Have you ever seen a ceiling that looks like this? Maybe it looks all too familiar. Many older homes in Wichita, KS had their walls and ceilings finished with the lath and plaster method before the days of drywall. The problem is that over the years the plaster can detach from the lath (thin cedar boards used to hold the plaster) which results in cracking. We had a client in the College Hill area with this issue.
The Solutions:
There are not a lot of options when it comes to fixing this kind of problem. We could go through and fix hundreds of linear feet of cracks, we could rip out everything and install drywall, or we could install ¼” drywall over top of everything. All of these solutions require lots of labor. The time it takes to fix the cracks was astronomical, not to mention we can’t guarantee more cracks won’t appear the next day. Ripping out the lath and plaster was time consuming, messy, and would have required that we blow in new insulation after the new ceiling was installed. The homeowner found a great idea online: putting up bead board paneling to cover everything. This eliminated a lot of mess, dust, etc. and the finished product looked awesome!
The Process:
We took the idea and ran with it. We priced out the labor and materials of the project and came up with a firm price proposal for the client. Ben and Jake took the concept and made it into a reality. They installed the paneling with 1×4 strips over the seams and installed crown molding around the perimeter. They caulked and painted everything for a great-looking finished project.
The Product:
The finished product not only looks great now, but it will look great in years to come. The homeowner no longer will worry about cracks in the ceiling! We completed three rooms in the home for under $4000. This is a great way to get rid of the cracks in the ceiling and update the look of your home.
Do you have bad ceilings or walls? Have you done something similar at your home to give those worn out walls and ceilings a facelift? Leave a comment below!