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elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

Cracking walls and ceilings

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Ceiling above stairs
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Closet above stairs
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Wall between bathroom and office
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Closet Wall
Some 15yrs or so ago, the 2nd floor of my house was renovated by the previous owner.

Steadily over the years I've noticed cracks appearing in walls and ceilings. I've attached some pictures , not the greatest quality, all I have is my Iphone for a camera. Now the one marked closet above stairs, I "fixed' about a year ago, resanded and filled it in, but as you can see the cracks are back.

Short of tearing down each ceiling and wall, I'm at a loss on how to fix it.

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

robbin

Mod

said by elwoodblues:

Now the one marked closet above stairs, I "fixed' about a year ago, resanded and filled it in, but as you can see the cracks are back

Please give us all the details of your "fix".

Coma
Thanks Steve
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand

Coma to elwoodblues

Premium Member

to elwoodblues
said by elwoodblues:

Some 15yrs or so ago, the 2nd floor of my house was renovated by the previous owner.

Steadily over the years I've noticed cracks appearing in walls and ceilings. I've attached some pictures , not the greatest quality, all I have is my Iphone for a camera. Now the one marked closet above stairs, I "fixed' about a year ago, resanded and filled it in, but as you can see the cracks are back.

Short of tearing down each ceiling and wall, I'm at a loss on how to fix it.


Was their ever a second floor or did the previous owner add the second floor ?

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

said by Coma:

said by elwoodblues:

Some 15yrs or so ago, the 2nd floor of my house was renovated by the previous owner.

Steadily over the years I've noticed cracks appearing in walls and ceilings. I've attached some pictures , not the greatest quality, all I have is my Iphone for a camera. Now the one marked closet above stairs, I "fixed' about a year ago, resanded and filled it in, but as you can see the cracks are back.

Short of tearing down each ceiling and wall, I'm at a loss on how to fix it.


Was their ever a second floor or did the previous owner add the second floor ?

Always 2nd floor
elwoodblues

elwoodblues to robbin

Premium Member

to robbin
said by robbin:

said by elwoodblues:

Now the one marked closet above stairs, I "fixed' about a year ago, resanded and filled it in, but as you can see the cracks are back

Please give us all the details of your "fix".

Filled it in with Drywall mud and sanded it down.

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

robbin

Mod

Remove loose tape, mud, etc. Refasten with drywall screws. Then V out the crack with a sharp knife, use mesh tape, float, texture, paint.

alkizmo
join:2007-06-25
Pierrefonds, QC

alkizmo to elwoodblues

Member

to elwoodblues
Those are ghost cracks.
Your top floor is haunted by the dead bodies the previous owner had turned into pulp to make the dry walls.

Just hire a priest and a monk and a rabbi, cover all bases.

Vamp
5c077
Premium Member
join:2003-01-28
MD

Vamp to elwoodblues

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to elwoodblues
Looks like pretty normal aging to me, things shift, sag from weight and shrink/expand combined with vibration and old drywall, it will crack.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

But the "closet" wall after one year? (It's the wall you see going down the stairs)

guppy_fish
Premium Member
join:2003-12-09
Palm Harbor, FL

guppy_fish to elwoodblues

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to elwoodblues
The cracks don't look like drywall, it looks like plaster.

Filling in plaster cracks with drywall mud won't do anything and what ever is causing the cracks will just reappear as drywall mud is very soft compared to plaster

As to a long term fix, I would suggest 1/4" drywall over the plaster, that will eliminate the existing crack/stress points from being visible

The cause is the lathe is shifting with settling of the studs the lathe is attached too. Lathe is typically only single nail per stud so the lathe racks as the studs move which cracks the plaster

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

said by guppy_fish:

The cracks don't look like drywall, it looks like plaster.

Filling in plaster cracks with drywall mud won't do anything and what ever is causing the cracks will just reappear as drywall mud is very soft compared to plaster

As to a long term fix, I would suggest 1/4" drywall over the plaster, that will eliminate the existing crack/stress points from being visible

The cause is the lathe is shifting with settling of the studs the lathe is attached too. Lathe is typically only single nail per stud so the lathe racks as the studs move which cracks the plaster

So I understand , you are suggesting I just put drywall over the plaster and be done with it?

The house is over 100yrs old, why would it still be settling?

guppy_fish
Premium Member
join:2003-12-09
Palm Harbor, FL

guppy_fish

Premium Member

Yes, over the plaster, 1/4" drywall, that's why they make the thin boards.

Old homes are not immune to movement, in your area the foundations are Feildstone and the ground is clay, which expands and contracts with the seasons.

100 years ago there was no code, and framing was left to the person whom built the house and their budget. Some houses were built like forts, other utilized scraps or undersized lumber ... I've seen first hand in Mass both types

stevek1949
We're not in Kansas anymore
Premium Member
join:2002-11-13
Virginia Beach, VA

stevek1949 to elwoodblues

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to elwoodblues
Were there any walls ever moved on the first floor? It's a shot in the dark, but it may have had loads on the second floor unsupported on the first. This would cause a lot of movement upstairs.

Just a guess.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

said by stevek1949:

Were there any walls ever moved on the first floor? It's a shot in the dark, but it may have had loads on the second floor unsupported on the first. This would cause a lot of movement upstairs.

Just a guess.

Not that I recall, it was pretty much isolated to the 2nd floor.