Today I have a plaster ceiling with visible grooves that I am considering filling in with filler. The idea is to apply filler in the groove and then glue paper strips, which are then filled over.
Has anyone done this? How does it turn out with "ridges" where the grooves were?
Has anyone done this? How does it turn out with "ridges" where the grooves were?
I did so, except that I used fiberglass instead of paper strips. I believe paper strips are better. However, as Stefan N writes, it won't be completely invisible. Here, it depends on how high the ceiling is, and how particular you are about the appearance you want. (Whether you are attracted to the modern look with large completely smooth lifeless surfaces, or like me, want life, variation, and texture.)
Even though we have a low ceiling (2.25 m), it's not noticeable (with regular matte white ceiling paint). However, if you look up at the ceiling and examine it more closely, it is visible. The better you are at plastering, and the more you skim coat, the better it becomes. But it's a tedious job, and if you have weak roof trusses like we do, there's a high risk that it will crack at the joints when the roof moves (storms and when large snow masses fall off the roof). It should be added that unprofessional painting of the ceiling is just as visible as the plastering... If the ceiling were higher, it probably wouldn't be noticeable.
Even though we have a low ceiling (2.25 m), it's not noticeable (with regular matte white ceiling paint). However, if you look up at the ceiling and examine it more closely, it is visible. The better you are at plastering, and the more you skim coat, the better it becomes. But it's a tedious job, and if you have weak roof trusses like we do, there's a high risk that it will crack at the joints when the roof moves (storms and when large snow masses fall off the roof). It should be added that unprofessional painting of the ceiling is just as visible as the plastering... If the ceiling were higher, it probably wouldn't be noticeable.
I just went to the paint store and asked about the same thing. They say you should fill the grooves without strips, sand smooth, and then glue on microlite. They are completely sure it won't crack.
Since I've been eager to get rid of the stripes on the ceiling for quite a few years now, I bought filler, microlite, glue for textured wallpaper for the microlite, and cheap ceiling paint to prime the microlite with.
Has anyone tried this method? Does it seem reasonable to do so?
Since I've been eager to get rid of the stripes on the ceiling for quite a few years now, I bought filler, microlite, glue for textured wallpaper for the microlite, and cheap ceiling paint to prime the microlite with.
Has anyone tried this method? Does it seem reasonable to do so?
Then you have to put microlite on the entire ceiling, which is not easy to get right at all. Microlite becomes flimsy and difficult to handle upwards, so it takes some practice to apply it.wadbat75 said:
Filling the cracks and then paper tape that is puttied over is probably an easier and simpler job. If you use a wide putty knife, it won't be visible, and you don't have to putty the whole ceiling, just the strips.
But if you put microlite on the entire ceiling and get it even without wrinkles and gaps between the sheets, it is an excellent way to do it.
Last edited:
I did both to remove the "v" crease in the plaster ceiling.
The first time, I filled the grooves with putty and applied microlit to the entire ceiling. It resulted in a ton of wrinkles and bad joints... I then cut away the wrinkles and skim-coated the entire ceiling...
The second time, I first filled the creases with plaster and skim-coated the ceiling (without strips) and painted.
If I were to do it again, I would choose method 2 any day of the week! Microlit on the ceiling requires its man (or rather men)!
The first time, I filled the grooves with putty and applied microlit to the entire ceiling. It resulted in a ton of wrinkles and bad joints... I then cut away the wrinkles and skim-coated the entire ceiling...
The second time, I first filled the creases with plaster and skim-coated the ceiling (without strips) and painted.
If I were to do it again, I would choose method 2 any day of the week! Microlit on the ceiling requires its man (or rather men)!
I wouldn't rely on microlit as the sole "reinforcement" for the joints. Microlit is primarily a way to achieve a smooth fine surface, it doesn't withstand much tensile stress.
Fill, sand, fill until the joints are completely invisible. Glue paper tape, fill a number of layers (at least 2 times), sand, fill again. When it is "completely smooth" glue microlit.
Fill, sand, fill until the joints are completely invisible. Glue paper tape, fill a number of layers (at least 2 times), sand, fill again. When it is "completely smooth" glue microlit.
I have installed microlit on our kitchen ceiling, about 35 sqm. It wasn't fun. It's especially important to have plenty of glue so it doesn't dry before you get the fabric on, and you want a few seconds to adjust the fabric. It should be done by 2 or even 3 people. Ideally, one person constantly rolling glue in front of the "front." One person setting up the fabric, and ideally one person keeping the fabric roll in order, possibly going and smoothing out the fabric (using a wallpaper brush) to remove any bubbles.
When I did it, I saw an instruction that you should place the fabric with an overlap and then cut the seam, remove the cut strips, i.e., also the first glued strip. It didn't work. You would have needed to work 100 times faster for the lower strip to be removable when you just got the second panel in place. It had already dried. Fortunately, I discovered this already when I started with panel number two.
I instead placed edge to edge, it turned out well.
I instead placed edge to edge, it turned out well.