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Ceiling repairs across Staffordshire and Cheshire

Repairs to cracked, sagging or collapsed ceilings, including replastering after leaks or old lath-and-plaster failing.

Testimonials

Don't just take our word for it. Read what customers say.

Nearly every job we take on comes from a recommendation or a returning customer. These reviews were left by homeowners across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Crewe and Stafford, after we had packed up and left the house clean.

5.0 Google rating
Re-skimmed two bedrooms and the hallway. Immaculate work and left the place cleaner than they found it.
Rachel M., Newcastle-under-Lyme
Ceiling came down after a leak. Boarded and skimmed in a day and you would never know.
Daniel P., Stoke-on-Trent
Silicone render on the whole house. On site every morning on time, finish is spot on.
Mark H., Stone
Micro cement in the bathroom, exactly what we wanted and priced fairly. Highly recommend.
Sophie T., Congleton
Quoted quickly, turned up when promised and the walls are perfect. No mess left behind at all.
James W., Crewe
Full house replaster before we moved in. Great communication the whole way through.
Amy L., Stafford
Full house replaster before we moved in. Great communication the whole way through.
Amy L., Stafford
Quoted quickly, turned up when promised and the walls are perfect. No mess left behind at all.
James W., Crewe
Micro cement in the bathroom, exactly what we wanted and priced fairly. Highly recommend.
Sophie T., Congleton
Silicone render on the whole house. On site every morning on time, finish is spot on.
Mark H., Stone
Ceiling came down after a leak. Boarded and skimmed in a day and you would never know.
Daniel P., Stoke-on-Trent
Re-skimmed two bedrooms and the hallway. Immaculate work and left the place cleaner than they found it.
Rachel M., Newcastle-under-Lyme
Ceiling Repair by Rigby's Plastering

What we do on a ceiling repair job

Repairs to cracked, sagging or collapsed ceilings, including replastering after leaks or old lath-and-plaster failing.

  • Nearly a decade of plastering and rendering experience
  • Clean, punctual and reliable on every job
  • A solution planned individually with each customer
  • Specialist finishes: Venetian, micro cement, epoxy resin, marble effect
  • Full internal and external service, from ceiling repairs to exterior render

A ceiling is the one surface you notice the moment it starts to go, and a crack or a bulge overhead is not something to leave. Rigby’s Plastering repairs ceilings across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and Cheshire, from a single crack to a full replaster, and puts ceilings right after leaks and old lath-and-plaster failing.

The ceiling problems we deal with

Ceilings fail in a few recognisable ways. Fine cracks that spread across the surface. A ceiling that bows or sags because it has lost its grip on the joists above. Brown stains and blown plaster after a leak or a burst pipe. And old lath-and-plaster ceilings that have simply reached the end of their life and started to drop. Because a ceiling can come down when it lets go, a sagging one is worth looking at promptly rather than waiting to see what happens.

Overboard, or take it down

For a tired or bowing ceiling there are two routes. Where it makes sense, the old ceiling is overboarded, fresh plasterboard fixed up through it into the joists and then skimmed flat, which is usually cleaner and quicker. Where a ceiling has failed badly or already partly collapsed, the old material is taken down, the area boarded and skimmed back to a smooth, sound finish. The right choice is made from the state of the ceiling and explained plainly, not decided in advance.

Leaks and older ceilings

After a leak, and once the ceiling has dried, water-stained and blown plaster is cut out, the area is boarded where needed and skimmed so the finish is flat and clean with no old stain grinning through. The Victorian and Edwardian terraces across the Potteries are full of original lath-and-plaster ceilings, and overboarding is usually the practical, lasting way to deal with one that has started to crack and bow.

The room is sheeted and cleared first, dust is kept down as far as ceiling work allows, and everything is swept out afterwards. Rigby’s gives free quotes and an honest call on whether a patch or a full ceiling is the right fix, with nearly a decade of this work behind the advice. Wall repairs are covered on their own separate page.

Questions

Ceiling Repair: common questions

My ceiling is sagging and bulging downwards. Is it dangerous?

A sagging ceiling has usually lost its fixing to the joists above and can come down, so it is worth looking at sooner rather than later. The safe fix is normally to take down or overboard the loose area and skim it flat again.

What is overboard and skim for a ceiling?

Overboarding fixes fresh plasterboard up through the old ceiling into the joists, then a skim finish goes over the new board. It is often cleaner and quicker than pulling a whole old ceiling down, and it leaves a flat, sound surface.

My ceiling has cracked. Does the whole thing need replacing?

Not always. A single settlement crack can often be cut out and made good. Widespread cracking, or a ceiling that is bowing, usually points to the surface letting go, in which case overboarding and skimming the whole ceiling is the sounder answer.

Can you repair a ceiling after a leak or a burst pipe?

Yes. Once the leak is stopped and the ceiling has dried, water-damaged and stained plaster is removed, the area is boarded if needed and skimmed back to a flat, clean finish ready to paint, with no stain bleeding through.

What is lath and plaster, and why do these ceilings fail?

Older ceilings are plaster pushed over thin timber laths. Over decades the plaster keys break away from the laths, so the ceiling cracks, bows and can drop. Overboarding is usually the practical, lasting way to deal with a tired lath-and-plaster ceiling.

How much mess does a ceiling job make?

Ceiling work is dustier than walls by nature, so the room is sheeted up and cleared as much as possible first. Overboarding keeps things a good deal cleaner than pulling an old ceiling down, and the room is left swept and tidy.

Need ceiling repair priced?

Send a few details and we'll come back to you with a price, usually the same day. No obligation, no pressure.

Get your ceiling repair job priced today.

  • Free, no-obligation quote, usually back the same day
  • Nearly a decade of plastering and rendering experience
  • Dust sheets down, site left clean every day
  • Interior and exterior work by the same team

Prefer to talk?

07531 430480Mon to Fri 7:30am to 6pm, Sat 8am to 2pm

Coverage

Areas we cover

Roughly a 30-mile radius from our base near Stoke-on-Trent, across Staffordshire, Cheshire and the surrounding counties. Just outside? Get in touch and we will check availability.

Stoke-on-Trent
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Stone
Kidsgrove
Biddulph
Leek
Congleton
Alsager
Crewe
Nantwich
Stafford
Uttoxeter
Macclesfield
Winsford
Tamworth
Burton-upon-Trent
Cannock
Lichfield
Rugeley
Hednesford
Burntwood
Heath Hayes & Wimblebury
Stoke-on-Trent
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Stone
Kidsgrove
Biddulph
Leek
Congleton
Alsager
Crewe
Nantwich
Stafford
Uttoxeter
Macclesfield
Winsford
Tamworth
Burton-upon-Trent
Cannock
Lichfield
Rugeley
Hednesford
Burntwood
Heath Hayes & Wimblebury