Perth-wide ceiling repair

Ceiling Crack & Cosmetic Repair in Perth

Not every crack means the ceiling is coming down, but every crack has a cause. Straight cracks on sheet joins, star cracks around downlights, popped screw heads in a new build, a hole where a ladder went through. We work out what is moving, fix the cause where there is one, and make the ceiling flat again so your painter has nothing to hide.

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Close-up of a hairline crack running along a plasterboard sheet join in a white ceiling
When to call

What you will usually notice first

Straight cracks on sheet joins

The most common crack in Perth plasterboard ceilings. The tape has let go or the join was never built up enough. Cosmetic, but it will keep reappearing under paint until the join is re-taped.

Screw or nail pops

Small round bumps or craters in a line along a joist. Usual in new builds as framing dries out, and in older ceilings where the fixings have worked loose. Each one is re-fixed, not just filled.

Star cracks around lights and fans

Cracks radiating from a downlight or fan are usually from a hole cut too tight or a fitting hung off the board instead of the framing. Repaired with proper backing.

Cracks at the cornice or in corners

Seasonal movement opens corners and the cornice line. If they are hairline and stable they are cosmetic; if they are opening wider each year the ceiling may be dropping.

Holes, dents and old patches

A foot through from the roof space, a removed fitting, a lumpy patch from a previous owner. Cut back square, backed and set so it disappears.

Textured or stippled ceilings

Patches in textured ceilings never match. We can patch and re-texture, or skim the whole ceiling flat if you want to be rid of the texture altogether.

How we fix it

The way the job actually gets done

Diagnose before we fill

We look at where the crack is, which way it runs and whether it has grown. A quick check in the roof space tells us whether it is a join, a loose fixing or a ceiling on its way down. A cosmetic repair on a structural problem is money wasted.

Re-tape joins, do not just fill them

Cracked joins are cut back, re-taped with paper or fibreglass tape and set in three coats, feathered wide. Filler alone will crack again the first hot week.

Re-fix, then set

Popped fixings are driven home or replaced with a new screw next to them, then spotted with setting compound. Holes get a backing piece behind the board so the patch is as solid as the ceiling around it.

Flat finish under raking light

Cosmetic repairs are judged with the lights on and the sun across the ceiling. We sand with a light held low across the surface so the repair is invisible under the conditions that would show it.

On the job

What the work looks like

  • Older painted plaster ceiling cracking along the sheet joins and where it meets the cornice
    Older plaster ceiling cracking along the joins and at the cornice
  • Network of fine cracks spreading across an older plaster ceiling near a light fitting
    Fine map cracking across an older plaster ceiling
  • Ceiling fixer on a ladder shining a torch along a crack near the cornice
    Checking a crack under a torch before deciding whether it is cosmetic or a fixing problem
  • Trowel skimming plaster over a swirl-textured ceiling, half of it already smooth
    Skim coating a swirl-textured ceiling back to flat
  • White ceiling with a rectangular patch of fresh setting plaster sanded smooth above a window
    Crack repair set and sanded, waiting on paint
Process

From first call to paint-ready

  1. Send photos

    A few photos of the cracks or damage, ideally with the room light on, let us tell you whether it is cosmetic or something more.

  2. Visit and check

    We inspect the crack and, where it matters, the roof space to confirm the ceiling is not moving.

  3. Quote

    A clear price for the repair, and a separate note if we have found the ceiling needs re-fixing instead.

  4. Repair

    Joins re-taped, fixings replaced, holes backed and patched, set in multiple coats.

  5. Sand and hand over

    Sanded flat and left ready for paint. Small jobs are often done in two short visits to allow coats to dry.

What it costs depends on

What moves the price, and why some jobs need a look first

Many jobs can be quoted from your photos and a description. Others are a different job once someone is in the roof space, which is when we come and look first. These are the things that move the price for cracks & cosmetic.

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  • Number and length of cracks and whether they are joins, corners or field cracks
  • Whether the roof-space inspection shows the ceiling is dropping and needs re-fixing
  • Size of any holes and whether backing is needed
  • Textured or patterned ceilings that need re-texturing or full skim
  • Ceiling height and access
  • Number of rooms done in the same visit
  • Drying time between setting coats, which stretches the job in winter
FAQ

Cracks & Cosmetic: your questions

Are ceiling cracks dangerous?
Most are not. Straight cracks on joins, corner cracks and small cracks around fittings are cosmetic. Long curved cracks, cracks that keep getting wider, and cracks paired with a visible sag or a gap at the cornice are signs the ceiling is moving and should be looked at soon.
Why did the crack come back after I filled it?
Because the crack is movement and filler is rigid. A join has to be re-taped so the tape bridges the movement, and a loose fixing has to be re-fixed. Filler over either is a short-term paint-prep step, not a repair.
Can you fix cracks in a new house?
Yes. Cracks and screw pops in the first couple of years are common as framing dries and the house settles. Check with your builder first as it may be covered under your building contract, otherwise we re-fix and re-set them.
Do you repair textured ceilings?
Yes, but it is worth a conversation. Patching texture is possible and blends reasonably, but many owners use the repair as the moment to have the whole ceiling skimmed flat instead.
Quote request

Get a Quote

Tell us what the ceiling is doing and where you are. We will call you back to talk it through and arrange a time to look at it.

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Read before you call

Cracks & Cosmetic near you

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Not sure what the ceiling is doing?

Describe it over the phone and we will tell you whether it needs looking at this week or can wait. Perth-wide, Monday to Friday.

Call 0485 084 943 Get a Quote
Call 0485 084 943 Get a Quote