My next, unplanned project

[ericinvt]

Anyone else been home when this has happened? What a loud noise when a section of ceiling comes crashing down! Notice that the section fell off in one piece, swung down to hit the front door, then landed paint side up and shattered. The walnut table will have a scar to remind me of the joys of plaster. If you look closely, you can see that another section is being held up by the ceiling light. It's the last light that I haven't replaced with something period appropriate, so maybe I'll reward myself for tackling this now by buying a new antique fixture
So now, repairing a plaster ceiling trumps any other projects that I have going on. The front hall has been low on my list, even with it's ugly faded yellow wallpaper. At least now when I strip wallpaper I'll have a nice newly repaired ceiling. lol.

[Daniel Meyer]

Yikes! Glad nobody was standing there at the time!

[historicalwork]

I've worried about that happening since the day we moved in. Every time one of my kids jump around upstairs I cringe. I know the day will come!

[Casey]

Small earthquake? Truck traffic? Blasting?
About 15 years ago, a group of civil war re-enactors took over the town to recreate its most famous battle, where research showed that at my corner there was an artillery placement, so we had 4" cannons going off all afternoon. (and some mortars as I recall) And my neighbor one door closer to the cannon had her bathroom ceiling fall down! Their insurance (which the city fathers insisted on) paid for the repairs, but, wow! Her 1900 house now can claim battle damage.
Casey

[Sow's Ear Mal]

Wow. Interestingly, one thing my home insurance will not cover is damage due to invading forces. I guess it's a leftover clause due to the fact that the town of Prescott On had historic battles with Ogdensburg NY, and they raided each other a few times. So to you Ogdensburgers: Stay Outa My Yard! (lol)

[ericinvt]

We've lived in the house now for 3 years as of next week. The year before we purchased the house, the city replaced water and sewer lines as well as a major road repaving in front of our house. Several of my neighbors have reported cracks and plaster problems as part of that project. I had noticed that there was a well repaired crack in the ceiling during the home inspection and this winter it opened (we had an exceptionally cold and long winter). Even my grand piano suffered from the low humidity this winter. I had been keeping an eye on the crack but had not realized it was so close to failure. It seems at some point someone tried to fix it with some plaster washers, which obviously did not do the trick.
I would rather be outside gardening this weekend, but instead I'll spend it indoors covered in plaster dust :p Hopefully it will rain! lol

[Fanner (WavyGlass)]

Wowser, that is a mess!! When I was about 8 years old I had a large chunk of ceiling fall on me in the middle of the night. I can still feel and taste that nasty stuff when I think about it - and my poor father can running into the room asking if I was alright. He later said he thought I was crushed to death, laying under that mess... and the noise, which I either didn't hear or don't remember, was apprently horrific. Thankfully that was a mess I didn't have to clean up

We've lived in the house now for 3 years as of next week. The year before we purchased the house, the city replaced water and sewer lines as well as a major road repaving in front of our house. Several of my neighbors have reported cracks and plaster problems as part of that project. I had noticed that there was a well repaired crack in the ceiling during the home inspection and this winter it opened (we had an exceptionally cold and long winter). Even my grand piano suffered from the low humidity this winter. I had been keeping an eye on the crack but had not realized it was so close to failure. It seems at some point someone tried to fix it with some plaster washers, which obviously did not do the trick.
I would rather be outside gardening this weekend, but instead I'll spend it indoors covered in plaster dust :p Hopefully it will rain! lol

Current day - we too had road work in front of the house including replacement of sewers and water lines. The rumbling of whatever that huge machine is they use to settle the road before paving was a great indicator of which windows needed the most immediate attention [Brrrrrrp-brrrrrmmmmmmp-rrrrattttle]! Come that fall we discovered that all of the brick lining the fire box in our boiler had caved in .

Bummer on the plaster washers - I have wondered how they hold up.

Oh the joys we endure to love our old homes..!

[lisascenic]

Wanders around the house, scrutinizing the plaster.....

[Scott S (WavyGlass)]

Man, that would scare the crud out of me if I was home! I always come in to fix the plaster when it fails, but never been there at the moment it happens. Cool pic of how it landed and broke into pieces.

[dpkmpy8]

A 10x10 section of my parents bedroom ceiling came down at 3:12 one morning. It was just to the side of the bed. Old roof leak was the culprit. I will never forget that sound.