To think my ceilings are going to fall down?!

Timmytap18 · 2024-06-01T10:57:10+00:00

Just had the house reskimmed. Old walls that had been wallpapered for years and got all the ceilings skimmed as they were horrible artex. Looks great. Now my friend said, aren't these old walls and ceilings lath and plaster (yes they are) did the plasterers board the ceilings first, aren't you worried about all that extra weight pulling them down? No he didn't board anything just skimmed over so I've been googling and now I'm bloody worried!

rwalker · 01/06/2024 12:21

Lath and plaster are nailed at close intervals and the free hanging bit is only the width of the gap in the joist skim is my thick and evenly spread it’ll be fine
I presume your friend isn’t a plaster or a builder
26 years in and mine haven’t collapsed and pinned me to the floor

Original poster

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 12:33

rwalker · 01/06/2024 12:21

Lath and plaster are nailed at close intervals and the free hanging bit is only the width of the gap in the joist skim is my thick and evenly spread it’ll be fine
I presume your friend isn’t a plaster or a builder
26 years in and mine haven’t collapsed and pinned me to the floor

Edited

OK that's reassuring. Plasterer didn't even mention anything about just went ahead and skimmed. He's an experienced plasterer as well and came recommended.

OP posts:

Original poster

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 20:09

I am in a Google hole and panicking now. Imagining the ceiling falling on the kids. Why didn't I just buy a new build 😫

OP posts:

Tiamaria86 · 01/06/2024 20:23

I hate it when you start goggling things, makes you feel 100 times worse. I have no experience in this but I don't think I even know what my ceilings are made of!

Original poster

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 20:42

Tiamaria86 · 01/06/2024 20:23

I hate it when you start goggling things, makes you feel 100 times worse. I have no experience in this but I don't think I even know what my ceilings are made of!

I just hate this old house and everything to do with it. I thought I'd made a good decision and improved the house but now I'm just really worried that it's dangerous.

OP posts:

Original poster

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 21:17

Anybody else got experience of these type of ceilings?

OP posts:

HelenHen · 01/06/2024 21:21

Our lath and plaster ceiling DID fall down... a couple of weeks after we moved into our house. I had used a carpet cleaner in the room above. I think I put too much water into it and it all came through. It was horrendous. I don't think it would happen for the reason you said though.

Araminta1003 · 01/06/2024 21:23

Yes I have experience and 2 of mine did collapse. One because a DC jumped and danced in room above and another because a builder laid a new floor above. In the first instance there was a bulge first for 1 day and then it collapsed. After that I had them all taken down and re boarded with double sound proof plaster board. Not what you want to hear but I couldn’t sleep properly. And yes it has happened to 2 of my friends too.
I assume yours were sound though when the plasterer skimmed?

Kitkat1523 · 01/06/2024 21:24

We pulled ours all down ourselves …,was a very dirty job …..then the plasterer came in and boarded and then plastered….ours is a 1870s house….plasterer recommended going back to basics

HelenHen · 01/06/2024 21:24

Araminta1003 · 01/06/2024 21:23

Yes I have experience and 2 of mine did collapse. One because a DC jumped and danced in room above and another because a builder laid a new floor above. In the first instance there was a bulge first for 1 day and then it collapsed. After that I had them all taken down and re boarded with double sound proof plaster board. Not what you want to hear but I couldn’t sleep properly. And yes it has happened to 2 of my friends too.
I assume yours were sound though when the plasterer skimmed?

We had a bulge for a day or 2 also.

Original poster

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 21:37

Araminta1003 · 01/06/2024 21:23

Yes I have experience and 2 of mine did collapse. One because a DC jumped and danced in room above and another because a builder laid a new floor above. In the first instance there was a bulge first for 1 day and then it collapsed. After that I had them all taken down and re boarded with double sound proof plaster board. Not what you want to hear but I couldn’t sleep properly. And yes it has happened to 2 of my friends too.
I assume yours were sound though when the plasterer skimmed?

Oh God, yes plasterer didn't even mention anything about them!

The longer I've lived in this house the more I hate it tbh, there's always something.

