Removing False Ceilings from an Old Home

Our home was built over 106 years ago.  We fell in love with the woodwork and craftsmanship we found in its construction.  However, there were a few modifications made to our home over the decades that we have been meaning to address.  Recently, I was given an opportunity to take care of one.

Sometime in the 1950's the 2nd owners of the property installed a false ceiling in the bathroom. There has not been a vent fan in the bathroom and I assumed the false ceiling was installed to reduce hot and humid air from collecting near the ceiling and mildewing the wallpaper.

I began the job by using my skill saw to slice a section parallel to the ceiling joists and removing pieces.

The ceiling was made of 1/4" plywood that had been textured with sheetrocking mud.

 
Once the panel was completely removed, it exposed an interesting electrical improvisation. It appears that the ceiling was installed to cover up poor quality wallpaper that was damaged by moisture.

I cut the ceiling joists with a skill saw and pulled them down.  When the previous owners installed the false ceiling, they didn't know where the wall studs were. So, they just chiseled holes in the plaster until they found them.  I guess that is one way to do it.  Fortunately for them, a false ceiling can cover up a lot of sins.

It also masked the improvised electrical situation.

   Our bathroom just got a lot bigger.  But, we have a lot of wall patching, texture, and sanding ahead of us.  When that is done, we will be repainting.  Stay tuned for more updates on this fun project.