I've fixed leaks above my plaster-and-lath-and-chicken-wire ceiling, and now I need to fix the ceiling below it.
The ceiling is a sandwich of wood lath on top, then 1/4" of solid plaster, then chicken wire, then more plaster. The latter plaster layer is peeling off in sheets because it's not a solid layer like the upper one, but instead it's layered with several coats. The lath is in good shape and not rotted.
I'm not sure I'm ready for the amount of work required to replace the entire ceiling with drywall (or to cover the ceiling with drywall). Ideally I could just patch the bad area of the ceiling, which is about 3 feet square.
What's the recommended way to do such a large patch to a plaster ceiling? Should I leave the chicken wire and put 1/4" drywall on top of it? Or remove all plaster? Any other suggestions?