Repair of historic lath and plaster ceilings

FIS and its Heritage Plaster working group are launching a new guide on the repair of historic lath and plaster ceilings to plug the gap in detailed guidance.

The term ceiling comes from a point in history where open roofs were sealed to make the rooms a more comfortable place to be in and are in the main constructed from timber lathes pinned to structural timbers and covered in layers of lime plaster.

These ceilings became more ornate with embellishments and decoration often “run in-situ” by hand to create decorated ceilings that are works of art in themselves. Over time and where external forces such as water ingress or vibration, some can fail, delaminating from the laths, cracking, sagging and in danger of collapse and in need of repair before they are lost; so how to conserve and repair them using methods that are sympathetic, robust and where possible reversable was the starting point in commissioning an experienced conservator to draft a new best practice guide called Repair of Historic Lath and Plaster Ceilings.