On Mar 6, 7:48*am, "
wrote:
Ron wrote:
I got out of the shower and five minutes later, the ceiling in the
bathroom fell down in our 108 year old piece of crap house that we
moved into a few years back. The ceiling is--uh, was-- plaster and not
modern drywall. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can patch up
the holes in ancient plaster-- preferably so no more of it will
collapse? * :-)

Ron

Wood or wire lath?

Eathquakes? Bay area or SoCal?

Depends on your desired end result...repair, replacement or antique
restoration.

The fact that you refer to your house as a "108 year old piece of crap
house" gives me the impression that you're not a old house "fan".

Owning a very old house requires some (preferably all) of the
following characteristics....

a varied & experienced based skill set
the ability / desire to learn to skills & processes
the ability to find & use good subs
patience
love of old houses
a deep pocket or good cash flow
the ability to live with imperfection

All that said......
old plaster sagging can be restored. esp if oyu have attic access or
by using plaster washers from below
the fact that some is failing, points to water damage; active leak at
some time or just moisture from bathroom use.
tear down & replace is the fastest / easiest way
you can leave in place & cover with drywall as well
a pro drywaller could knock this this out in a flash for not a huge
cost
patching w/o addressing loose areas will only be a band aid
patching with drywall compound without addressing moisture issues will
only be a band aid

Is the texture smooth or bumpy / stucco like?

hard to give a specfic suggested path with eye balling it

cheers
Bob