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Plaster ceilings can sag for several reasons. In some cases, the plaster and other building materials shift and come apart over time, which is why you’ll commonly find drooping plaster ceilings in older homes. Improper installation, foot traffic, and water damage—often from a leaky roof or a broken pipe—can also cause plaster ceilings to sag.

Whether a drywall anchor can be reused depends on its material, type, and the method of removal. Plastic anchors, including expansion and self-drilling types, are generally designed for single use as they tend to break or deform upon removal. Metal anchors, such as toggle bolts, are more durable and may be reusable if they are not damaged during extraction. However, with toggle bolts, the toggle piece can fall into the wall cavity when the bolt is removed, making it difficult to retrieve. If an anchor is damaged during removal, for instance by having its head cut off, it cannot be reused regardless of the material.

If your premixed drywall mud is dried out or has begun to set in the bucket, you may be able to revive it by adding warm water and stirring. However, the first and most important step is to scrape off any hard, dried bits of drywall that may have accumulated toward the top of the container and throw them away because they will not easily reconstitute back into the drywall mud mix.

You can put certain types of plaster over other types, but doing so isn't always the best idea. For example, putting a coat of gypsum over lime plaster is possible, but doing so will limit the lime plaster's breathability and potentially affect its performance.

Since cement plaster tends to leave a textured surface, no matter how much you smooth it, some people prefer to use gypsum plaster as a topcoat over cement plaster, creating a smoother surface.