Two steps to take when having your ceiling repaired
If your ceiling has been damaged and needs to be fixed, here are a few steps you should take to ensure that the process of repairing it goes smoothly.
Prepare the room
Even when carried out by a skilled and experienced contractor, ceiling repairs tend to be extremely messy. The dust and shards of plasterboard generated by this type of work usually end up covering the entire floor and of course, every item of furniture in the room.
The dust produced by fixing a ceiling isn't just unsightly; in some cases, it can also be quite hazardous. This is because plasterboard (a material commonly used to build ceilings) contains a substance known as silica. When plasterboard is cut open, silica dust may be released into the air. If this is inhaled by people in the room, it could put them at risk of developing a very serious respiratory illness called silicosis. As such, it is important to take steps to minimise the amount of mess created by the repair work.
To protect the room and its contents, you should purchase a large roll of heavy-duty plastic sheeting and lay this on the floor, as well as on any furniture or other items that cannot be moved out of the room whilst the repairs are being carried out.
To reduce the amount of silica dust that you and your contractor inhale during this process, it might be worth purchasing an air purifier; this will absorb a lot of the dust that is generated by the work. Additionally, your contractor should wear a respirator mask (as should you, if you intend to be in the room when they are doing their job).
Lastly, you should use the aforementioned plastic sheeting, along with some masking tape, to seal up the door to the room, to prevent the dust from spreading to other parts of your home.
Try to identify and address the source of the damage
If you want to ensure that the repair work your contractor performs stands the test of time, it's important to identify the source of the damage and, if possible, address this issue.
For example, if your plasterboard ceiling has started to warp, this could mean that there is some damp in your house (moisture can cause plasterboard to distort). In this scenario, you might need to ask your contractor to add insulation directly above the ceiling, to reduce the moisture levels and thus prevent your newly-plastered ceiling from warping again in the future.