Filling ceiling gaps

[Hank]

Hi,

I'm patching a hole in a ceiling and I have hung up a piece of sheetrock. There are some gaps around the edges where my cutting wasn't perfect I'm wondering if I should use joint compound to fill them in? An alternative would be plaster of Paris that I was planning on putting over the sheet rock.

The rest of the ceiling is very very old plaster. This is a temporary fix btw as we eventually want to tear down the entire ceiling altogether in a few years.

thanks

[Joseph Meehan]

I would try drywall tape and spackling compound.

[trader4]

I'd use joint compound for the whole thing, as it's going to be easier to sand and work with. Use mesh tape over the gaps. Work joint compound into the joints and do a rough coat over the whole thing for pass one. Then you'll need at least one more coat, probably two to feather it out over a larger area.

[EXT]

Plaster of Paris sets way too fast to use in repairing a plaster surface, especially when trying to level out a ceiling. Use a setting drywall compound it is easier to control and won't look different than the original plaster surface when painted.