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biggbrother
Premium Member
join:2001-11-07
Providence, RI

biggbrother

Premium Member

Plaster Ceiling with Swirls Needs Repair

We are expecting our first baby in a couple months and it's time to get started on the nursery, which is currently an office. My house was built in 1931 and has plaster ceilings with a swirl pattern.

This particular ceiling has some cracks and some pieces have fallen down (pics to come). When I bought the home, it had some cracks and I scraped them and did a pretty piss poor job or patching them and matching the swirl. I'd like to do a better job this time.

I've done some Googling and it seems that Joint Compound can be used, and it can be mixed with white paint to create the patch. Does this sound accurate?

Anyone here ever tackled something like this before? It doesn't have to be perfect, but I want to make it look decent and stop the paint chips falling.

I case your wondering about the cause of the cracks, I can say the roof was recently replaced so it may have been a minor leak but I don't see water stains. I can only surmise it's just age that is causing it.

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

cowboyro

Premium Member

I was able to match the swirls using paint mixed with fine sand and applying with a wide brush. However I had an entire flat area to apply on (replaced piece of the ceiling). YMMV.
If you want to take the long route you might be better off applying a skim coat. Results will highly depend on your patience and steady hand.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

nunya to biggbrother

MVM

to biggbrother
Trying to match it almost never works. I'd hire somebody that knows what they are doing. It's kind of an art.

BTW, this isn't a dig on you - I've tried to make the same repair and failed miserably. It looked like crap and just made a bigger mess. Plaster guys fixed it and made it look easy.

rockotman
...Blown On The Steel Breeze
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06
DSotM

rockotman to biggbrother

Premium Member

to biggbrother
said by biggbrother:

I've done some Googling and it seems that Joint Compound can be used, and it can be mixed with white paint to create the patch. Does this sound accurate?

That is sort of what I did when I ripped out the partial wall between the dining room and the kitchen at our old house. I patched the 6' long section of the ceiling with drywall, then built up layers of joint compound until the patch matched the depth of the ceiling, and then finished up with a stipple brush to match the swirl texture. I didn't mix with paint since we were going to paint the entire ceiling in both rooms.

Have you considered painting the entire ceiling?