Any plasterers around?

Fat_Debtor

I had my ceiling skimmed last week (over artex), and there's now a crack that runs from one wall to the other. It's not huge, but probably a bit bigger than hairline, which I know can be common in new plaster.

I'm going to leave it for a month to fully dry out, and then pollyfill if it hasn't worsened. Are there any plastering experts out there who can advise on whether this is the correct course of action to take? I'd rather not get the {ahem} 'builder' to come back and deal with it as he's a complete nightmare, and useless. My concern is that this is the start of more problems.

Chippy_Minton_2

There are many things which could have caused the crack. You don't say whether it was a ground or first floor ceiling.

robnye

have you got kids or excercise equipment, are they in the room above?

owls

you shouldnt get any cracking in the middle of a new ceiling.

was there a crack in the same place before on the artex ceiling?

it will be along the plasterboard line where movement is the builder should have run some fibre tape along the joint line prior to skimming, i would just fill it with some flexable filler i wouldnt have thought it will get any worse.

Fat_Debtor

Thanks for that. Yes, he was supposed to re-tape the plasterboard, and yes, there was a crack along that line. This was the whole point of doing it!

Is it me or are all builders useless, lazy and greedy? This clown is all three.

owls

Id like to think im none of theafore mentioned,

dont tar us all with the same brush, for every cowboy there are ten good tradesman about.

thechippy

owls wrote: »

Id like to think im none of theafore mentioned,

dont tar us all with the same brush, for every cowboy there are ten good tradesman about.

Well said !!

jason_s_2

Fat_Debtor wrote: »

Is it me or are all builders useless, lazy and greedy?

No , and 99.9 % of the tradesman (oops sorry grace , Tradespeople) on here aren't.
At the end of the day you have had a poor quality job done by a builder, you have paid for this, so he should come back and put it right for you, i know you said he is a bit of a nightmare, but you should give him 1 chance to put it right, and you shouldn't have to wait a month, a week is long enough.

youcanttakeitwithyou

owls wrote: »

you shouldnt get any cracking in the middle of a new ceiling.

was there a crack in the same place before on the artex ceiling?

it will be along the plasterboard line where movement is the builder should have run some fibre tape along the joint line prior to skimming, i would just fill it with some flexable filler i wouldnt have thought it will get any worse.

You won't get rid of the crack by filling it with flexible filler, it will come back on top of the filler and look like you know what!!

The crack either has to be taped/filled/sanded/ or the ceiling has to be taped and re skimmed.

Fat_Debtor

youcanttakeitwithyou wrote: »

You won't get rid of the crack by filling it with flexible filler, it will come back on top of the filler and look like you know what!!

The crack either has to be taped/filled/sanded/ or the ceiling has to be taped and re skimmed.

Thanks. How easy is it to tape and fill? Could you leave instructions on how a novice could do it? Or is it a case for the professionals?