Signs That Your Ceiling Plaster Might Need Replacing
The stability of the ceiling plaster in your home is crucial, as it could cause injury and extensive damage if it collapses entirely. Thus, look out for the following signs that it may be in trouble and need to be replaced.
Cracks
The ceiling plaster is not particularly flexible. Thus, if your house shifts slightly due to an earth tremor or else due to the settling of the earth underneath, the ceiling can crack. Fissures can appear along the joins between the walls and ceiling, or in the plasterboard itself. While smaller hairline fractures can be fixed, extensive rifts might necessitate a ceiling replacement. At the same time, an expert can check that your home's foundations remain sound.
Stains
Another sign to look out for are stains on the ceiling, which typically indicate that moisture is seeping into the plaster. You shouldn't ignore this as not only can mould develop and infect the air with spores, but if the moisture invasion continues, it can weaken and decay the plaster, causing it to fall away from the overhead beams it connects with, in such as case you'd notice that it bows and sags in places.
The stains might start a brownish colour, and become yellow with age. Of course, you'll need to deal with the source of the moisture to prevent it from reoccurring. It could be a plumbing issue, or the roof cladding might have a hole that allows rainwater to flow inside. While plaster can be dried out, once decayed, you might have to replace the plasterboard.
Drooping
Water is not the only cause of drooping ceiling plaster — other culprits are incorrect initial installation, and pressure being put on the plasterboard by weighty objects in the roof cavity. The ceiling plasterboard sheets are attached to a framework of beams above. If this is not done correctly, using the right adhesives, fasteners, nails or screws, the plasterboard can fall away, and you'll notice it hanging unevenly.
Another possible cause is storing items in the roof cavity of a home without building in the necessary extra support. The ceiling is only designed to hold its own weight plus relatively lightweight objects such as light fittings. Sometimes damage to a ceiling might accidentally occur if people inadvertently put weight on the plaster when they're installing air conditioning units or other elements. Signs of spontaneous ceiling collapse include sagging and drooping. Thus, you contact an expert to see if you require a plaster ceiling replacement.
For more information on plaster ceiling replacement, reach out to a local plaster contractor.