

Then join them up to mark a square or rectangle around the damaged area. Next draw a line along each joist, half-way across its width, with a straightedge and pencil. Locate the joists each side of the hole with a stud detector. Panels can be decorative and translucent, or they might have soundproofing and/or thermal properties. Wires fixed to angle brackets that are attached to the original ceiling hold the framework in place. This is fixed to the walls, a main bearer section spanning the width of the room and a cross-bearer section which fits between the main bearers.

Panels or tiles are fitted to a lightweight framework that consists of an outer frame (called the angle section). Very high ceilings can sometimes be lowered by fitting a suspended ceiling. The floor of the room above a plasterboard ceiling may well be laid with floorboards or chipboard. Find out how much it will cost and how long it.

Wet plaster is then added, or the ceiling is finished with jointing tape and compound - which seals the joints and creates a surface ready for decorating. Need to repair your iPhone Make an appointment at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. These joints are taped with scrim - a very open-weave, self-adhesive tape. Most modern ceilings are built from sheets of plasterboard nailed to the joists. The room above would traditionally have had floorboards. The plaster was squeezed between the laths so that 'nibs' formed - ridges of plaster that squeezed through the laths and set hard, holding the ceiling plaster in place. This was a time-consuming method of building walls and ceilings, as individual laths (thin strips of wood) had to be nailed to the joists and then covered with layers of plaster. The depth of the joists will vary depending on the age of the building (older ones are often deeper than modern ones) and their length. Both, lath-and-plaster and plasterboard ceilings are fixed to the joists that support the floor above.
