How to do it yourself ceiling repair

In detail: how to do it yourself ceiling repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

How does the renovation of any room begin? Of course, with the repair of the ceiling. How to repair the ceiling in an apartment with your own hands will be discussed in this article.

The ceiling needs to be repaired every 10 years, since during this time more than one layer of water-based paint or lime accumulates on it. Over time, it begins to fall off, and small cracks appear. Also, repairs may be required if you find that the joints of the ceiling tiles are uneven or the seams are too visible.

Many people mistakenly believe that it is easier to make the ceiling hinged, then repair work will not be needed. In fact, it is better to continue whitewashing it or wallpapering it, so it will breathe, dust will not accumulate on it, and this finishing method is much cheaper than any other.
Any renovation begins with the need to remove everything from the premises. Ceiling renovations are no exception.

Next, you need to remove the previous coatings. This can be: lime, paint, wallpaper, and so on. This work is simple, but laborious and requires additional means of protection.

You can remove previous coatings in different ways, depending on their composition.

The paint is washed off with special means, lime - with water, wallpaper - first torn off, then soaked with water.
Foam tiles from the ceiling can be easily removed with a metal trowel. In order for the ceiling to be repaired well, it must be cleaned to the ground.

It is important to understand that there are cheap paints and high quality expensive ones.

To remove cheap water-based paint, just soak it with water.

Video (click to play).

Algorithm of actions:

Wet the paint 1 time with hot water at a temperature of 60-80 degrees. To do this, you can use a regular paint roller with a long bristle, a paintbrush or a brush;
Wait 10-15 minutes;
Re-wet the paint with hot water of the same temperature;
Using a steel trowel, remove the soggy layer of water-based paint.

In the process of performing such work, small scratches may appear on the ceiling, therefore, after removing the old paint, the ceiling will need to be putty.
To do this, use a ready-made, fine putty, which is usually sold in buckets. It is easy to apply to the ceiling in a small layer and to sand.
Also carefully inspect the condition of all seams. Cover them with plaster if necessary. More on this below.

1.painting roller;
2.maklovitsa brush

It is important to know that high-quality expensive water-based paints are not afraid of water. Therefore, such paint can be removed only with sandpaper and it will be difficult to do this. She skins very badly.

In such a situation, it is recommended to apply a good primer, and in a day a new coat of paint. Of course, this option can be considered in the case of cosmetic repairs, when there is no serious damage to the ceiling.

It is always recommended to use a coat of primer after cleaning the ceiling.

Any type of use is allowed in the apartments. The main function of the primer is to create a reinforcing protective layer through deep penetration into the treated surface. This saves any subsequent material applied over it.
Most primers are versatile and suitable for both adhesive and limestone materials. When buying, you can always consult the seller.

How cleaning and priming the ceiling looks like in practice, see the video:

Further, repair work is built on the basis of what you need. If you plan to level the ceiling, then do it with a plaster mixture or plaster. But before leveling, be sure to prime the ceiling, as mentioned earlier. This will provide better grip.
To level the ceiling, you will need a bag of plaster and putty.
Material consumption depends on the area of your ceiling. Arriving at the store, choose the appropriate amount of packaging. If in doubt, check with the sellers how much plaster and putty you need for your area.

Take your choice of tools seriously. It is not worth saving, but it is better to purchase high-quality spatulas and trowels, because the final result of your work will depend on this.

1.trowel;
2. spatula;
3.Plastering trowel 350 mm

Dilute the dry plaster mixture with water according to the instructions on the package and mix well. For a more thorough mixing, you can use a slow-speed drill with a mixer attachment.

After applying each layer, the surface is left to dry for a day.
This completes the rough alignment of the ceiling and you can start working with the putty. It will help smooth out all small irregularities.The putty is used for finishing the ceiling. It is used after rough leveling of large cracks, irregularities, depressions and surface drops with plaster. The same rule works here as with plaster - after applying each layer, a day must pass before applying the next one.After the filler has dried, the ceiling can be sanded to a perfect shine.Types of putty according to the degree of readiness:

There are dry putties. They are sold packaged in bags. They must first be diluted with water and mixed;

Ready-made putties, which are usually sold in buckets. As mentioned earlier, we recommend using ready-made putties, because they are easy to use.

It is advisable to use a polymer putty for painting. She has the longest "life time", i.e. after application, it can be stretched for a longer time, which means that it is possible to work out and level the entire surface thoroughly before the composition begins to dry. It also has a very fine grind, which will have a positive effect on finishing surface cleaning.

The putty is chosen relative to the base on which it will be applied. Consultants of hardware stores will also help you in the selection.

