skip to main content

DIY Home Repair Bedroom

Terrible Ceiling Patch Work. Tear Down or Rework & Hide It with Plan?

Emmanuel Muñoz

6 years ago

Recently moved into first family home purchase & on the lower bedroom I want to add a dropped light box over the queen bed. But there’s a horrible patch work on the ceiling with damage as you can see in the pictures provided. This was all a result of an apparent leak on the upstairs master bathroom.

There’s some dry paint “bubbles” ready to be scrapped off (circled in red) & a dent under the toilet! You can see the dent patch circled in yellow.

Question is, should the drywall simply be ripped down, check if it’s still leaking although there would be obvious humidity already, & put in new drywall & pay extra labor/material. Or a more simple; scrape, sand, repaint, add the dropped ceiling light box over the fix & that dent that haunts me when laying down! What do ya’ll recommend, any other methods, ideas? Thanks in advance, new to this! Haha

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Bruce in Northern Virginia
6 years ago
If you can find a local handyman who knows how to do drywall, it would be a fairly simple job to just pull it all down and put up a couple of new sheets. Taping and floating a ceiling is a PIA to do yourself, but a real drywall guy can do it very quickly.

Bruce
kudzu9
6 years ago
That's not worth trying to fix. It will look better and cost less to tear it out and redo it. However, be aware that it could be messy if there is loose fill insulation above....
Related Discussions
Central Vac w/ hide-a-hose - disadvantages?
Q
Comments (128)
I know this thread is from several years ago but just thought I’d give a recommendation for anyone who’s looking for a retractable hose system. I’m a big fan of HP Product’s Chameleon system. The components are just as quality as HAH if not better and are supposed to cost a little less. Also, you can buy an adapter that allows you pull the hose out and use it with a regular central vacuum inlet. Check out Owen Perkin’s videos on YouTube for more information. One other thing: when looking at floor inlets (toe kicks), buy the Cansweep. It is more reliable and so much quieter than the Vacpan. I install central vacuum systems and used to offer the Vacpan but never will again. The Cansweep can’t be beat!
...See More
New and I have made a terrible mistake.
Q
Comments (51)
I haven't read all the posts so if this is a repeat of what's already been said I apologize. Have you tried changing out your lighting to reveal bulbs if you don't have them already. They can make a huge difference in how a paint color looks. Just recently my reveal bulb in my pendent in my kitchen burned out and all I had on hand was a daylight flourescent. I like those bulbs and have them in my lamps. However, when I put this one in my pendent in the kitchen it turned my walls a muddy ugly color. I had to immediately take it out as it made me ill to look at my pretty walls so ugly. Needless to say the nest day a reveal went in. Also do you have items in the room yet or are you just judging the paint by itself? Furnishings and other decor can make what you think is an ugly paint look very good. Not sure if this is the case with yours but thought I would mention it. Good luck and I know how you feel, been there, done that to the tune of $100 in paint and many wasted hours.
...See More
Help! I'm stuck - and lurking just isn't working :)
Q
Comments (42)
One particular treatment that was done in the 18th and 19th c. when it came to paint, was to paint the entire room in the same color, trim and all. The modern interpretation of this would be to do a higher sheen level on the millwork. This could address the issue of the different sizes of doors and such and minimize the horizontal banding effect of a wainscot. * * * * Mount Pleasant, a Georgian house that has slowly been taken back from colonial revival notions of what it looked like to what it Really looked like --based upon physical analysis-- had very Interesting paint treatment: The entire room, including all the heavy Georgian detail, was painted in one color (a rather drab gold if I remember) The cupboards had a bright paint treatment on the interiors, and there was a brownish black band of paint that ran around the lower 6-9" of the perimeter, intersecting EVERYTHING: door jambs, doors, fireplace, etc...a cut line straight across. (Apparently to hide the splash marks from washing the floors and muddy clothing and such)
...See More
Tears, tears, tears
Q
Comments (21)
aww I'm sorry your contractor is an a$$. I agree with others to a) have a lawyer look over your contract, and b) stand your ground - HE works for YOU - you're the employer - and as long as you let him push you around, he will. Our GC has been pretty good but when times like these came up (charges we didn't feel we were responsible for) we spoke up immediately - and he backed down. On another note, I don't really understand why any electrician can't do a job because there's a ceiling in place. Electricians do wiring with all the walls up all the time - it's just cutting holes in the plaster (for the lights) and fishing wires. Since the walls are down, it's all the more easier. It's not AS easy as if the ceiling was down, but it's not a dealbreaker by any means. (My DH did the wiring for our entire house during this reno - just yesterday he was fishing wire from the basement to the foyer b/c the alarm company forgot to run one for the siren - duh.) Anyway if this electrician is your GC's guy, then tell GC to either find another one or to tell this guy to stop being lazy. I'd request a meeting between you and the electrician and the GC to have them explain to you why taking down the ceiling is necessary. Because based on what you've told us (no crazy weird wiring going on) I don't get why he can't do it.
...See More
geoffrey_b
6 years ago
Move the bed out of the room, and replace the sheet rock. Lots of times there is some dirt / dust on the back side of the sheetrock.
tessyts
5 years ago
I'm wondering if it would be an issue to leave what you have there and just add new sheet rock over it? This way you don't have to deal with insulation falling through.
ci_lantro
5 years ago
This is a tear down.

