They say things get worse before they can get better, and that is certainly the case here! Building work has begun with a vengeance, and it is NOT a tidy process! The rest of the ceiling has come down, along with the fireplace wall. The ceiling is made of Lath and plaster (and not latham plaster as I previously thought!).
A quick google gave me this description: Lath and plaster was a method of finishing off walls and ceilings used from early in the 18th century right up until the mid-20th century. The laths are thin strips of timber which would be nailed to vertical timber joists or posts to form a framework for the wall. Each lath was spaced with gap of around 6mm to take the plaster which would be applied next.
Three coats of plaster were given. The first was a thick render layer designed to stick to the lath and fill the gaps between each one. Next was a ‘floating’ layer which provided a smoother surface to which the final ‘setting’ layer could be applied, giving a nice smooth finish to decorate.
It’s clear from the rubble that at least one of our plaster layers had horsehair through it, no doubt used to strengthen the ceiling. The whole thing was nearly 2 inches thick, and had lasted for over 100 years, so clearly quality workmanship.
One thing anyone will tell you, if they’ve had a lath and plaster ceiling removed, is that it produces a LOT of dust. Even with an amazing dust-sheet setup put in place by our builder, the dust got everywhere, and will take a while until we’re fully free from it! By the end of the day the crew had bagged up the mess, swept the floor, hoovered the hall, and made things ready for the next day. The only way out is through, and we’re only just at the start of this journey!
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