Ceiling surface cleaning

After cleaning, priming is performed. This process promotes better adhesion. Before priming, you need to check the surface for joints and seams. All holes are sealed with cement mortar. A roller or brush is used to apply the primer. When the primed layer dries out, the following work is performed.

The do-it-yourself ceiling includes these works. Which alignment option is preferred depends on the skill of the specialist. Plaster will reduce the height of the ceiling by a couple of centimeters and has a significant mass.

The putty is characterized by high shrinkage and is characterized by the application of multiple layers. When plastering, it is recommended to use a gauze bandage or respirator.

Plastering is done correctly in the following way:

using a painter's thread, markings are made for the guide;
holes are drilled for fasteners;
guides are mounted with self-tapping screws. They must be located horizontally and in the same plane;
after setting the guides, they are fixed with a layer of plaster;
the gaps are filled with plaster mixture.

Plastering process

After drying, putty and topcoat are applied to the floors.

The filling is done in a certain way:

several layers of putty are applied on an uneven surface. A wide spatula is used to remove excess mortar;
when a coarse putty is applied, then a special mesh is placed on top;
after the material has dried, finishing filling must be done;
special floats are used to create a leveled surface.

Also, to level the ceiling surface in the apartment, plasterboard panels are finished.

Leveling the ceiling with plasterboard

Performing euro renovation of the ceiling surface of rooms, you can meet many problems. One of the most common is the elimination of irregularities. Stretch ceilings are a good method to eliminate such shortcomings. Large holes and seams are removed with polyurethane foam and mortar. The leaks in the apartment are repaired when the floors are well dry.

You can independently eliminate the consequences after a leak in the following way:

wetted areas are brown. They are clearly visible against a white background. If the spot is small, then the defect is eliminated locally;

The consequences of a leak

dismantle the old layer of cladding. The surface is leveled and primed. In this case, the surface is primed twice;
the place of leakage is putty;

Leakage putty

after the putty has dried, it is worth determining whether there are still dark stains. If they are visible, then you need to walk on them with matte paint;
after some time, the area of the leak is painted over with a roller. The entire overlapping area is treated with a layer of paint.

Painting the leak

While painting the surface, hold the roller in the selected direction.

When choosing a material, it is worth considering all its pros and cons.

Stretch is a fabric made of vinyl chloride film, which is welded using a special technology. Repair of such a structure involves the correction of defects and damage.

Read also: Peugeot 301 DIY repair

Each of these types of surfaces has its own advantages and disadvantages, design features, consisting in the cost of repair work, the effort and time spent. Any kind of repair begins with surface preparation. It is necessary to remove the old coating and level the surface with a primer, while repairing the joints and joints on the ceiling. The time and effort spent on cleaning and preparing the surface directly depends on the planned coating as a result. Suspended and stretch ceilings do not require a perfectly flat plane, but it is necessary for painting or wallpaper.

Removing the original cover can only be skipped if the ceiling is being repaired in the room immediately after it was built. In other cases, joints are primed and repaired only after the surface has been cleaned. Most often, old ceilings are covered with whitewash, plaster or wallpaper. Such finishing materials can be removed without much difficulty.

In order to repair the ceiling with your own hands, an ordinary paint roller with a long bar will come in handy. It is moistened in warm water and squeezed so that the water only drips slightly from the surface. When rolling on the surface, before repairing the ceiling, you need to start with a slight pressure, which is increased each time. As soon as there is little water on the roller, it is required to wet it again and repeat the entire operation on the adjacent section of the ceiling.

When repairing, the first step is to clean the ceiling from the old coating.

When an area of 1-2 m² is thus wetted, take a spatula and begin to peel off the soaked whitewash or wallpaper. To make a quality repair, you need to clean it up to the concrete base or to a layer of strong putty.

The found layers of the old putty must be checked for strength using a spatula. A well-adhered coating can be left on the ceiling. If the putty is crumbling and flaking, it is easier to remove it completely and apply a new one.

The most difficult thing is to prepare the ceiling for repair with your own hands, if it was previously painted with water-based or oil paint. This coating can be removed mechanically or chemically. When cleaning with sandpaper or a trowel, a lot of dust is generated. When softening the paint with a special remover, there will be an unpleasant smell in the room all the time until it is completely softened.

A spatula with a thin metal blade can be used to remove decorative elements or styrofoam tiles glued to it from the ceiling. Some types of glue can be removed with great difficulty and only with the help of special tools. If the ceiling is being repaired with tension or suspended structures, you will first need to disassemble and remove them with care so as not to damage.

Once the entire surface of the ceiling has been completely cleaned of the original coating, the pre-primer can be started. First, all seams and joints are checked on the ceiling. They are filled with a solution of plaster or gypsum, which will hold firmly and reliably in them. If the solution in the joints after drying begins to crumble or collapses from light blows, it is better to clean the joints and fill with a solution of a different composition.

