5 Signs Your Ceiling Needs More Than a Repair

Not every tired ceiling needs replacing — but some do, and knowing the difference saves money and avoids a repair that fails. Here are the signs we look for.

1. It's sagging or bowing. A ceiling that dips or bulges, especially an old lath-and-plaster one, has usually come away from its fixings and is best overboarded rather than patched.

2. It bounces or moves. If the ceiling flexes when pushed, or you hear cracking, the plaster is losing its grip on the laths above.

3. Cracks keep coming back. Cracks that reappear after filling point to movement that a skim alone won't cure.

4. Water stains. After a leak is fixed, stained and weakened plaster often needs replacing rather than just painting over.

5. It's simply old lath-and-plaster. Many period ceilings have done their job for a century — overboarding and skimming gives a smooth, safe, modern finish that will last.

If you're seeing any of these, we're happy to take a look and tell you honestly whether a re-skim will do or whether overboarding is the smarter, longer-lasting fix.