The reason for overboarding would be to stagger the joints. Most ceilings are bowed and the middle is the weakest point. Keeping the joints further towards the edge on the second skin reduces the risk of a split in the middle considerably.

As I say 'unless there is another reason' That would be a reason to overboard and add strength to the ceiling but only if there was excessive deflection in the ceiling. I would argue that most ceilings aren't bowed and weak to the point where excessive movement is present.

From the OP's posts I'm assuming that the property is a bungalow, i'd like to try and source the problem before advising the customer to replace numerous ceilings and complete redecoration. It could be any number of things. Heavy items stored in the loft, natural expansion and contraction of the timbers, some lazy bugger boarding the ceilings in 9mm or indeed a rouge baby elephant.

So the solutions could also be numerous... insulation, extra noggins, overboarding or a cheap simple repair.

So if they are hairline fractures rather than large dropped cracks I'd skrim and joint. If the problem is more severe then there maybe a solution that doesn't go to the expense of multiple ceiling replacement.

I'm not saying the ceiling shouldn't be overboarded, there would just have to be a strong case for it being the best solution. Of course we can only make educated guesses without seeing the property first hand.

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The builder who suggested overboarding was visiting to prepare an estimate for work in the kitchen, and replacing the boiler. But I forgot to nail his feet down when he entered the kitchen, and so he walked around the house and suggested lots of other work, much of it unnecessary. Hi ho. The cracks in the ceiling are not really cracks, more like grooves or shallow cracks where the boards join, though the thin layer on the surface of the boards has cracked and fallen off either side of the grooves. I assume the ceiling is sound and the cracks are cosmetic.

This is a 40 year old house, and the previous decorating is pretty bad as I have discovered on peeling off wallpaper, and inspecting edges of window frames etc. Whoever painted windowsills just removed cracked paint, and painted over with no attempt to fill holes. There were deep ridges at the edges of repairs in the plaster, which I have filled and smoothed flush.

Thanks.

Just re-plasterboard the ceilings over the top of the old plasterboard... It means you have extra fire proofing, more heat insulation, and the cracks wont come back. The price of 300 is to much. More like 200 per room.

Hi,

do you have coving ? as this would be affected by the extra layer of plasterboard ?

Personally, if my plaster boarded ceiling was badly cracked, I would want to know the reason it was cracked, was it due to previous water damage, movement in the building, poor job with the seams when it was last taped etc.. etc.. but what do I know, I have just put my foot through a nice new ceiling.

Not sure of the size of your ceiling but overboarding and replastering for £300 is a steal, no matter what size the ceiling area is as long as a good job is done.

If I was you, I would try and fill the cracks and repaint and see how that goes, if it doesn't work, then you haven't lost much as it does not take long to do.

Cheers, John

Thanks John. I stripped both ceilings back to the plasterboard, and it was clear that it had not been taped and that is why cracks appeared. A numpty had subsequently 'repaired' the cracks with a line of plaster which of course had simply cracked. There seems to be no undue flex in the boards/joists. A builder suggested a 'binder' which apparently is a long piece of wood placed on edge across the joists to prevent flex, but today he said he didn't think it was needed, just tape and skim. So I will ask him to do just that.

Apparently when plasterboard was first used it was not taped, and my house was built in the pre-tape period. So it looks to be easy to fix.