A. Unlikely to find insulation because there is living space above the room.

B. Because there appears to be a big bulge in the yellow circled area. Why? You may want to add some furring strips to the joists for clearance of a drain line if that is the reason for the bulge & mysterious circular indent in the bulge.

C. Because you can visually inspect the plumbing above & correct anything that looks sketchy...i.e. an explanation for why you have areas of bubbled paint. Possibly some mold issues that need to be remedied.

D. So you can run wiring for the planned light box and drop wires so you can have wall switches instead of pull strings.

Related Stories

BATHROOM DESIGN Convert Your Tub Space to a Shower — the Planning Phase

By By Any Design Ltd.

Step 1 in swapping your tub for a sleek new shower: Get all the remodel details down on paper

REMODELING GUIDES 7 Bad Things Your Home May Be Hiding

By Ventana Construction LLC

What you don't know about your home could cost you during a remodel. Here's what to plan for

COLOR 11 Reasons to Paint Your Ceiling Black

Mask flaws, trick the eye, create drama ... a black ceiling solves a host of design dilemmas while looking smashing

HOUSEKEEPING 7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Garage

By Laura Gaskill

Stop fearing that dirty dumping ground and start using it as the streamlined garage you’ve been wanting

ADDITIONS What an Open-Plan Addition Can Do for Your Old House

By Dalecki Design

Don’t resort to demolition just yet. With a little imagination, older homes can easily be adapted for modern living

MOST POPULAR Is Open-Plan Living a Fad, or Here to Stay?

By Victoria Harrison

Architects, designers and Houzzers around the world have their say on this trend and predict how our homes might evolve

REMODELING GUIDES Bathroom Remodel Insight: A Houzz Survey Reveals Homeowners’ Plans

By Mitchell Parker

Tub or shower? What finish for your fixtures? Find out what bathroom features are popular — and the differences by age group

DECORATING GUIDES 8 Open-Plan Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them

By Georgia Madden

There’s much to love about relaxed open-living layouts, but they can be tricky to decorate. Get tips for making one work

ORGANIZING 7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Kitchen

By Laura Gaskill

Our weeklong plan will help you get your kitchen spick-and-span from top to bottom

MOST POPULAR How to Hide the TV, No Cabinet Required

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Minimize the impact of the big black screen with these tricks to make it blend with your decor

Sponsored

More Discussions

Carpet Tiles in stairs

10

What product preserves the existing rust and patina?

1

Easiest Vinyl floor repair

10

New exterior door latching issues

9

How to fix tiny hole in shower floor?

1