Sagging ceiling?

Has anyone ever fixed a sagging ceiling?

I believe the ceiling is plaster. It has some cracks near the sags that have been spackled over. If you press up on the sags, it squeaks.

I am in a co-op, on the 1st floor, so there are people above us.

I think I have to notify the co-op, but I think the plaster is my responsibility.

Is the going to be a big PIA? I will probably have to hire someone.

I was all set to paint this room, but now I am wonfering if I should fix this first.

Re: Sagging ceiling?

if it was drywall then you can fix it not sure about plaster.

Re: Sagging ceiling?

i have delt with sagging celings before... in fact the co-op we are currently in the process of buying has one....


there are a few ways you can go about it, if its truly plaster and not drywall it will be a PITA and messy.... if its drywall its MUCH easier and cleaner....

i would first talk to maintenance, in our soon to be co-op, we are not responsible for anything that is broken....




This is going to be long!!!

fixing it if its plaster

first you have to understand the process in which plaster is actually stuck to the celing..usually strips of wood or metal wire mesh (both referred to as lath) that are nailed to the wall and ceiling framing. When the plaster is applied, it squeezes through the lath, creating “keys” that harden to form a strong integral bond with the wall.

the fix.....

Use a hammer and cold chisel or wrecking bar to chip out a small area at the edge of the bulge (wear safety glasses). Once you can see behind the surface, you should be able to tell if the plaster has pulled away from the lath or the lath itself has come loose from the framing. If the lath has pulled away and the plaster is still well-adhered to it, you may be able to refasten the lath to the framing without removing the plaster.

Use long drywall screws that will penetrate at least half their length into the wood framing. Start near the edge of the bulge and press the ceiling upward as you drive the screws

If the lath is still anchored to the ceiling joists, and the plaster has pulled away, your only option is to remove the old plaster. It’s a dirty job, but if there’s nothing holding the plaster to the framing, it will come down quickly.


The Shortcut option to plaster...
leave the old plaster in place and reface the entire area with new drywall. Long screws with washer heads are used to pull the drywall and old ceiling back up to the framing, or as close to level as possible. You end up with a drywall surface, but it eliminates the problems of sagging, cracking, and flaking plaster once and for all.


WOW that was long... sorry... if its not plaster and its drywall... get back to me, ill post another novel!

Re: Sagging ceiling?

Before you attempt any repairs on your own, contact co-op maintenance.
A sagging ceiling is a structural issue and the co-op should be responsible for it.
If it were just a normal crack in the ceiling, then it is your responsibility to fix.

Re: Sagging ceiling?

Thank you both. I am pretty sure it is plaster. Most of the co-op is.

Susi-I have been surpised at a lot of things that actually turned out to be the co-op's responsibilty. I should call them, but it just slows everything down.

Andrew-thanks for the novel! I am hoping it is scenario #1. I did read about screwing it back up, and also a method that invloved gluing it back to the framing. I probably won't do it myself, but I won't to know HOW to do it, to make sure it is being done properly.

I have low ceilings as it is, so I don't really want to drywall over it.

There is a large part of me that just wants to ignore it & pain the room as planned, but I know it will always bug me.