed in. In my opinion, the best way to fix it is to take it apart, see what's going on, then formulate a plan from there to replace that strip with either drywall or similar material, then patch with mesh patching tape and joint compound.