Features:

--- Dealing with a bad old ceiling

--- Announcement

--- Bigger and better than Ebay?

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l. Dealing with a bad old ceiling

When someone is looking over a house to buy, the ceilings often attract attention. People look up, as they size up a house. They don't always spot problem areas in ceilings right away, but if they really want the house, they will see them eventually.

I get calls from real estate people. "Ed, I have a client that really likes this house I'm showing, but she has a problems with the ceilings. They could use some help. Would you come and take a look and see what needs to be done?"

so I go and I might find one of several things. Maybe it's a few places where water has gotten in and there are obvious stains, or worse, flaking and peeling paint. These problems are not too hard to make right, although matching existing texture can be a challenge.

Or, I see that the ceilings have some bad cracks, or just lots of hairline cracks going every which direction.

The worst case is where I see a combination of problems, like extensive cracking, sagging plaster, maybe even missing plaster with wood lath showing.

So the question immediately presents itself: what is the best and most economical way to deal whatever problem exists?

If it is simply a matter of water stains with no peeling paint, then the application of a good stainblocker and new paint solves that.

But life is not always so easy.

If peeling or flaking is present, then that material needs to scraped off and the area wire brushed to remove powdering or remaining loose stuff. A good rinse with clean water and a sponge removes the last powder. When the area is dry, then comes stainblocker. When that dries, then drywall tape over any cracks in the immediate area and a couple of coats minimum of drywall compound will smooth out the area. Last step is texture, if needed.

But ... sometimes the area was wet long enough that the old plaster has sagged. If the plaster is over wood lath, the backing is still in place, thankfully. So the old sagged plaster is removed and the hole filled in with thin sheetrock. I would then fill the patch perimeter, tape the perimeter, etc. Still not a big problem to repair.

The doozy is when the whole ceiling is a mess, as I described earlier. So, do I repair in place - or overlay the whole thing with drywall?

I've done both. I have to calculate and see which is most economical in any given case. Often, the drywall overlay costs the customer less than the alternative of treating the individual problem areas and then skim coating the whole ceiling.

But the problem you can run into with the drywall overlay is if there is special trim at the top of the wall against the ceiling, like cove or something as elaborate. It could be too costly to remove and replace the trim after the drywall goes up. Or, adding a extra layer changes the configuration of the trim in a way you don't want. So I am back to the repair-in-place, skim coat, etc.

When drywall overlay is practical, I like to use three-eighths thick drywall to reduce the added weight. When the drywall is finished properly, it can be left smooth for primer or paint, or textured to look like old plaster. Customer's choice.

Beautiful plaster ceilings can be a real plus when it comes to homeowner satisfaction with his/her home. And they definitely are worth it when you go to sell. Good or bad, ceilings get noticed!

If you have a ceiling that could use some help, check out the website and see what more you might learn regarding the best approach to your situation.

http://www.plaster-wall-ceiling-solutions.com/ceiling-plaster.html

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2. Announcement: I have put together a new free e-course called HOW TO REPAIR YOUR PLASTER RIGHT.

What I hope this will do for those who choose to subscribe is help them to decide whether they want to tackle their plaster repair/renovation project themselves, or call in a professional.

If you, or a friend, are in the throes of deciding what to do with that plaster repair problem, check out the website for the sign up page.

And, of course, if you find as you get into the course that you don't really want to continue receiving it, no problem. You can easily unsubscribe at any time.

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3. BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EBAY?

Periodically, I like to pass on things I have learned about the Net or about online business. (In the process of setting up my website and developing products, I have been trying to educate myself.)

I hope you will not be annoyed by these offerings. Just ignore them if you have no interest in exploring an online business for yourself.

But ... having read that polls reveal about 80% of people say they would like a home-based business of some kind, I will be bold and make you aware of something intriguing I came across recently.

The creators of a marvelous new website portal are among the top online experts anywhere. Their aim is to make available to the public a massive database of free (with some paid) resources on just about any imaginable topic. They will populate their site with people who are experts in their field. This will be high quality "how to" information - articles, audio and video resources.

Are you an expert yourself? What is your area of experience? Your particular passion or hobby? You could position yourself as an expert and set up your own online content with no cost to you at all. You could even provide your own audio or video offerings, given free or for a price.

I just set up my author page at http://freeiq.com/plasterrepair

Go take a look around and see if this interests you. If the creators of this are right, this will become the PREMIER information site on the web. Get in now on the ground floor ... Get your free training videos.

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I'll call it quits for now. Until next time,

Wishing you the best in everything!

Edwin Brown aka plasterguy