Bedroom ceiling

[peteuk]

We stripped the woodchip wallpaper from our spare room using a steamer. This brought the paint off the ceiling in strips. We were told that this was because vinyl paint had been used.
Eventually we had to re-plaster the ceiling. The person who did it advised it was difficult to ‘stick’.
The new plaster has now come away from the ceiling as can be seen in the attached link.
//network.diynot.com/peteuk/albums/41
Can this be repaired by cutting out and plastering the ceiling as a patch, or will it all need to be taken off.
If so how do we prevent it happening again?
We have had some new pipe work installed in the loft which is above this area. Therefore traffic above may be the cause of the initial cracking?
Thanks

 

[roughcaster]

Pete,
Was your ceiling re-skimmed "before" the coving was put up? It looks to me as if the coving has cracked along some of the top edge,(movement) and taking with it some of the plaster on the ceiling. Rub your fingernails along the ceiling plaster to see if it sounds hollow underneath it, and then you'll know the extent of the problem. If it is "local", carefully cut around the loose area with a stanley knife,and remove the loose bits, coat it with a little pva and replaster,to blend it in with surrounding area. You might also want to look at your coving just to check it's firmly fixed.

Roughcaster.

 

[peteuk]

Thanks roughcaster.
The ceiling was skimmed before the coving was put up. Although we did have problems with some coving the bit here is secure.
Having just looked again the problem seems quite localised so I'm very relieved.
We were worried it was due to the vinyl paint remaining a problem.
When I get an answer to my problem in the hall and kitchen (posted separately) I'll be asking a plasterer to do all the repair work because I won't have the skills for all that (we've got other areas which are 'blown' in other parts of the house).

 

[roughcaster]

Glad to hear your problems not that bad Pete. The reason I asked about the coving was that I've seen plaster skim crack and go that way before, on ceilings and along the tops of some walls,(especially solid walls) after new coving has been put up, "after"a new skim-coat has been put on...... although not always. I think it's maybe to do with the coving absorbing in the moisture from the adhesive/emulsion, and then drying out, shrinking back, causing the skim coat to flex,pull away, and crack in places. That's my thinking.

Roughcaster.