Plastering services in Shropshire
Ceiling plastering and repairs in Shropshire
Cracks, failed patches, water damage and heavy texture show up most on a ceiling, because light runs across it. Send photos taken in daylight from a few angles and we will help route the job to someone who does this work.
About 60 seconds · Photos optional · No obligation
A ceiling repair should start with why the damage happened. Movement, a leak, a weak key on old lath and plaster, loose boards, or failed previous work all lead to different answers. Repairing the surface without understanding the cause is the most common way to pay twice.
Where water is involved, the source needs fixing and the area needs to dry properly before anything is made good. New plaster applied over a wet background will not perform, and staining has an unhelpful habit of coming back through fresh paint.
The realistic options are usually a local repair where the surrounding ceiling is sound, overboarding the whole ceiling and skimming the new surface, or taking the ceiling down and reboarding. Overboarding often wins on older ceilings because it gives a dependable background without the mess and disruption of a full removal.
Common ceiling jobs
- Cracking, particularly along board joints or where a wall has been removed
- Water damage after a leak has been resolved
- Old patch repairs that read through decoration
- Sagging or hollow-sounding lath and plaster in an older property
- New plasterboard ceilings in extensions and loft conversions
- Ceilings opened up for electrical or plumbing work
- Uneven surfaces that catch the light
What changes the price
- Ceiling area and height — working overhead at height is slower
- Whether a local repair is viable or the whole ceiling needs boarding
- What is above: joist spacing, condition and whether boards are secure
- Whether the room can be cleared, and how much protection is needed
- Access for boards, which are awkward in a stairwell or a small landing
- Waste, especially where an old ceiling is coming down
Ceiling repair or skim: common questions
My ceiling has one damaged patch. Can just that bit be repaired?
Often yes, where the surrounding ceiling is sound. How invisible the repair ends up depends on the surrounding surface, whether there is ongoing movement and how the ceiling will be decorated. On a ceiling that catches a lot of side light, a patch can remain faintly visible even when the work is good.
What does it mean if my ceiling sounds hollow?
On a lath and plaster ceiling it usually means the plaster has lost its key — the nibs that squeeze through the laths and hold it up have broken away. That ceiling is being held up by less than it looks. It is worth getting looked at rather than skimmed over, because adding weight to a failing ceiling is not a repair.
A leak stained the ceiling but it is fixed now. Can it be painted over?
Sometimes a stain block and repaint is enough, if the plaster itself is sound and genuinely dry. If the plaster has blown, gone soft or the surface is breaking up, painting over it only hides the problem. Send a close-up and say how long ago the leak was resolved.
Do I need to empty the room?
Small items, curtains and anything valuable should come out. Large furniture can often be moved to the middle and protected, though clearing the room fully makes for faster and better work. Agree the arrangement before the day rather than on the morning.