Sagging ceiling section

[MANTOOL]

Hey guys, our house was built in the late 1950's and we brought the house in 1980. The living room ceiling appears to be accoustical tile attached to ceiling drywall. Over the last six months a small strip ( approx. 18" x 4" along a seam line) has become detached from the (original) ceiling drywall. My first thought is that the adhesive (behind the acoustical tile) has lost adhesion. Has anyone else experienced this and what are my options to reattach the tile(s) to the original ceiling? T I A

 

[mike93lx]

Pictures are worth 1000 words.

After 40 years, maybe it is time for a change?

 

[PoorUB]

You might be able to run a few screws through the tile and a dab of paint to hide the screw, but I am afraid the right answer involves tearing it out. The big question is the tile separated from the ceiling, or the original ceiling coming down? If the original ceiling is coming down you have potentially a big problem as the whole ceiling may have to come down and get replaced.
Also your walls and ceiling are probably drywall or gypsum lath and plaster. 1/2" sheet rock with holes in it and a layer of plaster over it, unless it was ripped out at some later date, but a house built in the 50's wouldn't have sheet rock in it unless it has been remodeled.

It is possible the plaster has separated from the lath.

 

[MANTOOL]

You might be able to run a few screws through the tile and a dab of paint to hide the screw, but I am afraid the right answer involves tearing it out. The big question is the tile separated from the ceiling, or the original ceiling coming down? If the original ceiling is coming down you have potentially a big problem as the whole ceiling may have to come down and get replaced.
Also your walls and ceiling are probably drywall or gypsum lath and plaster. 1/2" sheet rock with holes in it and a layer of plaster over it, unless it was ripped out at some later date, but a house built in the 50's wouldn't have sheet rock in it unless it has been remodeled.

It is possible the plaster has separated from the lath.

The (original) ceiling is intact and solid....ceiling and walls don't have the appearance of lath & plaster....thanks.

 

[65ranchero]

If I can remember right , my parents hung acoustic tile in the living room and it was attached by dabbing a small amount of a black "tar" like substance on each corner and pressed to the sheet rock. House was built circa 1950
it was still there into the 80's
I was young then and don't remember much more about it.

 

[billconner]

If the drywall is tight, best seen from attic I think, re-glue tiles. Maybe a syringe is necessary, and some temporary props - like used for hanging drywall - while glue sets.

 

[Uncle murph]

Hey guys, our house was built in the late 1950's and we brought the house in 1980. The living room ceiling appears to be accoustical tile attached to ceiling drywall. Over the last six months a small strip ( approx. 18" x 4" along a seam line) has become detached from the (original) ceiling drywall. My first thought is that the adhesive (behind the acoustical tile) has lost adhesion. Has anyone else experienced this and what are my options to reattach the tile(s) to the original ceiling? T I A

As likely as not,those tiles are stapled on and unfortunately for you,eventually those staples will pull through.Easily fixed temporarily but the rest won’t be far behind.

 

[The Cobbler]

sounds like you have a bigger job than you want right now.
I would take a sharp utility knife, cut a tile out by scoring the seams , have a look what you're up against ...a pun there if you wish

 

[SARG]

Ceiling Rosettes

 

[couch67]

Careful with anything that old, ceiling tiles commonly contained asbestos

 

[DGersic]

The (original) ceiling is intact and solid....ceiling and walls don't have the appearance of lath & plaster....thanks.

If you have what I have, its not lath and plaster, it’s “rock lath”, or at least that’s what I’ve heard it called. Early version of sheet rock. A 1/2“ layer of what looks like sheet rock goes up, then they plaster over that.

Your ceiling may be separating. I had a room where the rock and plaster were fine, solid with just a few cracks, but the paint separated from the plaster and peeled off in large sheets.

Your tile may be glues to paint that is coming off.

 

[egdede]

The (original) ceiling is intact and solid....ceiling and walls don't have the appearance of lath & plaster....thanks.

%)s plaster is over button board. It was kind if like drywall but hard as ****, like plaster : ) It had holes for the plaster to form keys (hence the name).:



These walls are not wavy like old lathe and plaster walls. really ***** when old ceilings of this heavy **** start coming down.

 

[TractorJeff]

Those Tiles probably generate 80% of the Dust your Wife complains about!
If It Was Me: I would remove them!

 

[DGersic]

%)s plaster is over button board. It was kind if like drywall but hard as ****, like plaster : ) It had holes for the plaster to form keys (hence the name).:



These walls are not wavy like old lathe and plaster walls. really ***** when old ceilings of this heavy **** start coming down.

The guys that took down my kitchen ceiling loved us that day. Rock lathe and plaster, topped with 8” of vermiculite in the attic.

 

[egdede]

^^^ Them: : ( You : ) ^^^

 

[pbon]

Often the cheap ceilings were put up to hide cracked plaster ceilings. Tear it down to the studs and replace with 3/8 drywall. If you put up crown moulding you won’t have to mud and tape the edges.

Or try to screw it back in place, hide the screws with some kind of filler and repaint the ceiling.

 

[PoorUB]

The (original) ceiling is intact and solid....ceiling and walls don't have the appearance of lath & plaster....thanks.

Neither did my house.

Then I started doing some minor remodeling and found out it was the sheet rock lathe and plaster.