Lath & Plaster ceiling repair help please

In article , Colin writes

Why not do the job properly with lime plaster? Its a much more suitable material for d-i-y use as it stays workable for anything up to 24 hours and you can pick the bits up off the floor (as long as its clean) and still use them - try doing that with gypsum plaster!

John

If you keep the edges of the plaster damp they shouldn't crack back. Also, if you overlap the new plaster on to the old plaster for a couple of inches and polish it over with a wet brush and a plaster float the cracks shouldn't appear at all.

Thanks I'll try that.

I was really thinking of cracks appearing after it has dried and the children start jumping around in the bedroom above. I may be just paranoid, but I was wondering if there was a technique to ensure that the join between the old and the new plaster didn't crack with time...

Colin

I'd say if you awant a 'period'look then use new lathe and lime mortar.

If you want it smooth, do as you describe. lay a layer of lining paper or indeed scrim over the over the finished joint, and skim.

Any cracks you do get can ultimatley be scraped out to a v notch, and filled with decorators caulk and re-painted.