I need to fill a pretty deep hole in the ceiling. With one fill if at all possible. Ideally, just some filler that you bung up, and it stays in place. Any suggestions for the best one for the job (or at least a pretty good one), please?
It's about 30 cms long, 5-8 cms across, and probably 5 cms deep at the deepest. (1 foot by 2-3 inches across and 2 inches deep.)
Consider doing it in 2 or more fills.
I haven't come across anything yet that doesn't shrink a bit when it is drying/curing.
Slow and steady is probably better in the long run.
Traditional Pollyfilla still does the job well.
Cheers
Dave R
When you pick up the tub, you'll swear it's full of Helium. lightly dampen with a spray bottle before filling, I find it doesn't shrink when drying even when applied in a single deep filling, though you can "tamp" it in afterwards and then re-fill with a harder filler if it needs to withstand knocks, though presumably on a ceiling that's not very relevant.
One-coat plaster, preceded with a spray of dilute PVA to stop the existing structure from sucking the water out of the plaster. Don't try to get it perfect when you apply it, just get it pretty level and then go back in a bit to scrape and polish it once it firms up. I always used to use Polyfilla type stuff for this sort of job, building up in two or three layers, but I find the one-coat mostly works better, quicker and cheaper (of course if you have most of a bag of sitting around unused then this last point may not apply).
One thing I always do (rightly or wrongly) is turn the rads off in the room to cool it down as I believe if the room is too hot leading to rapid drying and more shrinkage.
That looks perfect, thanks. The job is not at home, so I want something I can apply and just leave it.
Bloody hell what sort of ceiling structure is this? Assuming it is plaster, rather than concrete, I would probably look to stick in a suitably shaped bit of plasterboard first, prior to filling with one coat. Or perhaps fill with scrunched up chicken wire, then plaster of paris. I'd still expect to need a "finish coat", the modern lightweight stuff as other posters have said is very good.
It's where a new window was installed. A small chunk of masonry was hacked out of the window reveal, and the hole was filled with plaster by the installers. That's lasted about five years (ie long enough for the installers to be in the clear), and the plaster fell out. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
I've been asked to refill it, as there's a bit of a breeze through the hole. I may have exaggerated the size slightly, but I've bought two 1l pots of filler, just in case I haven't!
I've never managed a decent finish in one go. Two goes is better, but that's 2 visits I guess
Experience seems to dffer with the light weight stuff (I assume it is similar to the B & Q one I used) but more than 12mm on ceiling would sag too much for me f done in one go. And thick layers take time to harden trhrough. So I'd definitely go for leaving at least a 6mm gap for a second coat, preferably more than one day later.
I would want to stick some plasterboard in first.
As I suggested. One option, if the OP has some stale finish plaster, is to glue the plasterboard in place with that, and in half an hour it will be set solid and can be finished with a couple of millimetres of one-coat or lightweight filler. Plaster of Paris also sets pretty quickly. I guess both stale finish and PoP may still move a bit after they set, because of drying out.
Whatever you do, it does need to be fixed securely, and preferably with some hidden mechanical keying, to discourage the weighty lump from falling out eventually, as has already happened once. Lots of potential ways to do this.
2 part Profil from Toolstation goes rock solid almost instantly. Very handy for odds and sods like this
Got a link? Couldn't find that, but this one part is supposed to set in half an hour
Or good old car body filler, which gives you a few minutes of working time.
although eBay is cheaper
what's "almost instantly" is a matter of judgement but I'd certainly sign up to "bloody fast" :)
Well, yes , but it deteriorates in the tin over time, and 3.5kgs would last me a very long time :)
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