Home Fix it Guys...Have A Crack in da Ceiling

[ramprat]

How do I go about fixing it????

Keep in mind I'm fix it stuupid and all thumbs

 

[jvencius]

Burn the house down and start over.


I don't claim that is the best option, but it is an option to consider...

 

[ramprat]

Burn the house down and start over.


I don't claim that is the best option, but it is an option to consider...

Thanks

Ya can see where it has cracked in the past, not looking for a 100% perfect fix as that will require redoing th entire ceiling, just want it to be fixed and not look ugly.

 

[jvencius]

Thanks

Ya can see where it has cracked in the past, not looking for a 100% perfect fix as that will require redoing th entire ceiling, just want it to be fixed and not look ugly.

That'll be tough to do. How big of a repair is involved will depend on how much is going wrong--if a piece of joint tape has come un-done, that's a simple fix but if the drywall has come off the underlying ceiling structure, the repair will be quite a bit more involved. If the drywall has come off of the underlying structure, unless you fix the underlying problem, which will most likely involve tearing the whole ceiling down and fixing whatever's going on structurally behind the sheetrock before starting completely over, the ceiling will keep cracking and the repairs/patches will get more and more obvious. Even if you re-texture that area to blend in the joint compound filling in the gap, you'll still be able to tell since the paint won't match from the patched area of the ceiling to the stuff that was there before.

 

[ramprat]

The insulators were walking on the beams while insulating & that's what caused the crack.

The previous home owners had tons of crap in the attic and I'm assuming they did the same thing as we have never had a problem with it till now (and did not even notice the previous cracks till we were hear a while)

The insulator took $300 off the tab, but I'm starting to think we were scammed as to properly fix it it will cost a ton of $$$

I'd just like it fixed as best as possible for now & if it's a tad off on color we can live with it till the kitchen is redone.

 

[ramprat]

Figure I'll make a trip to Lowe's and get some drywall screws & tape and a can (I'm assuming) of spray on texture & see what happens & then see about matching the paint.

 

[Zookie400]

assuming its just tape popping off....
- furniture out
- drop cloths or resin paper on the floor
- remove the popcorn from the entire ceiling, smooth look is much cleaner anyway.
- removed the tape along the popped joint
- clean out the crack and reset any screws or nails that popped.
- apply compound to the crack (ample not excessive, less is better.)
- apply the new tape
- apply another coat of compound over the tape and smooth it all out
- let it dry, and while it dries you can wash the compound out of your ear (i dont know how, but a big glob always manages to find its way in at least one ear...so annoying)
- sand it, and reapply compound if needed and re-sand until it looks like glass
- dont be afraid to spread the joint 1 1/2' wide if you need to.
- paint it BLUE

now everybody has a different way of doing things from different parts of the country, so im sure someone else will chime in with their way. this is how i have done it since day one with no problems.

if you really like the popcorn you can rent a sprayer, or for the more noticeable and cheap way, its available in aerosol cans for doing just the immediate area. i always say that popcorn is for hiding a piss poor sheet rock/tape job, but thats just my opinion.

also, taping comes with practice, so it may be worth having a buddy around who has done it before who might have a helpful word or two while you are doing it.

 

[RenoF250]

From the picture it looks like the tape is coming off. If that is it you will have to peal the tape off, put on new tape and retexture.

Push up on the ceiling on each side of the crack and see if it moves.
If it does the sheetrock is coming down probably because it was put up with nails. If that is the case, find the studs and screw the sheetrock up with a screw about every 6". That will pull the sheetrock up and make the nailheads stick up. I just pound them back in.

If it doesn't move it is just the tape.

Either way the hardest part by far will be retexturing the ceiling. I would hire someone to do that after you get it fixed and smooth.

I would say it is going to cost more than $300 to fix but what option did the insulation guys have? If you wanted insulation added they had to crawl around up there, not really their fault.

 

[RenoF250]

assuming its just tape popping off....
- furniture out
- drop cloths or resin paper on the floor
- remove the popcorn from the entire ceiling, smooth look is much cleaner anyway.
- removed the tape along the popped joint
- clean out the crack and reset any screws or nails that popped.
- apply compound to the crack (ample not excessive, less is better.)
- apply the new tape
- apply another coat of compound over the tape and smooth it all out
- let it dry, and while it dries you can wash the compound out of your ear (i dont know how, but a big glob always manages to find its way in at least one ear...so annoying)
- sand it, and reapply compound if needed and re-sand until it looks like glass
- dont be afraid to spread the joint 1 1/2' wide if you need to.
- paint it BLUE

now everybody has a different way of doing things from different parts of the country, so im sure someone else will chime in with their way. this is how i have done it since day one with no problems.

if you really like the popcorn you can rent a sprayer, or for the more noticeable and cheap way, its available in aerosol cans for doing just the immediate area. i always say that popcorn is for hiding a piss poor sheet rock/tape job, but thats just my opinion.

also, taping comes with practice, so it may be worth having a buddy around who has done it before who might have a helpful word or two while you are doing it.

Good explanation. I would not recommend the aerosol texture though. I used some of that stuff on a patch and it is so crappy it came off on the roller when I painted it.

Also, I would recommend the adhesive fiber tape. It is easier to put on and much less likely to come off later.

 

[ramprat]

Wow, this is turning into way more than something I can do.

Me thinks I'll have to call the insulator & see what they have to say after getting a few quotes from drywall contractors to fix it properly.