OP posts:

Kitkat1523 · 01/06/2024 21:45

our plasterer wouldn’t quote until he had done an assessment….said it would be false economy to skim over as likely would not last as lath plaster very heavy and knackered so likely to collapse underneath and damage new plaster…..said it was up to us….but obviously we decided to take down completely the old stuff …then board and start again….what did your plasterer say at the assessment of your walls visit OP?

Original poster

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 21:58

Kitkat1523 · 01/06/2024 21:45

our plasterer wouldn’t quote until he had done an assessment….said it would be false economy to skim over as likely would not last as lath plaster very heavy and knackered so likely to collapse underneath and damage new plaster…..said it was up to us….but obviously we decided to take down completely the old stuff …then board and start again….what did your plasterer say at the assessment of your walls visit OP?

Honestly, it didn't even occur to me to think about it. I know that's stupid, I remember the survey when we bought the house said that the ceilings were a mixture a lath and plaster and plasterboard but I really didn't think anymore of it.

Plasterer talked about the condition of the walls when he came round and said that even though they were lath he could skim over no problem. He did advise they may crack in the future. He didn't say much about the ceilings just that he could skim them.

It's only since my friend mentioned it that I've actually bloody researched them. I feel like an idiot with this house, first time buyer and I have been incredibly naive.

OP posts:

Kitkat1523 · 01/06/2024 22:07

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 21:58

Honestly, it didn't even occur to me to think about it. I know that's stupid, I remember the survey when we bought the house said that the ceilings were a mixture a lath and plaster and plasterboard but I really didn't think anymore of it.

Plasterer talked about the condition of the walls when he came round and said that even though they were lath he could skim over no problem. He did advise they may crack in the future. He didn't say much about the ceilings just that he could skim them.

It's only since my friend mentioned it that I've actually bloody researched them. I feel like an idiot with this house, first time buyer and I have been incredibly naive.

Show quote history

Ah well what’s done is done….it might be ok

CableCar · 01/06/2024 22:07

We lived in a renovation house while renovating it and it made me lose so much weight from the anxiety. I was a walking bubble of stress. It was awful. And it is only now, about 2 years since we've finally finished renovating, that I can breathe a sigh of relief and relax. I was convinced we'd have a burst pipe, leaky roof or an electrical fault... Even writing this out fills me with anxiety. Every job we did would uncover new issues and I just panicked, awfully. I suppose I'm here to say I empathise with how stressful it is, but we were ok. Nothing major happened and it was all alright. Chances are you will be ok. You won't be the first and won't be the last to have a skim over lath and plaster. Sending hugs and peace!

Chimummy73 · 01/06/2024 22:29

My house is 1850 and like yours lath and plaster, one of my ceilings came down about 15 years ago, I couldn’t believe the weight of the plaster.
I’d literally just walked through that room after coming back from dropping DS at nursery, so lucky - i think someone was looking out for me that day. My buildings insurance wouldn’t cover repairs said it was wear and tear 🙄
old houses are total money pits, I do love my house but tbh sometimes I just want to cut and run. Not sure if I’d buy a new build as they can come with their own issues, least troublesome house I ever owned was a 1930s semi about 20 years ago. Pretty much stuck here until the 3 DC decide to leave home!

Original poster

Timmytap18 · 01/06/2024 22:48

Chimummy73 · 01/06/2024 22:29

My house is 1850 and like yours lath and plaster, one of my ceilings came down about 15 years ago, I couldn’t believe the weight of the plaster.
I’d literally just walked through that room after coming back from dropping DS at nursery, so lucky - i think someone was looking out for me that day. My buildings insurance wouldn’t cover repairs said it was wear and tear 🙄
old houses are total money pits, I do love my house but tbh sometimes I just want to cut and run. Not sure if I’d buy a new build as they can come with their own issues, least troublesome house I ever owned was a 1930s semi about 20 years ago. Pretty much stuck here until the 3 DC decide to leave home!

I can't believe how common this is and yet I didn't know anything about it. Do people just live with these ceilings then? Are they dangerous? I'm debating getting the plasterer back out to discuss it.

I have a 2 year old and terrified of it falling on her.

OP posts: