Advice for a total novice

[adamleeds]

Hello, my house is two years old and I am starting to see the outline of plaster board and nails on the living room ceiling... The builders are sending decorators round to sort this but I am concerned they sould by taping it and skimming it NOT just painting it...

Any ideas chaps? Is there a defined process for finishing a ceiling?

I haven't got a clue.

 

[peaps]

any pictures and can you tell us if it has a skim on already..?

 

[huddsspread]

Hmmmm If the house is two years old, then "maybe" its taken time to settle? maybe the wood has eventually dried out? im not making excuses, but it could be general movement/drying out. Without seeing pictures i can't say but a lick of paint and some filler will probably do it. If it comes back after then you need to think again.

My stone house is 125 years old, and when i put in the new bathroom, 2 walls were hard as nails as just needed skimming. While i was sat on the toilet the other day i have noticed some hairline cracks, which is the old plaster moving underneath the new ( which is 2 years old ). The plasterboard walls are fine/perfect.

Stick a picture on and you will get more answers

 

[adamleeds]

Thanks for the response. Not sure if the ceiling has been skimmed, how do you tell

I think it is simply drying out but I am not sure what they should be doing to remedy the issue... Re-taped, re-skimmed, sealed, painted?

Surely, if I can see boards and heads of nails then whatever they have applied is thin or nothing has been applied and they have simply taped and painted the boards - this is all new terminology to me btw.

Right next to a light fitting, pictures not great..

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View media item 42029

 

[huddsspread]

right ignore what i said, i beleive that has not been plastered. You would know if a nail head had popped or a join had cracked, that looks like its been painted and filled. If thats your ceiling, i would not be happy!!

needs skimming

 

[adamleeds]

****.

So when these ****s turn up I need to tell them to skim it? Anything else they should be doing to it?

Is this a housebuilder cutting corners/costs?

Thanks mate.

 

[huddsspread]

if it was the ceiling drying,expanding etc, it would crack and you would see it. That looks like its not cracked, you can just see the joins etc. Maybe ite been drylined--badly, is this every ceiling? or just one?

What i cant understand is how you can not plaster a ceiling? you would notice?
Got to be drylined, but done badly--drylining is when you use tapered edge plasterboards ( edges are sloped ) so you then tape and "fill" the gap.

But without being in the room i cant give you a definate answer, but from the picture i beleive what i have said is true

 

[huddsspread]

what you could do is knock off what is on top of the nail, if its pink is plaster, if its white, its probably joint filler. also push the ceiling and see if it moves.

 

[peaps]

I can't understand why they are still on the clout nails.... screws would have been better. I hate taped joints.....

it's a standard method so I'm not sure they wll skim it over...

 

[huddsspread]

could you let us know what they do or intend to do when they turn up, also whats they "say" the problem is. I'd like to know.

 

[adamleeds]

I will keep you posted

I did what you suggested in terms of knocking the stuff of the top of the screw and it is indeed white. The ceiling moves a bit aswell... not good!

I sent them an email advising them I want it 're-skimmed'/plastered when they come so I will see what they say...

Thanks.

 

[stevethespreader]

I will keep you posted

I did what you suggested in terms of knocking the stuff of the top of the screw and it is indeed white. The ceiling moves a bit aswell... not good!

I sent them an email advising them I want it 're-skimmed'/plastered when they come so I will see what they say...

Thanks.

if its moving then the ceiling should be secured with screws into the joist b4 they skim it, also those nails or screws that are starting to show should be addressed also