Usually a special mortar with the addition of fiber is used for this, which is used in many construction works, gypsum or cement mortar. When the joints are filled, the surface is leveled with the rest of the ceiling plane, the solution is left to dry completely and harden. To strengthen the surface and improve its adhesion, you can apply a deep penetration primer, which is essential for repairing the ceiling. When applying any formulations to the ceiling with a brush or roller, care must be taken to protect the hands and eyes. The primer is left to dry, after which the DIY repair can be continued.

This stage of work is considered a necessity, since concrete slabs are rarely perfectly flat. It is especially critical to approach the putty if the repair of the ceiling will be carried out with wallpaper or painting. Each master makes the choice between putty and plaster independently, focusing on the conditions of the repair. Plaster will reduce the height of the room by 2-3 cm and is heavy. The application of the putty requires several layers, while the material shrinks, which generally requires additional time and is quite difficult to implement.But the repair of ceilings is most often carried out with the help of a putty, since this material allows you to achieve a perfectly flat surface with a minimum weight and a small layer thickness.

Before making repairs to the ceiling with plaster, you need to prepare everything you need:

Plastering tools.

concrete primer;
building mixture;
construction beacons;
rule for 1.5 m;
puncher;
drill;
self-tapping screws;
guides;
construction level.

After the surface of the ceiling is cleaned according to all the rules, 15-20 cm recede from the wall and put a mark on this place for the guide. The second is placed in the same way against the opposite wall. A thread is pulled between them. Then 1, 25 m retreat from the first beacon and repeat the sequence of actions. When the markings are applied to the entire ceiling, you need to drill holes for the fasteners.

Do-it-yourself guides for ceilings are attached to self-tapping screws. At the same time, using a level, you need to carefully ensure that all guides are in the same area and strictly horizontal. The self-tapping screws for adjusting the height can be slightly unscrewed or tightened more. As soon as all the guides are set in one plane, they need to be fixed with a mixture of plaster, mixed thickly enough, and left to dry completely.

Scheme for the execution of the first and second layer of ceiling putty.

The free space between the guides is filled with a plaster mixture and leveled with a metal rule, focusing on the guides. The process is more complicated than plastering walls, although the sequence of steps is the same. The difficulty lies in the non-vertical surface above the head. When the plaster dries, a flat surface should be obtained, ready for the application of the topcoat.

To make the putty on the ceiling surface you will need:

coarse putty;
finishing putty;
painting net;
primer;
a set of spatulas;
capacity.

Smoothing the surface with a putty takes more time than plastering the ceiling.

It will come in handy with construction and finishing experience in relation to the handling of the tool and knowledge of the properties of the material. If, after the ceiling plate has been cleaned, potholes or large differences in plane in height are found on its surface, then coarse putty is applied in thick layers on them first. The shrinkage of such a putty is small, while the thickness of the applied layer can reach 5 cm. To level the ceiling plane and eliminate excess material, a rule is used, as well as a wide spatula.

Stages of applying plaster to the ceiling.

When a layer of coarse plaster is applied, a masking net is laid on it, and you need to have time before the composition begins to harden. This is an alternative to reinforcement, which gives the whitewash and the entire plane additional strength. To place the mesh inside the putty layer, press it inward over the entire surface of the ceiling, passing it with a slight pressure with a wide spatula.

If the ceiling surface can be considered flat and does not have large distortions and potholes, you can immediately use a fine, finely ground putty on it. It is applied with a wide spatula, the excess material is removed in the same way. Using a fine filler, you can apply a paint net to further strengthen the ceiling. When the base layer of the putty dries completely, you can apply the finishing layer of the putty and level the surface completely.

In order to obtain a surface that is perfectly flat and ready for painting work, use floats specially designed for leveling, sheathed with sandpaper on top.When the surface is leveled and sanded according to all the rules, checked by the level, you can apply wallpaper or paint on it, whitewash according to the original plan.

All tools and consumables for repair work on painting the ceiling are easy to get, no special skills or experience are required to use them. In rooms such as a bathroom or kitchen, a painted ceiling is the most practical way to maintain a high-quality finish for a long time. The surface to be painted must be perfectly leveled, since the slightest irregularities on the painted surface are striking. To carry out the work required:

Usually the ceiling is painted with oil or water-based paints, pre-mixing them to the desired degree of density. The painting starts from the corners and edges of the room, carefully painting over them with a brush. The remaining area is painted over with a roller. It is necessary to put at least 3 layers, letting each layer dry out, so that the coating turns out to be of high quality and durable.

