decorative
Ceiling roses and decorative mouldings
A plaster ceiling rose costs £120 to £320 supplied and fitted, depending on the diameter and the depth of the detail. Matching a damaged original means taking a squeeze from it and casting a replacement, which is quoted per job.
What this covers
What it costs. A plaster ceiling rose costs £120 to £320 supplied and fitted. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Fitting a plaster ceiling rose around an existing pendant
- Matching a damaged rose to the original pattern
- Fitting corbels, panel mouldings or a dado rail in plaster
- Casting a replacement section from a mould taken on site
- Making good the ceiling around a restored rose
What is involved
A ceiling rose is a cast plaster centre, screwed and adhered to the ceiling with the pendant coming through the middle. Stock patterns cover most Victorian and Edwardian houses well enough that a replacement in the right diameter will not look wrong, and they are cheap. The awkward cases are the ones where the original survives in part.
Where a rose is damaged rather than missing, the work is casting. A squeeze is taken in silicone from a sound section, a mould is made, and the missing piece is cast in fibrous plaster and let in. It is slow and it is the only way to match a pattern nobody sells. The same technique covers corbels, panel mouldings and the enriched sections of a cornice.
The detail that catches people out is depth. A rose sits proud of the ceiling by twenty to forty millimetres and the pendant flex has to reach through it, so the electrician wants to know before the ceiling is finished rather than after.
Fitting a plaster ceiling rose around an existing pendant, one of the jobs a ceiling roses and mouldings specialist is hired for.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask whether they are fitting a stock rose or matching an existing pattern, since those are different skills. Ask the diameter and hold a paper template up to the ceiling before agreeing, because roses look smaller in a catalogue than on a ceiling. And coordinate with whoever is fitting the light.
Common questions
Can a broken ceiling rose be repaired?
Yes, if enough of the pattern survives to take a mould from. A squeeze is taken in silicone, a section is cast in fibrous plaster and let in. It is the only way to match a pattern that is no longer made.
What size ceiling rose should I have?
Roughly a sixth to a fifth of the shorter wall length is a reasonable starting point, and a paper template held up to the ceiling settles it faster than any rule. Victorian rooms usually carry more than people expect.