# Forum Home Renovation Plastering  Cornice bowed / pulling away from ceiling (Pics)

## Boeing777

Hi All, 
Got a small issue in my place (9-10 years old), the cornice appears to be bowed and starting to come away from the ceiling on both sides of a wall. I've had a look in the roof and can't see anything obviously wrong (no major movement?) with the bearers or anything. The wall in the photo is load bearing. Can anyone suggest what it may be, if I should be worried and who I should call? (Not that I expect anyone to be available in Brisbane for a while!)

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## Boeing777

65 views and nobody can offer any advice?

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## Lexi01

> 65 views and nobody can offer any advice?

  I'll have a crack... 
Looks as though whoever put it up didn't use enough glue and/or its been wet at some stage and is starting to pull away. 
Either way before getting a plasterer in to replace it I'd be cleaning out the gap filler that seems to have been used quite liberally in the past, pumping some glue in there a bracing it with some long 90x45s where its worse while it dries. 
Then have another go with the gap filler and paint. 
If that doesn't help call a plasterer! 
Anyway, if it were my house I'd be trying that first.

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## jiggy

run a level on the ceiling in front of the cornice and check to make sure the ceiling is level at that point.It is always difficult to tell from photographs If it is flat then go with Lexi's soloution ! If not then take another look at the joists !

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## chalkyt

Here comes another "expert"... I agree, it looks as though the original job was a bit skinny with cornice cement and it has just given up due to old age or a bit of water getting in. If it was water you would expect to see some mould and lifting of the cornice or plaster surface. 
Cornice is cheap. If it was my place, I would give it a tug. If it comes away easily, keep tugging until it falls down. If it doesn't come away easily then clean out what you can and fill the gaps with cornice cement then temporarily pin the cornice back into place and clean up the squeezed out cornice cement with a wet sponge.  
If it falls down, check that the ceiling and walls are straight (sort of, with no obvious structural deterioration)then either clean it up and put it back or put in a new length using cornice cement (this goes off fairly quickly), and dress it according to the cornice cement instructions (i.e. damp/wet sponge). Use the old cornice as a template to cut a new bit to length and end shape if you need it. 
The trick with cornice (I have found) is to put nails along the wall to hold it in place until the cement has gone off enough, then remove the nails and dress the nail holes and cornice edges with the squeezed out cornice cement. Unfortunately this approach does involve repainting. 
Putting up cornice together is great for matrimonial harmony!!!! (usually results in at least one dummy spit)....despite this, don't try it single handed unless you have very long arms and are highly skilled at wrestling gorillas. 
PS Wear old clothes and use drop sheets as cornice cement has a habbit of dripping like snot from the above mentioned gorilla) 
Good luck

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## Rod Dyson

I see this problem all the time when doing reports for people.  90% of the time it is a truss roof and there has been subsidence in the internal wall frames.  When this happens the truss does not deflect with the wall so something has to give.   
The bow looks like it was there from the beginning. 
The fix is simply wiping in no more gaps into the crack and sponge clean. 
Provided that the frame is stable you won't have any more problems.  BTW it does not have to deflect much for this to happen. 
I very much doubt that lack of adhesive or water is an issue here. 
Cheers Rod

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## Boeing777

Thanks for the replies! I'll have a closer look in the roof to make sure, but I think Rod's suggestion of some no more gaps sounds good to me - I'm shocking with anything related to plaster, so pulling down the cornice may be a good job for a bloke out of the local paper when we're ready to sell.

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## d00biez

> putting up cornice together is great for matrimonial harmony!!!! (usually results in at least one dummy spit)....despite this, don't try it single handed unless you have very long arms and are highly skilled at wrestling gorillas.

  looool!

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