ceiling help!!

beancounter1968

Hi.
I have just removed some dated fitted wardrobes from my bedroom. This is now left me with a area of the ceiling around the room that has never been decorated before. I now have the majority of the ceiling that has been papered and painted with the rest that has only ever had emulsion. I am unlikely to match the old paper and I need a solution to present the ceiling in an even finish. I had thought of plasterboard and a skim over the whole ceiling but this is likely to prove expensive. My latest thought is mdf and paint. Is this is practical solution? Will it look okay or will I see joints everywhere?
Thanks for reading.
Phil

vansboy

If the ceiling is OK, other than the fact it has paper on it, can you strip the paper & THEN get it skimmed. Seems a lot of work boarding it, if is in a reasonable condition.

VB

beancounter1968

Not quite sure what it will be like under the paper. It has been there since I got the house and just had different coats of paint over it.

keystone

beancounter1968 wrote: »

Not quite sure what it will be like under the paper.

Exactly so get the paper stripped. Depending on its condition underneath you the have a number of choices:

1. Just paint it with emulsion if in good nick.
2. Fill any minor digs and scrapes and paint OR just paint it with a textured paint which will fill the minor digs and scrapes.
3 Fill and repaper then paint.

Its only if its a total disaster that you need to consider overboarding and skimming or skimming straight over the old ceiling.

Oh and MDF - nah!

Cheers

laurel7172

If it's a disaster zone when you take off the paper, get a couple of quotes for professional skimming. You might be pleasantly surprised. I'm sure it cost me less per square metre than covering with MDF would have done.

keystone

laurel7172 wrote: »

.........than covering with MDF would.......

be crazy! :mad:

Cheers

ixwood

Over boarding (if required) is an easy DIY job and skimming over boards is a quick/easy job for a plasterer. Anything else is just the degree of bodge.

keystone

ixwood wrote: »

Over boarding (if required) is an easy DIY job

But you MUST, if that is necessary, ensure that the new boards are screwed right through the old ceiling into the joists and that there are no unsupported plasterboard edges - or it'll sag in time. You can never use enough screws on this job BTW. Use max 6 x 3s 9mm pboard. 8 x 4s are a bit big to handle unless you have a prop.

Still think the OP should look at Options 1, 2 or 3 on my earlier post first.

Cheers