Bad Ceiling Repair

Q: How can I fix the ceiling in the living/dining room of our house? It’s damaged and sagging. Should I remove the entire ceiling and replace it with new drywall? Can I patch the area?

A: If it’s as bad as it sounds, the best I can recommend is replacement of the ceiling with new drywall. On the positive side, you might be able to install it directly over the old ceiling, avoiding a lot of mess and trouble. The trick is to secure the sagging ceiling so it's flat (though not necessarily pretty), before you install anything new. If this proves impossible, then prepare yourself for a prolonged siege and strip back to the ceiling joists. You might consider applying stucco to the new drywall, since it hides minor undulations. The only drawback is that subsequent repair of stucco surfaces isn’t as easy as on smooth drywall.