Cracks where the wall meets the ceiling are usually due to foundation settlement. Foundation settlement happens when the soil around and underneath your home undergoes a shift in placement or composition. Extreme weather, vibrations from earthquakes, maturing vegetation, and soil consolidation can all play a role in foundation settlement.
When foundation settlement occurs, the walls of your home can shift as well. This causes a crack where there wall meets the ceiling. Check back periodically. Most ceiling cracks are merely cosmetic. If they bother you, they can often be repaired. But cracks may also indicate an underlying problem. So when should you start to worry? There are two kinds of problems associated with ceiling cracks; structural problems and foundational problems.
The foundation is the base of your house — what separates the rooms where you live from the soil below. The longer foundation problems go undetected, the more difficult they are to solve, so in a way, a ceiling crack can be a helpful warning sign to the attentive homeowner.
Structural problems in a traditional wood-framed house would include weak or missing studs and joists, and could compromise your immediate safety. If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you should have a building professional evaluate it as soon as possible. The worst-case scenario is, of course, ceiling collapse. Might mean the ceiling is pulling away from its fasteners. First, remove the drywall from your ceiling, use a knife to cut away where the molding meets the drywall. Mark existing fixtures on your new drywall and create a pencil outline so you can cut out holes for them later.
Next, sand the edges of your drywall, so they all have clean, straight edges. Use t-braces to keep your drywall in place. These keep the drywall to the ceiling while the adhesive sets. Click here to purchase a drywall adhesive from Amazon. Cracks that look like spiderwebs are usually from foundational settling.
For small, quick fixes, check out a drywall repair from Amazon here. The trusses of a roof are designed to shift and move as the wood expands and contracts with constantly changing humidity and heat. The trusses could shift and lift your ceiling away from your wall. Even a heavy windstorm can shift the trusses enough to cause the ceiling to lift away and cause a gap between the wall.
This especially common when drywall on a non-load-bearing wall is incorrectly attached to the ceiling. Because these cracks do not result from compromised structural integrity, you can cover it up with a layer of paint or placing crown molding along the ceiling. If there are large cracks in the center of your ceiling accompanied by a bow, it usually means there is serious structural damage. These can be caused by excess weight on the floor above the ceiling, heavy water damage, or even excessive settling.
Ceiling cracks can also be caused by poor workmanship. All buildings — wood, concrete, steel, or something else — move. This imperceptible movement is caused by various things including seasonal temperature changes which cause the soil underneath the building to shrink and expand, as well as the kind of natural settling that happens over time to all structures. Because of this movement, a certain number of cracks in ceilings and walls are to be expected, and usually nothing to worry about.
However, some cracks indicate a serious structural problem. So, you need to know how to spot those. If you see any of these cracks, start looking for other signs of structural damage. This will help you determine if the cracks are serious.
Signs of structural damage include…. Also think about whether there have been any recent earthquakes, landslides, problems with sinkholes, or anything else that could have caused structural damage.
All homes — even brand new homes — settle into the soil. When this happens you will see a few small cracks appear here and there, including on the ceiling. Most of the time, these small cracks do not indicate a major structural issue. Ceiling cracks are common and usually not a major concern.
The older the home, the more likely for cracks to appear. Hi Robert, Yes the older the home the more likely you are to see cracks in the stucco and ceiling however, without a professionals opinion it can be hard to say what the problem is. Here at Bay Area Underpinning we offer homeowners a free inspection and estimate.
You mentioned that there were some major problems that could be the cause of the crack, but most of the time it is something that wont cause issues. What is the best way to figure out what reason is causing the cracks? Hi Shaylee, the best way to figure out what the reason is to the cause of cracking in your parents home would be to have a professional take a look at the foundation and take elevations of the home to see if there is settlement issues. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Northern California can depend on us for expert foundation repair and replacement services such as push piers, polyurethane foam injection, helical piers and more. Although cracks along the edges of a ceiling are a normal part of a home's settling or movement, cracks across the middle of a room can be problematic.
Wide, long and multiple cracks mean it's time to call a professional. Tim Anderson has been freelance writing since He spent more than 15 years as a third-generation tile and stone contractor before transitioning into freelance writing. By Tim Anderson Updated December 15,
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