Until recently, the most common type of repair was precisely whitewashing the ceiling and walls. The surface, whitewashed in compliance with all quality requirements, is suitable for any interior. But whitewashing the ceiling is much more difficult than painting it. The whitewash composition is most often made from quicklime, stirred with water and filtered through a fine sieve, after which the solution is ready to be applied to the ceiling or wall. Roller, brush and spray gun are used for work. Application with a brush or roller must be done in several layers, otherwise the coating will not be uniform enough, the spray gun is therefore considered the best option.Ceiling whitewash cannot be considered as durable as painting. At least once a year, the whitewash must be renewed or simply cleaned off completely and reapplied.

Do-it-yourself ceiling repair is an important stage in the improvement of an apartment or a private house. The overall impression of the interior of the room as a whole depends on how the ceiling will look.

That is why the most attention is paid to its decoration.

The work can be done independently, but observing the maximum accuracy and knowledge of the matter. Modern materials and finishing methods are able to provide the ceiling with attractiveness and originality.

The final quality of the ceiling finish after renovation depends on the thoroughness of the preparation of the substrate surface and the type of coating chosen. Several types of ceilings can be arranged in a residential area:

Covering and adhesive options. The first type includes painting and whitewashing, as well as decorative plaster and liquid wallpaper. The second option is realized by pasting with wallpaper, plastic tiles and other facing materials. These ceilings require particularly careful surface preparation. The base must be perfectly flat and smooth. Even minor defects are not allowed.
Sewn and suspended structures. In these cases, another ceiling is formed under the ceiling base. It is attached to the frame (sheathing) and can be made of sheet and tile materials, boards, panels, cassettes, slats, lining, etc. This type "eats up" the height of the room, but does not require careful leveling of the surface. This is especially important in the presence of difficult-to-level ceilings.
Tensile structure. The final ceiling is formed by stretching the canvas (textile or film), and the supporting frame is located on the walls. This design also does not require careful leveling of the surface.

In general, the preparatory stage for the repair of the ceiling includes the following activities: clearing the site for work; cleaning the ceiling from dirt and dust; removal of the old coating; elimination of defects and sealing cracks; leveling the surface; primer.

Particular attention is paid to the removal of grease stains, mold and mildew. The affected areas of overlap must be treated with an antiseptic. Wooden floor elements are impregnated with anti-rotting compounds.

Regardless of the type of ceiling, it is recommended to completely get rid of the old coating. It is removed especially carefully when planning cover or adhesive variants. The following techniques are used:

Whitewash. Chalk or limescale coatings are thoroughly washed off with water. To do this, using a paint roller with a foam rubber coat or a spray bottle, the surface is abundantly moistened, and then the whitewash is cleaned off with a sharp spatula. The wallpaper is removed in the same way.
Painting. Different methods are used depending on the adhesion strength of the old paint. The simplest one is similar to the previous option - double, abundant moistening with an interval of 15-20 minutes and removal of the swollen paint with a hard, sharp spatula. If the paint does not give in, then the chemical method is used. It is best to use special removers for water-based or alkyd paint. Dissolution of especially durable coatings is provided by such aggressive liquids: hydrochloric acid solution (2-3%); a mixture of lime with drying oil (20: 1), brought to the desired consistency with water; thick water-lime solution with denatured alcohol (40-50 ml / l).
Tiled flooring. It is removed with a hard spatula. Remains of glue on the ceiling surface are removed mechanically using an emery cloth or sanding mesh.

Suspended, hemmed and tensioned structures are removed by systematic dismantling of the coating and sheathing (frame). When removing the dowels, you must be careful not to increase the size of the damage.

If it is necessary to ensure a perfectly flat ceiling surface for finishing, the alignment is carried out in several stages:

After carrying out all the above measures, it is necessary to give time for the complete curing of the coating. After 2-3 days, you can start finishing the ceiling.

To carry out preparatory work with your own hands, you should take care of such a tool in advance:

puncher;

electric drill;

screwdriver;

Bulgarian;

sander or mesh;

spatulas 25, 50, 100 and 150 mm wide;

Master OK;

rule;

paint roller;

paint brush;

screwdriver;

chisel;

chisel.

It is necessary to prepare containers for the preparation (mixing) of solutions and their delivery to the ceiling, convenient for work. Measurements and quality control are provided with a tape measure, a metal ruler, and a building level. A laser type level is best suited. Do not forget about protective measures - glasses, gloves, respirator when grinding.If the surface of the ceiling, after appropriate preparation, has become perfectly flat, then you can proceed with the final finishing to give an attractive appearance. Most often it is provided in the following ways:The considered adhesive and cover methods are the simplest for DIY ceiling repair. They provide an attractive appearance and harmonize well with various design solutions.