Well, I went to bed early last night. I'm rather glad that I did, too. Otherwise, I might have been a bit more put out when the ceiling in my bedroom fell in at two in the morning.
I'll wait while you re-read that sentence.... Done? Okay.
Suffice it to say, though it didn't fall on me, I'm wide awake now. Probably because the closest piece fell about two feet from my head. Yes, the ceiling was bowed. I was hoping to have the money to do the relatively minor - I thought - repair this weekend. (There was no evidence of water damage, so I was going on the assumption of age or improper install.) But, I also thought my ceiling was drywall. It's not.
My master bedroom ceiling is vintage. By that, I mean my house was built in the 1920s and the plaster and lath (which may or may not have been replaced since the house was built - no clue) just decided that now was a good time to quit. The lath itself is fine. The plaster is all over the floor.
And I have a big 3X4 foot section of ceiling with no plaster on it. Joy.
I am not going to muck about with re-plastering the blasted thing. So, I have to get together tools and materials to remove the loosened plaster, figure out the joist locations and inspect them for damage from the attic (no point in pulling down the lath, since it's supporting the substandard insulation), shim with furring strips where needed, and then rent a lift and install new drywall.
Oh, and rent a truck to carry all this stuff, since our car is still in need of repair. And, no - I don't think that they'll let me carry a drywall lift on the bus.
I know, I know. The first thought you no doubt have is to just pull down the plaster, put in a drop ceiling and call it a day. But, no. That's the ceiling to the attic. I'd rather have something solid between my bedroom and the inevitable draft, thanks. This house has little enough insulation as it is - I'm pretty sure that there is none in the exterior walls.
Though, if I ever have the money, putting up some of those pseudo-pressed tin tiles (attached directly to the drywall) might be nice. It would go great with the age and style of the house.
All of this is on top of the joy that is taking care of my mother's cancer. I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been really posting lately? Well, that's because I've been pulling my hair out trying to deal with bills and her ever-changing medications. Really, the ceiling falling in is just what I needed. (/sarcasm)
While I have the ceiling down, I plan on dragging on electrician in if I can scrounge the money. We don't have AC, so a ceiling fan would be both lovely and cheaper than springing for a central AC unit and required ducts. Since I'll have easy access, might as well test the voltage and see if the current light box will support it. If we can afford get one in. (I would do it myself, but... old wiring. Rather have a pro look at it.) If I can't, I can't. We'll see how it goes.
In the meantime, we're going to move my bed to another room of the house. I'm not sure how long it's going to take to get the items I need for the repair and my husband is going to NC this weekend to visit his rapidly deteriorating grandmother. So, my best set of extra hands will be gone. Or, rather, my only set of extra hands since mom hasn't got the balance and such for it anymore.
After my husband gets up, I'll get some shots of the ceiling and post them. I'm sure you'll find it fascinating.
Donations of liquor, kind words, and/or money gratefully accepted.
I'll wait while you re-read that sentence.... Done? Okay.
Suffice it to say, though it didn't fall on me, I'm wide awake now. Probably because the closest piece fell about two feet from my head. Yes, the ceiling was bowed. I was hoping to have the money to do the relatively minor - I thought - repair this weekend. (There was no evidence of water damage, so I was going on the assumption of age or improper install.) But, I also thought my ceiling was drywall. It's not.
My master bedroom ceiling is vintage. By that, I mean my house was built in the 1920s and the plaster and lath (which may or may not have been replaced since the house was built - no clue) just decided that now was a good time to quit. The lath itself is fine. The plaster is all over the floor.
And I have a big 3X4 foot section of ceiling with no plaster on it. Joy.
I am not going to muck about with re-plastering the blasted thing. So, I have to get together tools and materials to remove the loosened plaster, figure out the joist locations and inspect them for damage from the attic (no point in pulling down the lath, since it's supporting the substandard insulation), shim with furring strips where needed, and then rent a lift and install new drywall.
Oh, and rent a truck to carry all this stuff, since our car is still in need of repair. And, no - I don't think that they'll let me carry a drywall lift on the bus.
I know, I know. The first thought you no doubt have is to just pull down the plaster, put in a drop ceiling and call it a day. But, no. That's the ceiling to the attic. I'd rather have something solid between my bedroom and the inevitable draft, thanks. This house has little enough insulation as it is - I'm pretty sure that there is none in the exterior walls.
Though, if I ever have the money, putting up some of those pseudo-pressed tin tiles (attached directly to the drywall) might be nice. It would go great with the age and style of the house.
All of this is on top of the joy that is taking care of my mother's cancer. I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been really posting lately? Well, that's because I've been pulling my hair out trying to deal with bills and her ever-changing medications. Really, the ceiling falling in is just what I needed. (/sarcasm)
While I have the ceiling down, I plan on dragging on electrician in if I can scrounge the money. We don't have AC, so a ceiling fan would be both lovely and cheaper than springing for a central AC unit and required ducts. Since I'll have easy access, might as well test the voltage and see if the current light box will support it. If we can afford get one in. (I would do it myself, but... old wiring. Rather have a pro look at it.) If I can't, I can't. We'll see how it goes.
In the meantime, we're going to move my bed to another room of the house. I'm not sure how long it's going to take to get the items I need for the repair and my husband is going to NC this weekend to visit his rapidly deteriorating grandmother. So, my best set of extra hands will be gone. Or, rather, my only set of extra hands since mom hasn't got the balance and such for it anymore.
After my husband gets up, I'll get some shots of the ceiling and post them. I'm sure you'll find it fascinating.
Donations of liquor, kind words, and/or money gratefully accepted.
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