Take a crack at identifying your ceiling’s fine lines
Ceiling cracks aren’t just an eyesore—they can also be a sign of serious structural damage. Whether or not you need to take action depends on what’s causing the ceiling cracks in your home. Use this guide to the seven most common types of ceiling cracks to help you determine when you should hire a professional and when you can simply give your home a new coat of paint.
Hairline cracks are thin, resembling hair, and appear when temperatures or humidity levels fluctuate drastically. When this happens, the plaster swells or shrinks, resulting in harmless cosmetic cracks. You can easily cover this up with a fresh coat of paint, but remove flaky, old paint first to prevent hairline cracks from reappearing prematurely, as old paint can also contribute to hairline cracks.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Fine, uneven, surface-level |
| Harm level | Minimal |
| Location | Walls and ceilings |
If you see straight cracks, there’s a good chance that the drywall was applied incorrectly during construction. If the installer didn’t use enough drywall plaster, then the drywall tape won’t adhere correctly, resulting in ceiling cracks along drywall seams—exactly where the drywall tape runs along the joints.
Although unsightly, straight cracks are another cosmetic issue that everyday DIYers can address themselves. Repairing ceiling cracks starts with cleaning the area, injecting joint compound beneath the loose drywall tape, and repainting the ceiling.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Single, straight crack |
| Harm level | Minimal |
| Location | Drywall tape edges |
When yellow or brown discoloration accompanies your ceiling cracks, that means trouble—water damage trouble, to be precise. Discolored cracks can appear near plumbing via leaks and roofing or gutter problems. Though discoloration isn’t a direct sign of severe structural problems, if left untreated, leaks can cause serious and costly damage.
You’ll want to know who to call for a ceiling repair where there’s water damage. Hire a local plumber to handle leaks, and then follow up with a ceiling contractor to repair this type of ceiling crack.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Yellow or brown cracks |
| Harm level | Moderate to extreme |
| Location | Anywhere leaks can occur |
Much like, well—a spiderweb—spiderweb cracks resemble webs, with one focal crack and several others leading away from the main crack. These types of ceiling cracks can vary in size and severity. Smaller cracks may be cosmetic or a sign of inferior workmanship.
For instance, if the person who applied the drywall to your home used too much, the drywall can crack from temperature and humidity fluctuations. Larger spiderweb cracks can signify a structural issue, such as foundation settling.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Spiderweb-like cracks |
| Harm level | Mild to moderate |
| Location | Walls and ceilings |
Two types of cracks can occur between the wall and the ceiling. One is a crack that starts on the ceiling and stops at the wall. The other is a crack that runs from the ceiling down the wall. If you have the latter, then there’s a chance your home has structural damage, called truss uplift, that requires prompt attention. This is where your roof trusses shift due to changes in temperature or humidity. Fixing truss uplift is not a DIY project and can’t be solved with a simple coat of paint. It requires a pro to climb into the attic and disconnect the trusses from the interior walls.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Long cracks that vary in size |
| Harm level | Moderate to severe |
| Location | Between the wall and the ceiling |
Large cracks of any kind usually mean structural damage—especially if they’re accompanied by sagging. In the case of sagging, this is a major warning sign of ceiling collapse. You should contact a local ceiling repair company pronto if you have ceiling cracks larger than 1/8th of an inch to rule out structural problems. Ceiling repair costs for cracks that aren’t cosmetic fall between $500 and $1,300 on average.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Wider than 1/8 inch |
| Harm level | Moderate to severe |
| Location | Ceilings and walls |
Sagging ceiling cracks often appear in the center of the ceiling, indicating structural damage. These types of cracks can occur as a result of too much weight on the floor above, but water damage and foundation settling can also contribute to the sagging of ceiling cracks. Generally speaking, the larger the cracks, the worse the damage.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Large, sagging cracks |
| Harm level | Severe |
| Location | Center of the ceiling |
Not all ceiling cracks are the same in terms of severity. It’s important to know the signs of a more serious problem before you take out your paint supplies and simply paint over the cracks. Here are signs that your ceiling cracks are the result of a structural issue:
Your doors and windows stick or close too easily.
The floors are uneven and sloped.
You see cracks in your flooring that cross multiple tiles or planks.
The walls appear bowed.
The moldings in your home are also cracked or displaced.
There are patio, stairway, chimney, garage, and/or driveway cracks.
Your home’s exterior masonry contains cracks.
There’s water in the basement.
Don’t wait for cracks to worsen. If you notice any of these signs coinciding with ceiling cracks of any type, contact a ceiling repair pro near you right away to get to the underlying cause.
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RPC ContractingEdgar was great. Gave me a prompt estimate, came on time, performed the repair, cleaned up after himself... will definitely hire him for future repairs.
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This work was done in late summer 2019. The review is late in posting due to my own reluctance with social media; my apologies to Charlie and the crew at Rolling Stone for not being more timely with this review. A rotting wooden retaining wall (about 60' long) was replaced with a paver block...
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