Lath and Plaster Ceilings in Leytonstone

Many of Leytonstone's older houses still have their original lath and plaster ceilings - thin timber strips nailed to the joists, with lime plaster pushed through the gaps to key it in place. After a hundred years, those keys break and the ceiling starts to sag.

A sagging or bulging lath ceiling in Leytonstone is a warning sign, not just a cosmetic problem, because a section can come down without much notice. The first job is to check how much of the ceiling has lost its key.

Where the damage is limited, the ceiling can be secured with plaster washers screwed through into the joists and then skimmed. Where a larger area has failed, the ceiling is overboarded with new plasterboard fixed through to the joists and skimmed, or taken down completely and replaced.

Taking down a lath ceiling is dusty, heavy work, and the room is sealed off to keep the dust out of the rest of the house. Old ceilings can hide wiring that needs updating, which is worth doing while the joists are exposed.

Cornice and ceiling roses are part of what makes a Leytonstone house, and they are protected or carefully repaired rather than lost. Where a section of cornice is missing, it can often be run to match.

The right repair depends on the ceiling, and we will explain the options and trade-offs before any work starts. Photos of the wall or ceiling, and a note of any cracks, damp patches or hollow-sounding areas, are enough to say what the job involves.