Dear James: One room has recurring cracks in the plaster ceiling. Instead of more repairs, is it wise to add a dropped tile ceiling to use it as a home theater? Dear Gary: Once cracks start to develop ...

Q. We're buying a house that is probably close to 100 years old. It has been vacant for the past several years and needs a good amount of cleaning up and fixing up. One thing we're concerned about is ...

Q. We just bought our first house, an American Foursquare, dated 1917. It has been vacant for several years and the interior is not in the best condition. We'd like to gut it to get rid of the sagging ...

Q. How important is it to repair plaster before repainting? Our ceilings have peeling paint that we’re pretty sure was caused by past water damage. Since the water problem is no longer an issue, can ...

Plaster latticework frames the main ceiling design, which consists of layer upon layer of ornate moldings repeated in a symmetrical pattern. Acanthus leaves, roses, hummingbirds, fluting, bundles of ...

Flaking and cracking plaster are relatively minor maintenance items, but when the plaster starts to sag or "belly" out from a ceiling, it indicates deeper problems that require your full attention If ...