Full House Re-skim & Lath Ceiling Replacement by a Plasterer in Redbridge

This project took place in a period property in Redbridge, IG1, in east London. The house retained much of its original construction fabric — including lath and plaster ceilings and walls with older lime-based render beneath more recent paint layers. Properties of this age across Redbridge frequently present multiple plastering challenges simultaneously: failing original ceilings, damaged plasterwork from renovations or water ingress, and walls that have degraded to the point where re-skimming alone is not sufficient. A full ceiling replacement and wall re-skim programme was needed across the property.

The images reveal a property in poor decorative and structural condition across multiple rooms. Image one shows a ceiling with the lath and plaster finish fully stripped away, exposing raw timber laths fixed to original ceiling joists — the lath boards are dark with age and there is visible debris and residue from the removed plaster. Image four shows a dramatic large-section collapse in a wall or ceiling where the old lath and plaster has blown and fallen away, leaving a ragged hole exposing the timber battens beneath and cracked surrounding plaster. Image two shows a wall freshly re-skimmed with multi-finish plaster, still at the drying stage showing the characteristic pink-to-grey colour transition. Image three shows new plasterboard fixed to the ceiling with scrim tape applied across board joints and a mesh patch over a cut-out.

The scope of work on this Redbridge property covered two primary trades elements: full ceiling replacement where the original lath and plaster had either been removed or had collapsed, and a full wall re-skim programme throughout multiple rooms. Starting with the ceiling, the old lath boards were stripped back completely in the affected areas, leaving the original timber joists exposed and ready to receive new plasterboard. New 12.5mm tapered-edge plasterboard sheets were then measured, cut, and fixed directly to the ceiling joists using drywall screws at appropriate intervals. All board joints were covered with fibreglass scrim tape to prevent future cracking along the joints. A mesh self-adhesive patch was applied over a smaller cut-out void in the ceiling board. Metal stop bead was installed along the vertical edges of the new plasterboard to create a clean, defined arris. On the walls, the existing plaster surface — where still intact — was assessed for suction and adhesion. Where the surface was sufficiently stable, it was pre-treated with a diluted PVA bonding solution to control suction before skimming. The large blow-out section visible in image four required more substantial repair: the remaining loose and cracked plaster around the void was cut back to a clean edge, and the exposed lath was used as a substrate for the repair plasterboard patch before the entire wall surface was re-skimmed. Each wall received a scratch coat of British Gypsum multi-finish plaster followed by a tightened finishing coat to produce a flat surface ready for decoration.

Before any plaster was applied, a full preparation programme was carried out. In the ceiling areas, all remaining lath and failing plaster was stripped and removed, and the joist faces were checked for level. Any nails or fixings left in the joists from the old lath were removed or punched flush. New plasterboard was fixed and all screw heads were set slightly below the board face. Scrim tape was embedded along every board joint and across the mesh repair patch. On the walls, loose plaster around the blown section was cut back cleanly using a bolster chisel to avoid further undermining the surrounding surface. All dust was brushed down and a coat of diluted PVA bonding agent was applied to the wall surfaces to regulate suction and promote adhesion of the multi-finish skim coat.

With preparation complete, the plastering process began on the new plasterboard ceiling. A bonding coat was not required on the tapered-edge plasterboard; instead, the scrimmed joints were spot-filled and allowed to set before the full skim coat was applied across the ceiling. Multi-finish plaster was mixed to a consistent creamy texture and applied in a firm, even scratch coat across the entire ceiling surface using a plastering trowel. This first coat was cross-hatched lightly to improve mechanical key for the second coat. Once the scratch coat had firmed to the correct consistency — firm to the touch but not fully set — the finishing coat was applied and trowelled up progressively tighter in passes, using a clean, dampened trowel to bring the surface to a flat, smooth finish ready for paint. On the walls, the process followed a similar two-coat approach. The large repair area was boarded, scrimmed, and spot-filled before being skimmed in with the surrounding wall surface so that no visible joint or ridge would remain. Each wall surface received a scratch coat of multi-finish followed by a tight finishing pass. Window reveals and wall edges were worked with an angle bead trowel to ensure crisp, straight returns. The finished plaster was left to dry naturally without forced heat to prevent premature surface cracking.

The primary challenge on this Redbridge project was the large-scale ceiling failure and the significant wall blow-out visible in image four. The collapsed lath and plaster section left a jagged, irregular void with cracked and undermined plaster radiating outward from the hole. Simply patching over the damaged area would risk future cracking and differential movement at the patch boundary. The exposed lath substrate in the void was not flat or level with the surrounding wall surface, requiring careful build-up and boarding before the skim could be applied. Additionally, the age of the existing plasterwork on the surrounding walls meant suction levels were inconsistent — some areas were highly porous and others were non-absorbent due to old paint layers — making skim coat adhesion difficult to control without proper preparation.

To address the ceiling failure, all original lath was stripped from the affected ceiling areas and new 12.5mm plasterboard was fixed directly to the exposed joists, creating a stable, level substrate for skimming. Fibreglass scrim tape was applied to all joints and a self-adhesive mesh patch covered the cut-out void to prevent cracking at the repair boundaries. For the wall blow-out, the void was cut back to a clean edge and a plasterboard insert was fixed to the exposed lath battens to bring the repair flush with the wall surface. This was then scrimmed and skim-coated in with the surrounding wall. A diluted PVA wash was applied across all existing wall surfaces to equalise suction before the multi-finish skim was applied, ensuring consistent drying and adhesion across the entire surface.

The completed work is clearly visible in image two, which shows a freshly re-skimmed wall surface in the drying phase — the multi-finish plaster is transitioning from its characteristic pink wet colour to an even, flat grey as it cures. The surface is uniform with no ridges, patch marks, or joint lines visible — the large repair area has been fully absorbed into the wall plane. The ceiling, now fully plasterboarded and scrimmed, was ready to receive a finishing skim coat to match the walls. The property rooms were transformed from visibly failing, crumbling lath and plaster surfaces into flat, stable, paint-ready walls and ceilings that will not require further structural attention for many years.

The homeowner in Redbridge was left with structurally sound, fully re-skimmed walls and a replaced, plasterboarded ceiling throughout the affected rooms. The collapsed and crumbling areas that had made the property undecoratable were fully resolved, and the rooms were handed over clean and ready for the decorator to follow. The repair work — including the large wall blow-out — was fully integrated into the surrounding surfaces with no visible patching lines. The property is now ready for the next phase of its renovation programme.

Lath and plaster ceiling replacements and large-section wall repairs in period properties require more than basic skimming ability. Plasterboard must be fixed correctly to the joists at the right centres, scrim tape must be embedded properly to prevent joint cracking, and repair inserts must be built up flush before skimming — otherwise the patch will telegraph through the final decoration. Controlling suction on aged walls is equally important: applying multi-finish to an unprepared porous surface causes the plaster to dry too quickly, resulting in a dragged, uneven finish. With over a decade of experience working on period properties across Redbridge and east London, London Plastering Service understands how to assess and treat each substrate correctly before any plaster is mixed.