How to Fix a Ceiling With Drywall Mud

Drywall mud is a colloquial term for joint compound, which is a type of plaster used on walls and ceilings. A plaster ceiling with loose or crumbling plaster can be repaired with plaster and drywall tape alone, with no need for a drywall patch, as long as the lath behind the damaged plaster is still in place. Resist the temptation to apply the drywall mud more thickly than half an inch at a time, as it will crack when it dries at thicker applications.

Ladder
Drywall knife
Drywall mud
Drywall tape (paper style)
Sanding pad

Instructions

- 1
  Use your drywall knife to scrape away the loose plaster from the area, getting it down to bare lath. Pull away any plaster that moves.
- 2
  Spread drywall mud into the damaged area, on the lath, to a depth of about half an inch. Cover the whole area. (Note: The surface of the new plaster will be indented from the surrounding plaster.)
- 3
  Press strips of drywall tape into the wet plaster, laying them side by side. Fill the inside surface of the hole completely with tape. Don't let the tape come out of the hole at the edges; tear the ends of the tape as necessary to get the right size.
- 4
  Allow the mud to dry for eight hours. Spread a second coat of mud over the tape, making the second coat no more than half an inch thick. Let it dry for eight hours.
- 5
  Spread on a third layer of mud, if necessary to bring the new plaster to the level of the surrounding plaster. Let it dry.
- 6
  Sand the new plaster smooth with a sanding pad. The ceiling is now ready for repainting.

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