Hairline crack in Bathroom Ceiling....HELP

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Chris in Calgary

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I have been renovating my house for the last 2 years and am finally reaching completion.
However, I was going to paint the ceiling in my master bath but I have noticed a slight hairline crack forming in the stipple. It runs parallel with the joists, is about 1/16" in width, and is about 20" long.
Above the master bath is an empty attic, save the insulation.

What should I do? Paint it and allow the paint to fill the void or do I need to be more proactive?


Thanks.
 

Gary Swart

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Paint will not fill the void. Once it dries, the crack will return. One method of fixing cracks I have used with success is to use a piece of panty hose and mud over that. Fiberglass tape would also work. Paper tape would likely split along the crack. Feather the mud on both sides of the crack.
 

Statjunk

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Did you drywall that room? If so do you know if there is a seam there?

If you know there is a seam there I'd try to catch the joist with some long screws. Use a stud finder. Then patch.

If not I would grind the crack larger, then re-mud it and paint it. If it comes back then try something more advanced like suggested above.

Tom
 

Gary Swart

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It doesn't matter if there is a seam there or not. Probably is, that's why it cracked, but the stocking or fiberglass tape will bridge the crack it it won't reappear. You can't prevent cracks in drywall seams without tape of some kind. You can fill it, sand, and paint, but it will come back.
 

Krow

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I thought that I would chime in on this thread to share my tussle with a crack in my ceiling.

I moved in to my home about 8 years ago and I noticed a crack in my living/dining room ceiling, running about 13' long and into my plaster crown mouldings. (The smarty pants that I am)I figured a bit of fibermesh tape and druabond 90 and all be would good again.

So, I patched the crack with fibre mesh, some durabond 90 and re-stippled my ceiling. All looked good and you could not even tell anything had been there.

The following year, the exact same crack developed on the ceiling and crown mouldings, but with a vengence. I scratched my head trying to fugure out why it got worse. So, I chose to leave it for the time being and I would get back to it at a later date. In the meantime, I had a few neigbours over for dinner (they knew the previous owners of the house quite well (they have been in my home before I moved in. We got on the subject of the ceiling and they told me that the crack had been there since the house was built in 1951.:eek:

It comes and goes. In the winter time, the crack opens up and in the summer time, it closes up tighter than a cat's behind in frigid waters.

It seems that the gyproc seams and plaster do not like to be joined together on this supporting wood beam. So, no matter what I am going to throw up on the ceiling, its not going to last longer than 2 years because of the constant seasonal humidity and temperature changes.

So the only thing I could think of, is to tare down the entire ceiling and re-drywal with no seams or nails/screws on this beam.I figure that the drywall, given the oppurtunity, should flex with the seasonal temperature changes, and it should be rid of this chronic problem. (this is a project for this coming summer)
 
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Statjunk

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Sometimes a crack will appear because there is settling. Those kind of cracks can usually be repaired simply by filling the crack. No need to get crazy if you don't have to.

At least that's been my experience.

Tom
 

Lakee911

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I thought that I would chime in on this thread to share my tussle with a crack in my ceiling.

I moved in to my home about 8 years ago and I noticed a crack in my living/dining room ceiling, running about 13' long and into my plaster crown mouldings. (The smarty pants that I am)I figured a bit of fibermesh tape and druabond 90 and all be would good again.

So, I patched the crack with fibre mesh, some durabond 90 and re-stippled my ceiling. All looked good and you could not even tell anything had been there.

The following year, the exact same crack developed on the ceiling and crown mouldings, but with a vengence. I scratched my head trying to fugure out why it got worse. So, I chose to leave it for the time being and I would get back to it at a later date. In the meantime, I had a few neigbours over for dinner (they knew the previous owners of the house quite well (they have been in my home before I moved in. We got on the subject of the ceiling and they told me that the crack had been there since the house was built in 1951.:eek:

It comes and goes. In the winter time, the crack opens up and in the summer time, it closes up tighter than a cat's behind in frigid waters.

It seems that the gyproc seams and plaster do not like to be joined together on this supporting wood beam. So, no matter what I am going to throw up on the ceiling, its not going to last longer than 2 years because of the constant seasonal humidity and temperature changes.

So the only thing I could think of, is to tare down the entire ceiling and re-drywal with no seams or nails/screws on this beam.I figure that the drywall, given the oppurtunity, should flex with the seasonal temperature changes, and it should be rid of this chronic problem. (this is a project for this coming summer)

It'll probably just show up some place else ... :D
 
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