UKC

So i was in the loft - trod on a nail and in reacting put my foot through the ceiling!!!

So my question is how easy is it in reality to fix and put up new plasterboard - do I also need to plaster it before painting?

There is loads on line about doing it yourself but things are never as easy as they seem and my wife has exacting standards

In reply to notaclue:

How big a hole is it?

If possible, cut clean edges, cut a new bit to fit in and a larger bit to go behind it, if you see what I mean, then screw/glue it in place, use filler to neaten the edges and then paint over it.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

^ this.

Weighing down helps.

Bear in mind that lofts are always dusty under the insulation, so give it a good scrub around the hole, so that the glue sticks better.

In reply to notaclue:
cut the new hole square to the ceiling joists, cut a new board select the right thickness, you can even do this if the ceiling is lathe and plaster, just make sure the board is not as thick , allowing room for plaster, if possible use scrim to bridge join, the mix a bit of plaster, and have a go, get it on the ceiling before you start messing about getting it even, let it dry a bit, tacky, and start to smooth, you can use a straight edge or a trowel, it is easy , just pay attention to time.

In reply to notaclue:


Just ring a plasterer!

In reply to Lusk:

unless its a very small hole the plastering is not as easy as you might think to get a decent job. as lusk says, ring a plasterer.

In reply to Martin not maisie:

"give it a good scrub around the hole".

Good advice in any situation !

In reply to notaclue:

The best 'glue to use is 'dot-and-dab- adhesive, which is a sort of plaster. Stick a bit of plasterboard behind the hole with it (first cleaning the existing as advised above), then cut out a smaller piece to fill the hole and stick that in with a small amount of the same stuff, making sure that the new piece isn't proud of the surrounding ceiling (i.e. doesn't stick out). That will minimise the amount of plastering that has to be done.

Before you do any of that though, fix the surrounding plasterboard back to the ceiling joists because the chances are, your foot will have loosened it. Use bugle-headed plasterboard screws for this, not nails, make sure you put them in square and don't put them in too far - you want to avoid tearing the paper.

In reply to notaclue:


Just noticed, was it in your bedroom?
Stick a mirror over the hole, everyone's a winner

In reply to notaclue:

Don't mess about trying to stick bits of board up you'll fail miserably.just use a bit of timber behind bigger than the hole so it spans the gap then screw your new piece up to that you can also screw through the existing ceiling to secure the timber too. Ps plastering is harder than it looks and patching in(and making a decent job is an art)

In reply to Wsdconst:

This is the quickest and easiest solution. Screw a length of batten over, above the hole then screw a patch onto the batten. Buy a pack of Polyfilla in powder, mix up stiffish, fill, allow to dry then sand, wearing a mask. Then paint.

In reply to notaclue:

Skrim tape round edges. Coat of filler covering mesh tape and thin out the edges. Dry and sand out edges. Coat with finishing plaster again thin out edges and sand smooth any edges. If you go through to tape repeat over localised area another coat. If you paint the ceiling with white vinyl matt emulsion with roller it's very forgiving for imperfections. Any obvious ones that turn up after first coat can be sanded after the coat dries.
I find using one of those marshal big scraper type applicator the easiest but you need to have something to hold and work of off material.

It's worth trying and learning new skills such as this. I first did it when I got water damage from shop above me in me old flat. Since then I have done an extension and loft conversion to our house as well as a recent garden room. The more skills you pick up building wise it saves you masses over the years. Hardest yet was rough casting but proudest is my slating skills but got tips from my slating climbing mate.

Only thing I wouldn't ever touch is gas and only minor electrics for obvious reasons.

In reply to notaclue:
So many people giving advice that clearly have no clue. 'Give it a good scrub' is the best.
If you want a proper job call a pro. If you have to ask on here you'll make a mess of it.
I actually do this for a living...

In reply to notaclue:
If it is a small hole you can tidy up the edges, ( not too regularly as you're eye catches regular lines) screw a larger piece of board with a bit of plastic facing the ceiling to hid the hole , mix up some stiffish plaster and pour it from above into the now blocked hole overfilling it a bit so that it spreads beyond the edges, , and ideally get some strips of something larger than the hole to strengthen it and lay it on top of the plaster in a crisis cross pattern . ( I used old chop sticks !)

