Water Damage in ceiling thats Plaster & Slats

[coolcarl007]

New to the forum so first of hello lol. I'm sure now that I've found this place i will be using it frequently. We are living a house thats been in the family for around 100 years or so and I am trying to get started on some repairs before winter hits. The worst problem we have at the moment besides the foundation (which is bad) is almost the entire house's walls & ceilings are done in the old plaster & wood slat style. The only horrible spot that needs immediate attention is the ceiling going down stairs into our basement. I took some pictures to give you guys an idea of what i have to deal with...

http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/o...N/P1011385.jpg
http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/o...N/P1011386.jpg
http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/o...N/P1011387.jpg
http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/o...N/P1011388.jpg

We obviously have/had a water leak, i got up on the roof and squirted expanding foam into a spot in between where the roof meets against a drop down section of roof and i "think" that stopped the leak as i haven't heard any water or noticed wet spots since then. I'm just really unsure on how to go about fixing that spot. I thought about making sure the water leak was gone then hanging up a thin sheet of OSB as a temp fix but there may be an easier way. At some point and time after we get the foundation taken care of which is the next project i'll be posting about, i will be trying to redo the walls once i'm sure the house won't move/settle anymore. I'm pretty handy and have done a little bit of everything including sheetrock but like i said i've never dealt with this plaster stuff so any help would be appreciated greatly

[Drywall DIY Guy]

I am not so sure about that expanding foam. Generally one uses roofing tar on a leak. But before patching, make sure your flashing is correct at your roof joint. You may even wish to hire a roofer or carpenter to make the repair - it has to be water tight and hold up to the sun and the elements for years.

With respect to the lathe and plaster, it almost looks like you would be better off stripping all of this down to the studs and putting up drywall. But first make sure the leak is fixed! For drywall finishing info, go to Taping Drywall Step by Step Instructions - How To Tape Drywall

Finishing a stair area is always difficult. You may wish to build some temporary scaffolding.

[Kaite]

What is the best way to repair thin cracks in this type of walls and ceilings? Should I use tape/fiberglass? Short of ripping it all down and putting up dry wall what would be the best way to fix it?

Thanks in advance...

[Allison1888]

Given that these are sizable repairs, I'd recommend finding a contractor or handyman with knowledge of plaster repair to work with you for a few days. Yes, you'll spend a little money, but it will be well spent to learn first hand the right way to do things. You'll avoid major headaches trying to fumble through it yourself.