Walls and Ceilings Repair in Victorian flat

FataVerde

Hi, I plan to do some renovations in a 1900s purpose-built flat in a Victorian-style terraced home. The builder noted some cracks in the walls and ceiling and recommended a full repair with plasterboard and skimming, but said the coving would be lost in the process. Do the cracks look that bad? I'm new to lath and plaster ceilings/walls and don't want to deal with a crumbling ceiling so wanted to ask: Can the walls/ceiling not be repaired where the plaster lost key? Or do they have to be fully redone as my builder seems to suggest? I know it's his job to see me more services. His English was not great and my building vocabulary is terrible so I'll need to get more clarity from him too.  

FreeBear

As long as the plaster is sound (i.e. doesn't sound hollow when tapped with a finger or knuckle), just rake them out and fill. Mike Wye (and other suppliers) do fillers especially for period & lime walls/ceilings.

Even if you do have blown (hollow sounding) areas, these can be repaired without resorting to plasterboard and Thistle Multifinish.

FataVerde

FreeBear said:

As long as the plaster is sound (i.e. doesn't sound hollow when tapped with a finger or knuckle), just rake them out and fill. Mike Wye (and other suppliers) do fillers especially for period & lime walls/ceilings.

Even if you do have blown (hollow sounding) areas, these can be repaired without resorting to plasterboard and Thistle Multifinish.

It only sounds somewhat hollow around the cracks and I'd prefer to treat them in as simple and cost efficient way as possible. My surveyor noted in his report that he "did not detect any serious loss of key" in the ceilings.

FreeBear

FataVerde said: It only sounds somewhat hollow around the cracks and I'd prefer to treat them in as simple and cost efficient way as possible.

It is possible to stabilise small hollow sounding areas by injecting an acrylic binder through the crack (Ty Mawr used to do some stuff for this). Just don't be tempted to use expanding foam as seen in some youtube videos.

tacpot12

Where plaster has lost its key, it is possible to reattach it. This YouTube video shows the method: https://youtu.be/M4C9ncE2fYA 

This is fine for small areas, but for larger areas, removing the plaster, and saving as much of the lath as can be saved is a better option.