I've had the roof repaired but I'm left with this. The ceiling is textured and the molding is plaster, anyone have any ideas about how to fix this? roof leak ( photo / image / picture from felicity's Garden )
Well, this condition is the result of moisture in the wall. Firstly, you need to look out for the root cause behind moisture as it would pose a trouble again and again. Secondly, you can opt for wall shields to fix the wall temporarily.
We have the same problem in two upstairs bedrooms. We did get a quote for tearing down and replacing the ceilings but it was way too expensive. The quote was for almost £1000 pounds per room!! My husband and son are going to tackle the job themselves now that the roof no longer leaks. It means replacing all the plasterboards, PVA coating them and then plastering and painting. Good luck with finding a solution.
This worked on a ceiling in an old house we renovated. We got silly putty, and used it to make a mold on part of the ceiling that wasn't damaged. Then we removed all the damaged area, poured spackling compound into the silly putty mold, and glued the new spots in. We had to go around the new areas with a small spatula and fill in the cracks between the new and old (impossible to get an exact fit, but the spackling compound was easily sanded on the edge to fit pretty well)and then repainted the entire ceiling. We knew where the patches were, but no one else was able to see them. We found out later that craft stores carry a plastic that is used to make molds and that probably would hold up better to multiple uses.
I've done a lot of fix-up and remodeling jobs on some older houses. This is what I would do if I didn't want to spend a lot of money or replace an entire ceiling. You'll need to cut out any damaged areas - doesn't have to be a big area, just to the extent of damage. Plaster can be easily patched - but you want to make sure any framework or wood behind it wasn't damaged from any water. Make sure there's no rotted wood. If it looks okay, then you can just patch the hole in the plaster. They sell lots of plaster repair compounds - include some mesh if it's not too big hole to hold it. If you have a bigger hole, you may need to cut out a section where you can expose two joists. Just fasten a new piece of drywall in the hole to the wooden joists. Scrape and sand away any texturing and paint around the damaged area, so you can blend in and feather the new joint compound, paint, and new texture (you can buy special rollers and texture paint. You may need to repaint the ceiling at the most if you can't get the color to match. As far as the moulding, again remove any damaged plaster around the hole (not too much, just the damage). Use some epoxy, joint compound, or similar material to fill in the hole. Build it up a little bigger than the hole, then sand it down to the same contour. Might have to use a knife or small tool as necessary to blend it in. Then just paint it to match. That's just the way I'd do it (or at least try). John
The roof has been repaired, but the patch job terrifies me. I'm wary of cutting out the damaged area, but know it has to be done. marlingardener, I like the idea of using silly putty or some similar substance to make a mold. John, If I put up drywall to mend the hole, will the joint compound stick to it? I imagine I will end up with an area at least two foot square once the damaged plaster is removed. Eileen, would love to hear how your husband and son fair.
Joint compound is made for drywall patches and instaling new walls, it'll certainly stick to bare drywall. I would scrape away maybe a foot of paint around the outside of the patch with a scraper as best you can. The nice thing about joint compound is that it is easy to sand down (dusty, but easy). Don't put too much on at once. When you go buy the compound, pick up a few cheap, plastic putty knives made for this job - they come in various widths up to almost a foot wide. First, putty it around the seam with a small putty knife and let it dry for a day. Sand it smooth and then use a larger putty knife to extend the compound out farther. Let it dry, then sand it again. The last time, you should have the compound extended at least a foot at each seam. By the time you sand this last one, your new drywall will blend in and look like part of the original ceiling. If you do a google search for drywall repair, there are many techniques. I am in the middle of remodeling a room as we speak and doing the same process. It may seem like a big task, but it's really not that bad.
Thanks John. I'm going to have a go at it this weekend. That makes sense to build up the joint compound a layer at a time. Joint compound is fairly thick, right? so I should be able to make the ceiling texture and then I'll just try to sand the molding down to match. I really like the plaster details in the house but no one I've had look at this wants to go near it. So it's all me. Hope your project goes well. Thanks again.
I'm not sure about using the joint compound to give the texture. I believe the texture is done with paint itself.
Wow, that is a lot of texture! I'm not sure how strong drywall compound is when applied thick like that or if it can be textured. You can always try it on a piece of scrap first and let it dry, paint it. I wish you luck!
Leaks in on a ceiling will create a lot of damage if not patched immediately. Extensive leaks can cause further corrosion of the wall,and cause structural unreliability. It is important that, before patching a wall, you discover where the leak is coming from and stop the water source from causing further cracks and patch it with plaster.
I fixed the roof, it was damaged from an ice dam, no more leak. I just haven't fixed the interior yet. Thanks.
