Perth-wide ceiling repair

Cornice & Decorative Plaster Repair in Perth

Cornice does two jobs: it hides the junction between wall and ceiling, and in older Perth homes it is part of the character of the room. When it cracks, separates or a section comes away, the repair has to match the profile exactly or it will catch the eye forever. We repair and replace plain cove, stepped and ornate cornice, ceiling roses and decorative plaster, in character homes and ordinary ones.

Call 0485 084 943 Get a Quote
Art deco stepped plaster ceiling centrepiece with fresh setting plaster patched around it and a light fitting at the centre
When to call

What you will usually notice first

A gap opening along the top edge

A dark line between the cornice and the ceiling is the ceiling dropping away from it. The cornice is usually fine; the ceiling needs re-fixing and the cornice re-bedding afterwards.

Cracks at the mitres

Internal and external corners crack first as a house moves with the seasons. Small mitre cracks are cosmetic but repeat cracking usually means the cornice was never fully bedded.

A section has fallen or been knocked off

Loose cornice comes down with a door slam, a ladder bump or a ceiling that has moved. Keep the pieces if you can; they make it easier to match the profile.

Water damage and crumbling plaster

Cornice on an external wall is often the first thing wetted by a roof leak. Once plaster has gone soft it cannot be patched convincingly and the run is replaced.

Mismatched cornice from past repairs

A run of plain cove patched into an ornate room, or the wrong size, is one of the most common things we are asked to put right in Mount Lawley, Subiaco and Fremantle houses.

Cracked ceiling rose or panel moulding

Ornate roses and ceiling panels crack when the ceiling around them sags or when a heavy light fitting has been hung from them. Both can be repaired or recast.

How we fix it

The way the job actually gets done

Match the profile first

We take a template of the existing cornice so the replacement profile is right. Common 1960s to 1980s coves are stock items; older stepped and ornate profiles are sourced from specialist cornice makers or run to match, and genuinely one-off sections can be cast from the original.

Fix the cause, not just the crack

Cornice separates because the ceiling or wall behind it has moved. If the ceiling has dropped we re-fix it before touching the cornice, otherwise the repair opens up again within a season.

Proper bedding and jointing

Replacement cornice is bedded in cornice cement to both wall and ceiling, mitres are cut and filled, and the joins are feathered so there is no ridge once painted. Ornate profiles are cleaned up by hand so the detail is not lost under filler.

Decorative plaster done sympathetically

Ceiling roses, panel mouldings and dentil or egg-and-dart detail are repaired in place where possible. Where a piece is beyond saving we recast or source a matching piece and blend it in. Owners in heritage-listed areas should check their own obligations before works start.

On the job

What the work looks like

  • Ornate circular plaster ceiling rose with a pendant light hanging from its centre
    Ornate plaster ceiling rose in a character home, intact and worth keeping
  • Hands pressing a new length of cornice into place and setting the edge with a trowel, bucket of plaster on the trestle below
    New cornice length bedded and set by hand
  • Gap opening between a white ceiling and the top edge of the cornice, with fine cracks spreading across the ceiling
    Gap opening along the top edge of the cornice, usually the ceiling dropping rather than the cornice failing
  • Black mould growing along a cornice and into the ceiling corner above a window
    Mould and water damage along a cornice corner below a leak
  • Close-up of a stepped modern cornice profile meeting at a corner
    Stepped modern cornice: a repaired mitre here has to be crisp to disappear
  • Plain cove cornice running along a wall and across a bulkhead in a newer home
    Plain cove cornice in a newer home, the profile we match most often
Process

From first call to paint-ready

  1. Photos and a quick chat

    A photo of the cornice profile and the damage tells us most of what we need, including whether the ceiling behind it has moved.

  2. On-site profile check

    We template the profile, check the ceiling fixing, and confirm whether repair or a replacement run is the right call.

  3. Quote

    Itemised, with the matching profile named so you know exactly what is going back in.

  4. Repair or replace

    Ceiling re-fixed first if needed, damaged cornice removed, new cornice bedded, mitres filled, decorative detail restored.

  5. Finish

    Joins feathered, sanded and left ready for paint. Decorative detail is left crisp, not clogged with filler.

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 cornice & plaster.

Call 0485 084 943
  • Profile: plain cove, stepped, or ornate heritage profile
  • Whether a matching profile is a stock item, specially sourced or has to be cast
  • Length of cornice being replaced and number of mitres
  • Whether the ceiling behind it needs re-fixing first
  • Ceiling roses, panels or other decorative elements involved
  • Ceiling height and access in rooms with 3 metre plus ceilings
  • Condition of the wall plaster the cornice sits on
FAQ

Cornice & Plaster: your questions

Can you match old cornice profiles?
In most cases, yes. Many profiles used in Perth homes from the 1920s onward are still made or can be sourced from specialist suppliers. Where a profile is genuinely unique we can take a mould from a sound section and cast replacement lengths.
Why does my cornice keep cracking after being filled?
Because the crack is movement, not a surface defect. If the ceiling has dropped or the wall is moving, the filler cracks straight back out. Fix the ceiling or the bedding first and the cornice will stay put.
Do you repair ceiling roses?
Yes. Cracked roses are consolidated and filled in place where the plaster is sound. If a rose has broken or been removed, we can source a matching one or cast a replacement from an existing rose in the house.
Should I replace all the cornice in a room or just the damaged run?
If the profile can be matched, replacing just the damaged run is normal and the join is invisible once painted. If the existing cornice is a profile we cannot match, or several runs are damaged, replacing the whole room gives a cleaner result.
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.

Prefer to talk? Call 0485 084 943

Related services

Read before you call

Cornice & Plaster near you

All Perth areas →

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