Another easier, and much less expensive approach is to use a sealer. I have a problem with paint peeling from the ceilings in my 1940 house. I tried scraping the flakes and skimming it with spackle, but the flaking continued. My house was apparently built before building code adherence was required, hence my joists are undersized and not a candidate for the extra weight of additional drywall. A friend suggested that the ceilings may have wallpaper on them as well as many coats of paint. I scraped my entire living room ceiling, not removing all of the old surface, but any flakes and spots that looked "loose." A paint scraper works well for this. Then, to prevent additonal flaking of the old material, I applied a coat of Zinnser Gardz for problem surfaces to the entire ceiling. Next, spackle any uneven places, sand to smooth, and then paint with ordinary paint. It worked great and 18 months later

, no recurrence of flaking. The Zinnser product is only $26-29 per gallon and has great coverage. After renovating a number of houses over the years I am surprised that few, including myself, have ever heard of this product, even contractors who provided estimates for the repair. It's an easy DIY fix!

Thank you so much! We will definitely look into this process.

I would definitely go with the drywall application. It’s a much better look and long lasting.

J Design Group - Miami Interior Designers
225 Malaga Ave
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Ph: 305-444-4611
https://www.JDesignGroup.com

Since the ceiling is already having issues I can’t see how skim coating would work . I would however want to know the reason the ceiling is peeling, like is there a moisture issue somewhere before covering it with new drywall.

No water issue. We did dormer the house about 25 years ago. It has three big bedrooms and one bathroom and has no clutter. We think it could be the weight after all these years affecting the plaster ceiling.