Cracks In My Drywall Ceiling

Whether drywall plaster or concrete walls are susceptible to cracks even walls in newly built homes are prone to cracks which normally occur from settling.

Cracks in my drywall ceiling.

I have cracked ceilings in my kitchen dining room hall and sitting room. They are very deep and all across the ceiling. This type of crack suggest that there may be a structural issue i e. If the crack is vertical and starts near the apex where the wall and ceiling meet it might be a sign that it was created when the foundation settled after construction.

Homes naturally settle as they age which can create crevices in the walls and ceilings typically above doors. Fill the crack with new drywall compound and apply a thin coat of compound to the wall surface where the old tape was removed. Ceiling cracks accompanied by wall cracks could be the result of the house settling. Repairing cracks in walls the best way to repair a crack in drywall is to re tape the joint.

Ceiling cracks generally follow the joints between drywall sheets and as long as they remain minor with widths of less than 1 8 inch you can patch them with tape and joint compound. This occurs because there is a joint which gets drywall taped and then layered with two or three coats of drywall mud. Prevent their recurrence by using fiberglass mesh drywall tape and setting type joint compound to make rock hard joints. My painter has filled the cracks several times for me but they keep reoccurring.

Homes with vaulted ceilings may develop these cracks in the higher areas as well. The house is forty years old and i am told this happened when someone walked in the attic and cracked the ceilings. This is a sign of structural damage usually related to a weak wall. Basically a continuous crack going through the ceiling and the wall.

Cracks that cause concern are those which run across the length of a ceiling and then continue down a wall along the same line. A foundation issue or framing issue. Additionally drywall cracks are often found where two pieces of drywall are butted together. This involves scraping away the loose tape and crumbled bits of drywall mud sanding the surface smooth.

Ceiling cracks that run across the ceiling to the wall and then downward on the wall.