Stuffed up fitting cornice

[Hybrid]

About 6 months ago I enclosed the tops of my new kitchen cupboards and then fixed cove cornice all the way around. Stupid me didn't bother to prepare the ceiling properly and I stuck the cornice directly to the old painted surface of the ceiling.

Six months down the track the paint has pulled off the ceiling in sections and there are visible cracks between the cornice and the ceiling. The cornice is still fixed quite solidly, but the two 600mm sections that are cracked look unsightly.

How can I go about rectifying this without removing the cornice? I really don't want to pull it off and redo it. I've managed to make a 2-3mm gap between the cornice and ceiling by folding over a piece of sandpaper and sanding out the cornice cement that has come away from the ceiling. Is there some way I can get some sort of adhesive in these cracks with a syringe or nozzle?

If I can secure the cornice I should be able to fill the gap, sand and then paint. Suggestions please???

[durwood]

Do you have a stud finder or can you work out where the ceiling gyprock is attched to the wood.

If you can you could nail or better still screw into the wood in a few places. Use gal nails or screws so when you fill the holes the moisture doesn't tend to rust the nail/screw and make a stain in the plaster.

If there is no timber as its running parallel with the cornice maybe you can get to it from above by going into the roof and placing something onto the ceiling to screw into. Poke a nail through the spots you need to fix so you can find them when you are up there.

I always mark where the joists are so I can run a screw into the cornice if I have too. At least you know then that the cornice is fixed.

[rod@plasterbrok]

You can screw to the bulkhead itself this will also keep it from cacking again on the ceiling line. Use a long screw and place the screw up into the cove a litttle.

I would use a good quality gap filler to fill the crack. Squeeze into the gap and wipe over with a wet sponge.

You will need something better to fill the screw holes though.
Cornice adhesive would be best. But several coats of top coat will do it as well. Just let it dry well between coats as it will shrink back.

I would see if there are any plasterers working in your area, they would have no problems giving you the small amounts you need, i'm sure.

Cheers Rod Dyson

[Hybrid]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Rod, what gap filler product would you recommend? I've used several different gap fillers in the past and found that they tend to shrink more than I would have liked. Is there a specific product you can suggest?

[rod@plasterbrok]

The tillers on this board will be more experienced with gap filler than me maybe they can suggest one. I know that there are cheap gap fillers on the market that just don't do the job. I normally use selly's products I find you cant go wrong.

Good luck with it.

If its any consullation it is a very common problem you have there. Even around my own kitchen cupboards I have a hairline crack along one length, much to my disgust. I can tell you, no one put more effort into crack prevention than me lol. And i still copped one. I don't think kids jumping around upstairs right above it helped though.

Cheers
Rod Dyson