Roof Sagging Some Cracks In The Plaster

Spacing of ceiling joist or trusses.

Roof sagging some cracks in the plaster.

Water leaks will cause the wood of the lath that holds plaster to become soft and then cup and bow allowing the plaster to sag. Insert a 1 5 8 inch drywall screw through the center of a plaster washer. Use your drill to drive the screw into the sagging plaster a few inches from the edge of any holes you created in step 1. A group of cracks converging in one direction are often signs of settling.

This is a sign of structural damage usually related to a weak wall stud or perhaps something that was jarred loose in an earthquake or the settling of the home over time. Whether you patch or replace the sagging plaster depends on the extent of the damage. If you have wider cracks or sections of loose plaster the lath system beneath the plaster is likely failing in which case the plaster should be removed and replaced with drywall. Settlement cracks if a part of the house is sagging you may find converging cracks running across your plaster walls.

However the ceiling will need to be replaced if the entire section is sagging. In addition water damage from roof or plumbing leaks can discolor plaster and cause peeling or efflorescence the leaching of salts and minerals to the surface. Again the size of the. Spread drop cloths on the floor and set a sturdy stepladder under the section of the ceiling you want to repair.

If the plaster feels spongy or gives under your hand pressure it s a sign that the key strength has been lost. For these small cracks the easiest solution is to use a 5 in 1 tool to dig any loose plaster out of the cracks very gently and then fill them with a spackling paste or joint compound. If you have a rough texture or sanded plaster you can add some sand to your spackle or use a sponge to match the texture as closely as possible. If it s not repaired the plaster ceiling can collapse.

If the ceiling joists or trusses supporting the ceiling drywall is spaced too far apart then sagging may result and the stress from this may create cracks. Left untreated ceiling cracks will enlarge or the weight of a sagging plaster ceiling can pull the surrounding ceiling down with it. If you have sags in a plaster ceiling press upward on the area with the flat of your hand. Cracks on a sagging or bowed ceiling.

If a ceiling is bowed sagging or dropped down then the reason may relate to a structural issues. Earthquakes are unkind to plaster walls as evidenced by this deep crack. Broken lath and other such damage also allow plaster sections to pull away from the ceiling.