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Cracks Around Where Walls Meet Ceiling

6K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  Nealtw 
#1 ·
Hi all,

Around my master bedroom, I have noticed cracks starting to form. I think they are slowly getting worse but I don't know what the problem is. That is what I am looking for right now: a diagnosis.

I had a new roof put on two years ago and the roofers said that the beams that hold up the room were just fine, inspecting them before laying on the new roof.

There was also the hurricane, but there was no water leak or anything I could tell, during or since.

I wanted to add some more pictures, but I guess the limit is 6 or so. Some parts of the room have no cracks where the ceiling meets the wall, but I would say 2/3 of the room have some kind of crack where the trim meets the ceiling. Some of the cracks are wider than they appear in the camera. In other places, I can see little cracks starting to form.

There are no cracks in the middle of the ceiling and no part of the ceiling is bulging. There are no cracks in the walls either.

Any help would be appreciated as to what is going on here and what I should worry about.
 

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#13 ·
The cracks have been around for a couple months, and maybe just this last month I got worried about them. I never had (or noticed) the cracks before, but I do see them now, so I don't think I would have missed them if they had not been there.
It isn't uncommon for cracks to appear once you turn the heat on, especially if you don't run a humidifier. Often these cracks will appear to go away once the heat is no longer needed.
 
#7 ·
The problem is so obvious. In the 3rd pic in the original post, you can see that the stars & the planets are not aligned properly. What's your sign?

Sorry, just kidding. I couldn't resist. The ceiling isn't going to fall. I would tart with something simple as Mark suggested & maybe add the hurricane tie downs as Neal suggested before anything else.
 
#10 ·
Hi all,

Okay, I feel better now. The joke about the stars and planets not aligned is funny, as there is so much in construction that isn't aligned....:smile:

I'll look for the hurricane ties tomorrow as it is already late today. The cracks have been around for a couple months, and maybe just this last month I got worried about them. I never had (or noticed) the cracks before, but I do see them now, so I don't think I would have missed them if they had not been there.

This is really helps out a lot. I appreciate you all giving me advise on this.
 
#3 ·
I agree, if you have trusses and not rafters. this is a common problem that comes with all kinds of competing explanations. You would expect the worst to be at interior walls and getting better toward the outside wall. If this is the problem it will change with the season of the year.
 
#5 ·
Here is what the space looks like above the ceiling in question and under the roof. Are these trussels or rafters?

I admit, I will probably have someone in my area do this job, might be too much to do for me on my own. But, I can get some help here.

Is the ceiling in danger of falling on top of me?

How much should a job like this cost? I just want a ballpark number so I know what to expect and don't get ripped off, or someone tells me I need to buy a bunch of stuff I don't need.

How long should a job like this take?

If there is an article I can read--just to have some background information on this--about what the main materials and procedure are. That would be really helpful.
 

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#6 ·
Here is what the space looks like above the ceiling in question and under the roof. Are these trussels or rafters?

I admit, I will probably have someone in my area do this job, might be too much to do for me on my own. But, I can get some help here.

Is the ceiling in danger of falling on top of me?

How much should a job like this cost? I just want a ballpark number so I know what to expect and don't get ripped off, or someone tells me I need to buy a bunch of stuff I don't need.

How long should a job like this take?

If there is an article I can read--just to have some background information on this--about what the main materials and procedure are. That would be really helpful.
So you don't have trusses and previous statements don't count.

I think now you have to look at possible hurricane damage.

If you dare get over to where the roof meets the wall you want to look to see if you have hurricane ties.
They should be there to stop the wind from lifting the roof off the house.
You would only see the top part of one these. There are a few different styles.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=hurr...04XZAhWEiVQKHQ-cDuUQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=970
 
#11 ·
Also, I just thought of a question. When you say: "If you dare get over to where the roof meets the wall" how do I get over there? I feel like I would have to walk on the beams but would that support my weight? I feel like I would need to get a flat board to put across several beams (the furnace that you can't see but is behind me is on a bunch of boards I can be on, walk, sit, crouch, etc). Would that work? If I can't walk across those beams, how would anyone else get to the edge of the roof where it meets the ceiling?
 
#12 ·
A board would be good as you have to get on your knees to get to what you want to see. The tricky part is the insulation. You don't want to much under the board. you would like the board to be sitting on the joists.
It will take some digging in there. you may find some bat insulation right over the wall, try not to move that much it keeps the loose insulation from going out to the soffet. You will be looking by feel and that should work.
The hangers are usually on the inside but a retrofit will have them on the outside of the wall and harder to find by feel..
 
#15 ·
If you hired a structural engineer at $200-$300 hour who was straight with you, he would say just caulk it and see if it happens again. Caulk is intended for corners, and now you can see why. If you were having structural problems, the crack would be big enough to stick your fingers into.
 
#17 ·
There was also the hurricane, And there is a crack around the ceiling.

It's not like we have never seen a roof blow off. It is not like we know ties are installed to prevent a problem.
Whether the hurricane is the cause or not you should know that the roof can take it.

But it will be cheaper to think wood will swell and engineers are a waste of money.
 
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