A "Controlled" Drop

When we took the walls down that had been built around the staircase and landing on the second floor, we discovered that an interesting approach had been taken in the past to fix a problematic plaster ceiling.  The sagging ceiling was framed in and then covered with a thin layer of drywall that completely masked the flaws, but in effect, left a potential collapsed ceiling waiting to happen:

We opted for a "controlled drop" of the ceiling instead of waiting for a sudden collapse.  We prepared by laying tarp to catch the plaster and to protect the staircase.  We both donned our Tyvek suits, OSHA approved face masks and goggles. (I was taking the pictures, so thankfully, there is no documentation of me in this very attractive safety gear.)  In the below picture you can really see the sagging plaster barely supported by the frame that had been built around it as Rob starts the "drop" process. 



Rob had the framing and plaster down in a short amount of time.



The pictures don't reflect it, but the actual "drop," although controlled, was really quite messy.  I was a bit too busy helping (and dodging flying plaster) to get many action shots of everything coming down, but trust me, it was a sight, and although the tarp caught much of the droppings, it took quite a while to get the mess all cleaned up and hauled out to the dumpster.  Plaster is actually pretty heavy when you have to haul it down a flight of stairs.

The end result isn't all that attractive, but hopefully it will be, someday.