When it is set, unscrew the board , and it should come away leaving a slightly proud mend, , sand that back, and paint.

This works well for blocking up old ceiling roses,etc. not sure of the limits on size on this method though.

Sorry as others mentioned, clean up the dust, and dampen he edges of huge mend before pouring in the plaster mix.m

In reply to jimjimjim:



I'm sure that you are a very fine tradesman, but some of us have not had that experience when hiring a tradesman (, or the cash to hire one) so we improvise. )

( And as you know , all the best tradesmen are always busy anyway, and so it hard to get them as they are in demand)

In reply to Jim C:

In the context of the building trade, the assumption that because someone does something for a living, they therefore somehow know what they are talking about is a flawed and highly dangerous one.

I speak as someone who has engaged the services of more builders and tradesmen over the past few years than I could possibly remember off the top of my head, plasterers and the like included. I'm very, very careful who I use and even with the good ones, I don't automatically buy-in to everything they say or every suggestion that they make - I've learned not to do that the hard way, and a very hard lesson it can be when you/they get it wrong.

In reply to Andy Morley:
This is true off any profession, I've had lawyers, accountants, doctors all give me very duff advice.

In reply to Andy Morley:

It's in the interest of any builder to cut corners. The less he spends on you the more he makes. Hence why cheapest is not the best approach.

In reply to fmck:


Not so sure I agree, at least, not if they want to have a long term business relationship.

I work in Procurement, and if we get one really low offer, we do ask LOTS of questions why that bidder is so much less than the others.
The other bidders are rarely all wrong , so it usually turns out to be someone offering far less than we specified. ( they have probably missed something )

We will rarely take the risk of placing such an order. The other dangers are that they get lots of low margin work that they can't cope with , and so quality suffers, or they may get another order with more reasonable margins , and yours will be neglected.

In reply to fmck:

Not a good idea if you're self employed and rely on word of mouth and repeat work. It's In my interest to work as efficiently as possible but bring about the best results but that's not the same as cutting corners.
To the op. If you do decide to do it yourself if it's a small area a good product to use is gyproc
easy fill instead of poly filler. It's easy to sand and a little cheaper. Obviously you'll need to fill most of the hole with plaster board as others have suggested. There are some good videos on youtube

In reply to notaclue:

I am a plasterer. Don't scrub the back of the existing board. If it gets too wet the board paper delaminate front the gypsum and it will all fall apart. You will make a mess and bodge it if you try your self. For your wife's sake get a plasterer in. The cost depends on size of hole, empty Ness of room, type of ceiling, if you want it done I will tk you through and give a quote, it will be between £80 for foot size hole in otherwise sound, flat, plasterboard ed ceiling to £250 for a 4foot square in a lath and plaster ceiling. Textures, exposed beams, coving, great height, 10 floor of flats, all complicate.
07876573938

In reply to notaclue:




You remind me of Frank Spencer.

In reply to jimjimjim:

Might be different where you are but twenty odd years as a construction manager has me very mistrusting of sub contractor builders. It goes from below ground backfilling with mud n rocks to drainage to roof level with non conforming mafia slate full of iron.
Constant battle with flaming conmen where I am. I do all my home build work myself because I know its been done correct.

In reply to tonanf:

There you go....someone who knows what they are talking about. But it seems some people prefer to ignore advise from real tradesmen and take advise from diy experts who say things like 'give it a good scrub' and pour plaster in from the top....ffs.

In reply to jimjimjim:

How is your foot?

Not too bad I hope?

In reply to Trangia:

Don't get it....care to educate?

In reply to jimjimjim:

He trod on a nail!

In reply to Trangia:

Nope....

In reply to jimjimjim:

Sorry, my post was meant for the OP!

No one had asked him so far

In reply to notaclue:

Have you checked to make sure your home insurance doesn't cover getting somebody in to do it?