Any ideas on ceiling cover-up?

[ginghamstarfish]

Would appreciate any ideas on how to tackle this - old cottage, bedroom ceilings have noticable 'fault lines' showing through the wallpaper (yes, woodchip, on the ceiling) where the plasterboard sheets meet. All seems sound, but the lines look terrible. The rest looks fine, so wondering how to cover up these lines? Thinking of sticking on wooden battens, painting over, making it look panelled? Anyone had similar or had any ideas? Stripping the woodchip is not an option, I'm sure it would end up with plaster coming off, and the cost and mess of that is not something I can deal with at the moment.

If it's an old cottage it's probably not plasterboard but render straight onto lathe. Sticking batons to it could bring down the whole ceiling (and would look awful), the cracks will be where lathe is attached to the beams.

You could attach battens a few inches down the wall all around, and then effectively attach a false panelled ceiling underneath them.

Personally I'd attempt to get the wood chip off with a steamer. If it works, then it didn't cost much. If it is a disaster, then you've lost nothing, and you can get it plastered/false ceilinged.

Stencil designs of leaves and flowers over the lines?

I have the same issue in a much newer property!

Ceilings too low to add false ceilings if the woodchip brings down the plasterboard (which it did on the walls!)

I've been stuck for ideas for years - so following hopefully :)

You can put plasterboard over it...and then cover that.

Thank you, we had a plasterer come in and he said the best thing would be to plasterboard over, then skim, would be £500 (then would need several coats of paint). Looking for a cheaper option without the mess as well, rest of ceiling ok apart from those lines. Stencilled border - will give that some thought! Looking at ebay etc today, found some rolls of 'trim' which look like carved wood or plaster, self adhesive and made of pressed foam. Might order one and try that, guess it could look ok .... has anyone used such a thing?

Problem with trying to take the woodchip off is that the plaster would no doubt come off too ... would not consider it. It's an old house, and we've spent enough on it!

@Pinkywoo, interesting, but the crack interval looks like the size of plasterboard sheets, and each non-cracked part is very smooth. Downstairs we have ceilings we think are like that but they have no cracks, just a bit lumpy in parts. (oh the joys of an old house)

Could you put caulk in the gaps and then paint with stippled paint? Not ideal but you already have wood chip. We put it on very, very lightly with a roller so it takes away the imperfections but isn't overly textured.

Overboard the existing ceiling and skim, the reason it’s cracked around the old sheets of plasterboard are because it’s probably not nogged out on the joints and they have put about ten plasterboard nails in each sheet.

Our house had cracked ceilings in every room when I pulled them down the sheets just came down whole as there was very little holding them up, and the sheet of plasterboard covered in skim is surprisingly heavy..

Flexible filler and paint, fingers crossed. If it still looks terrible, pull them down in a few years/when you next decorate.

Fill the fault lines and then use polycell problem surface paint (v v thick). It's expensive but bloody marvellous.
I had a similar problem but unlike OP I did strip the woodchip. Then I had to spend 2 days sanding the pitted plaster underneath. Once done and with no less than 5 coats of paint on top, I now have smooth ceilings. Cost about £100 in paint though.

Will look at the Polycell paint and filler, thanks all.