Sagging ceiling

[r.w.]

Hi all...

I have recently purchased an old house (approx. 80yrs.) and have noticed that the ceiling in the master bedroom is starting to sag. Unlike the rest of the ceilings on the second floor, this one has a stucco kind of finish but I believe it is still plaster.

There is a small access opening in the attic that I looked in today. I noticed quite a bit of greyish brownish insulation and peeled some back to try and find out what was supporting the ceiling but couldn't get very far. As far as I saw, its just plaster.

Any ideas on how to remedy this situation? I was thinking of drywalling it but I don't know if there is 2X4's or just strapping holding things in place at the moment.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

[ameijers]

If it is really plaster, and sagging w/o cracks, it probably means the the lathe has pulled away from the supporting joists, or the joists themselves are sagging. You can check for sagging joists in the attic with a long straightedge, or even a couple of tacks and some tightly streched string. If the joists are straight, it means the lathe is pulling away. They sell screws with big washers to pull the lathe back tight, and you just mud over them after sinking them through the plaster. If the joists are sagging, you need a pro to devise the best solution- adding sisters and reinforcing braces or whatever. The best, albeit messiest and most expensive solution, is to pull down the ceiling to open up the framing, repair as needed, and add back sheetrock or or blueboard and plaster. On an 80 YO house, they may have skimped on the ceiling framing, since most areas did not have code back then.

If the finish in this room is different, it suggests that previous problems and patching attempts have occurred. I'd bite the bullet and fix it the right way, and get it over with.

aem sends....

[..........]

Of course you could fill the entire house with plaster from floor to ceiling. Nothing will fall, and no pests can enter either. :)

[Art]

My father owed an old house built around 1915 where the builder had used plasterboard as lathe, so it had plasterboard, covered by browncoat and a finish coat. It looked like a washboard!