I hate lath and plaster ceilings!

[peterhyper]

I balls up this week because amongst other jobs I quoted to move a ceiling light for a customer, and having done lots of work in houses nearby with standard platerboard ceilings I assumed this was the same (big mistake). What a nightmare it was filling in the holes as there was no access from above, and the plaster was just crumbling away.

I must remember in future to mention in my quotes that such work is subject to it not being a lath and plaster ceiling with no access above. What do others do when they come across the same situation?

 

[Squid]

Don't be a wuss.

 

[AJshep]

I've had this a few times.

Had a pendant the customer wanted centralised, fortunately for me I knew it was a L&P ceiling so I told the customer it was going to be one of those suck it and see job's.

What I managed to do was carefully cut a fastfix box (circular) where the existing pendant was ( an art in itself) then i pushed a bit of trunking lid lid up the existing light hole to find which direction the joists went. Once located, I then fished the cable to the nearest wall, stuck a bit of trunking on the wall tight to the ceiling to cover the hole ran the cable along the wall then fished it back to the centre in the position of the new light.
Yeah a bit of a pain. Of course they could put coving up.
The customer ended up with a blankplate on the ceiling and a bit of trunking on the wall.

The life of a sparky haha!!

 

[Ib≤In≤Iz]

Lath and plaster can be a nightmare to deal with.

You should always check before you estimate so you know what you're up against.

I never like to use Quote. I like Estimate better.

 

[Squid]

The best one is when you are "dancing" around in the loft and your foot slips off the joist..........

 

[suffolkspark]

Any of you ever come accross straw and plaster? Ive only once.funI presume it has a propper name... Anyway Its just loads of straw pinned accross joists then plastered... That was fun

 

[PEG]

Any of you ever come accross straw and plaster? Ive only once.funI presume it has a propper name... Anyway Its just loads of straw pinned accross joists then plastered... That was fun

This is what you get,when you quote for one of the three pigs...and pick the least building-regs savvy one...

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Oh dear Peter! I bet you were sweating with worry when the ceiling started crumbling . I've been in that situation a few times. You just need a couple of decent holes to get the dry lining plugs in, you think you've managed it then.... the damn ceiling starts crumbling . Sometimes you can get a firm enough grip screwing into the lathe (if it's just a standard pendant).

I always add at the bottom of every quote about complications costing more but I don't specifically mention lathe and plaster ceilings.

I guess over time (when you become more experienced), you know what specifics to add into the quote depending on the type of job. I've only been trading 5 years and I certainly still come across things which I wish I'd thought about before starting the job, although those times are becoming less.

 

[suffolkspark]

I think in 6 years ive managed to get away with estimates and only a couple of times had to quote

 

[PEG]

Just for the craic,has anyone ever had a go at the original system?

I did,years ago,and it was "fun". It was a job for 3/4 lads,each with several tasks,with the setting out done by one,bundles of lats and gripping them,with fingers only as your palm held the tiny 1" brads.

Too small a gap,and the plaster would not ooze through with the reinforcing,too big...and you are wearing it. The lat-boy,did the scraping up,and added it to the spot board.

All the tools fitted in one jute carpet bag,save the slaking and mixing gear. I have seen pictures of what the time served could do,with spare lats being left soaking or steamed,for curved work,or even making a pretty impressive moses basket,for a clients baby!

Would they have swapped all of that,for 3 meter boards,drywall adhesive and screw-guns? .......in a heart-beat!

 

[Pete999]

All this talk of how troublesome L&P is, isn't it the job Electricians get paid for, getting over difficulties, not a problem getting fixings in L&P Walls or Ceilings, imo, just use the right screws.

 

[peterhyper]

All this talk of how troublesome L&P is, isn't it the job Electricians get paid for, getting over difficulties, not a problem getting fixings in L&P Walls or Ceilings, imo, just use the right screws.

What are the right screws to use in L&P?

 

[Rosco]

Any of you ever come accross straw and plaster? Ive only once.funI presume it has a propper name... Anyway Its just loads of straw pinned accross joists then plastered... That was fun

Had this in a dentists surgery last year they wanted spots in their waiting rooms, the waiting room floor looked like a barn by the end of the 50th 73mm hole

 

[AJshep]

@peterhyper cant you just use Wood screws just try to hit the laths.
Obviously If it's a heavy light then your need to obviously provide some additional support

@Rosco hope you didnt forget to price for a few spare holesaws after that lot

 

[Pete999]

S

What are the right screws to use in L&P?

Screws of the right gauge, so they don't split the lathe when you find one to use as a fixing, such as when I was working we nearly always used a 1 &1/2" No 6 screw as opposed to a No 8 or 10, but of course there are many differing types and sizes these days so, I guess you wouldd need to use a suitable sized screw, I guess what I should have said in my post was "use a suitably sized screw to avoid splitting the Lathe" just so as some people would understand what I was getting at.