cutting lath and plaster

[Zipadee Doodar]

Greetings.

My loft hatch is right at the top of the stairs, and so for safety, I intend to open a new hatch further along the landing. I am OK with supporting, cutting out and reinstating the joist in the loft, but need advice regarding cutting the lath and plaster ceiling to give a reasonable clean line, and without bringing chunks down all around. I know architrave will cover minor rough edges, but to make it more complicated, the ceiling is covered in artex so I want to avoid having to reinstate as much as possible.

All advice gratefully received.

[John Stumbles]

You could cut through the plaster layer with an angle grinder with a masonry blade (preferably diamond - they're cheap enough). You could even cut through the laths with this too but it'll kick up a smell of charring wood (to go with the clouds of plaster dust :-)

[bigcat]

supporting,

expect a mess beyond human comprehension, with anything left in the area totally ruined.

NT

[bigcat]

re the mess, i expect pvaing the ceilnig topside before beginning work would help quite a lot.

NT

[bill]

make a wooden frame for the hole you are going to cut out

screw the frame through the ceiling to the joints and tight as possible

cut the hole out inside the frame

[The Natural Philosopher]

Jigsaw aint bad. Ther is another saw a bit like a jigsaw that is even beter, sort of electric padsaw.

Fprghet whats its called.