Plastering &/or papering a ceiling?

JustAnotherSaver

The ceiling is 6.7mtr x 3.3mtr at its widest point.

We were going to leave it papered but the paper has bubbled badly now so the option is to either re-paper it or plaster it (do they just plaster it or do they board it & then plaster it?).

Everything is fairly square except 2 bits that jut out - chimney breast & for a window:



There are a few cracks in the corners. Are these likely to cause issue with plastering? I imagine since it's already papered with the cracks being there that perhaps not??




Obviously it'll vary from plasterer-to-plasterer, wallpaperer-to-wallpaperer & region-to-region, but roughly what is a fair price for plastering this & papering this? What sort of range are we looking at for a fair price? I think £1000 would unanimously be accepted as being OTT, but what would be fair?


& is it a 1 day job for each?

phill99

Why do you want it repapered? A nice flat skim is the current vogue. Cost to re skim a ceiling like that should be under 250. Probably a days work for a paper hanger.

JustAnotherSaver

phill99 wrote: »

Why do you want it repapered?

I don't. I'm not one way or the other really. I suppose if i had to choose then it'd be skimming. I'm simply here getting a price idea for each approach.


What's the process with the skimming? Is it just slap a load of multifinish on or whatever is used, or would it be boarded out & then skimmed & make the floor-to-ceiling distance slightly less?

ceredigion

why don't you ask the spread who`s just done your walls. Or did they want the grand that you mentioned?
The ceiling is lime work and nobody in their right mind would make an assessment of cost before the paper has been removed. Best case scenario is the lime is sound , coat of a polima bonding agent set with plaster. would have to right off 2 days work , first day remove paper and apply blue grit , second day to set. Worst case scenario its had distemper on it or the lime is no longer bonded to the laths. Which either means overboard or tear it down and board to joists. Probably still 2 days work but more cost. So all in all between £400 and £500.

phill99

It's probably more cost effective to simply overboard and skim. Removing the paper from the ceiling could be a nightmare.

ceredigion

very true .....

JustAnotherSaver

We have actually (albeit briefly) discussed the cost of the ceiling from them, but this was from the guy who isn't doing any of the work & is just setting up the lads to do the (walls) work. This was also when the coving was in place & we had no idea of what was behind the paper.
He said around £400.

Now we've seen a bit of what's behind there - including the cracks. God knows how much these cracks span.

We're paying up the remainder next week & will get a more accurate quote from them for the ceiling. I just wanted to know a ball park figure beforehand, so that if it was generally agreed £400 & they say £1500 then i know it's a put on.

ceredigion wrote: »

day remove paper

I would've thought we'd do that?

We did the walls, or is removing ceiling paper different to wall paper (& no that isn't a sarcastic question, it's a genuine one). Do we need to be careful with it for e.g.?

and apply blue grit

What be this phenomenon you speak of sir?,

Worst case scenario its had distemper on it

And this?



So would you say that it would be just better to lose a bit of height & board the ceiling & then skim?

The wife has asked - what of the light fitting in this case? How would this fit back ok?



Personally i don't actually like it myself. IMO it's too small for a room of this size as there is only this light in the middle of the room & all bulbs point to the ceiling. I would prefer something that spreads light well, but this is what we have for now so it's what we've got to deal with.

ceredigion

blue grit is a bonging agent
http://www.everbuild.co.uk/febondbluegrit




distemper is a lime wash and cannot be bonded to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distemper_(paint)

JustAnotherSaver

We've had the quote back from the same folk who did the walls.

They've taken half the ceiling paper off. I don't know whether ours is classified as good or bad condition. There's a few cracks but it's not falling down.

Anyway, boarded & skimmed ... £700-£750.

They do building & plastering. They're not just dedicated plasterers.

I've spoken to dedicated plasterers (probably poor choice of term, but those who just do plastering) who came in to work & i showed them the photos & gave them the dimensions. 2 of them said they'd charge around £200-£300.

£500 is quite a big difference. Granted, one has actually physically seen the ceiling & the other hasn't, but £500? If it was £100 or £200 difference, but £500 difference makes me wonder .... why??