Repairing crack in ceiling

TuppenceHapenny

When in the loft recently and after momentarily losing concentration, my foot (and body weight) landed on one of the gyprock ceiling boards which promptly cracked. As a result, the ceiling of the room below now has a crack in it measuring approximately 50 cm.

Is this something I could realistically repair myself (i.e. with DIY experience but no experience of this type of job) and if so are there Web sites which tell me what to do? Will the repair require the gyprock board to be (partially) removed and replaced with a new one? If I have to get a professional in (i.e. a plasterer?) how much should I expect to have to pay?

FreeBear

Rake the crack out and fill with polyfiller to just below the level of the surrounding plaster. Apply a bit of scrim tape and then a thin coat of filler over the top. Sand back (wear a decent dust mask) to give a smooth finish and then repaint.

You shouldn't need to replace any plasterboard if the crack is relatively minor.

TuppenceHapenny

Thanks for the reply.
There's a bit of sagging around the crack (since my body weight went onto the gyprock board from above), so does that complicate things?

Also, is this a repair I can leave for now and do later on? Everything seems stable at present and there's no sign of the crack or sagging getting any worse.

FreeBear

TuppenceHapenny wrote: »

There's a bit of sagging around the crack (since my body weight went onto the gyprock board from above), so does that complicate things?

To fix the sagging. I'd suggest putting a piece of plywood (say 12mm thick) between the joists in the loft. Then use some drywall screws (25-32mm long) to pull the plasterboard back in to place - Drive the screws in just far enough to bury the heads and no more than 200mm apart. Use polyfiller to cover the screw heads and sand down to a smooth finish.

If the ceiling hasn't collapsed on you by now, it will most likely stay up. On that basis, the repair can be left until you get the time/urge to get your hands dirty.

TuppenceHapenny

Thanks for the reply again FreeBear - as it happens that's exactly the plan I've been thinking about today. How would you recommend fixing the plywood to the joists?

FreeBear

TuppenceHapenny wrote: »

How would you recommend fixing the plywood to the joists?

Wouldn't bother fixing to the joists. The plasterboard will be enough to support the plywood.

TuppenceHapenny

Just been reading on a Web site that Artex ceilings can contain asbestos and therefore can pose a serious health risk if disturbed (e.g. as a result of DIY work). As the house concerned here was built in the early 1980s and the ceiling concerned is Artexed, does a DIY repair of the crack represent a possible health risk?

(The Web site is for a plastering company and recommends getting professionals in for plastering jobs so the advice it contains is not necessarily objective.)

Grenage

Don't sand the Artex if you can avoid it. Wear a decent mask and clean up thoroughly when you're done.

TuppenceHapenny

Grenage wrote: »

Don't sand the Artex if you can avoid it. Wear a decent mask and clean up thoroughly when you're done.

Looks like it would just be a question of chipping away slightly at the edges of the crack to allow the two sides to be pulled back up level with each other. But what would constitute a decent mask - presumably the cheap ones out of B&Q might not be good enough?

Grenage

I use one of these for everything from stripping paint to sanding.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Master-Respirator-with-Cartridges-White/p/200277