Ceiling Replacement in Essex

When a ceiling needs replacing rather than repairing

A patch is the right answer for local damage. Replacement becomes the sensible choice when the problem is widespread: board that has sagged between joists across the room, repeated cracking along every joint, an old lath and plaster ceiling that has lost its grip, or water damage that has affected most of the area. Replacing in one visit then costs less than patching the same ceiling twice.

If the damage is confined to one area, our ceiling repair page covers patching instead, and where water caused the failure, the leak is dealt with first as part of our ceiling and leak damage repairs work.

What replacing a plasterboard ceiling involves

The work follows a fixed sequence, and each stage is explained in the written quote:

• The room is sheeted and furniture moved out or grouped and covered
• The old ceiling is taken down and the waste removed
• Joists are checked, and insulation above is replaced where it is damp or damaged
• New plasterboard is fixed to the joists, with boards staggered for strength
• Joints are taped and the whole ceiling is skimmed to a flat finish
• Coving is refitted or replaced, and light fittings go back once the plaster is dry

The chance to look above the ceiling

Taking a ceiling down is the one time the void above is open, and it is worth using. We check the joists for softness or old leak damage, look at the state of pipework and cables that are now visible, and replace wet or compressed insulation while access is easy. Anything found is photographed and talked through before the new boards go up.

Where the old ceiling is lath and plaster, the strip out is heavier and dustier, and our lath and plaster ceiling repair page explains how we decide between overboarding and a full replacement. Textured ceilings that are sound are usually skimmed or overboarded instead: see skimming over artex ceilings.

Dust, drying and decoration

Ceiling replacement is one of the dustier plastering jobs, so the room is sealed off as far as we can and cleaned at the end of each day. New plaster then needs to dry fully before painting, which takes from several days to a couple of weeks depending on the room, and the first coat should be a thinned mist coat. Our decorating service can finish the room if you would like it painted as part of the same visit, and the whole job sits within our plastering service.