I don't think I'd a said it that way...

[GeorgeParker]

Someone is coming on Monday to give me an estimate on fixing drywall ceiling cracks. The email they sent me to confirm the appointment ends with this line:

"When we finish your repair, it will just be a bad memory!"

I don't think I would have phrased it that way. ;)

[SteveinMN]

Yeah, the relative timings expressed in that statement don't necessarily work in their favor.

[rosarugosa]

Yes, I think they should avoid printing this on their business cards.

[Rogar]

I've certainly had that experience with a few home repair "experts".

[Rosemary]

reminds me of the time that a company used the song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in an advertising campaign.
It was particularly memorable for me because I worked for the company at the time (maybe they should have had their engineers assist marketing).

[CathyA]

Someone is coming on Monday to give me an estimate on fixing drywall ceiling cracks. The email they sent me to confirm the appointment ends with this line:

"When we finish your repair, it will just be a bad memory!"

I don't think I would have phrased it that way. ;)

This is more to your ceiling problems. I only have 1 crack in a ceiling that goes across the opening from the bedroom to a small hallway. Just curious about your problem. Do you think there's a reason that ceilings' drywall cracks? Is it usually from settling? This has gone on since they built our addition 25 years ago and it seems to grow a bit every year. Just curious if you've ever heard of the likely cause of ceiling cracks. Good luck with yours, and I hope their work isn't the bad memory they talk about. ;)

[Yppej]

I am curious about this too. Some of my drywall ceilings have hairline cracks. Of more concern is an acoustic tile ceiling that is sagging in one spot. Since I have not heard any creatures up there for a few years I am guessing settling due to age. The house is 71 years old and the addition with this ceiling was probably put on in the 1970's.

[CathyA]

I am curious about this too. Some of my drywall ceilings have hairline cracks. Of more concern is an acoustic tile ceiling that is sagging in one spot. Since I have not heard any creatures up there for a few years I am guessing settling due to age. The house is 71 years old and the addition with this ceiling was probably put on the 1970's.

Hmmm....I guess around that time we need to worry about asbestos? Ours was built around 1974?

[Yppej]

Hmmm....I guess around that time we need to worry about asbestos? Ours was built around 1974?

Yes. When I had the floor redone in that room my original plan was to rip up the old flooring myself but all I did was remove the carpeting and I left the rest to professionals because of the asbestos concern. But supposedly asbestos is more common in flooring than acoustic tile ceilings.

ETA I think mine are cellulose. A few holes have been poked in them over the years which I have tried to fill so I have a sense of what the inside of the tile looks like.

And on the off chance there is asbestos I guess I finally found a use for my K95 mask.

[GeorgeParker]

Do you think there's a reason that ceilings' drywall cracks? Is it usually from settling? This has gone on since they built our addition 25 years ago and it seems to grow a bit every year. Just curious if you've ever heard of the likely cause of ceiling cracks.Hairline cracks in ceilings can be caused by uneven settling, or by ceiling joists being too far apart or too small for the distance they have to span (which lets them gradually sag because they aren't strong enough to support the ceiling), or because roof supports come down and rest on the ceiling joists at a spot with no wall underneath it (in which case wind pressure on the roof can flex the ceiling joists) or the builder cheaped out by using short drywall nails on the ceiling instead of drywall screws (in which case the nails can gradually loosen and pull out because of gravity, vibration, and the joists drying out). If cracks are caused by the joists flexing, you can usually cure the problem with a "strongback" https://forum.nachi.org/t/acceptable-lateral-support-for-ceiling-joists/80467/5 which is a board laid flat across the joists with another board standing upright next to it or on top of it. You attach the upright board to the flat board to create a beam and then put screws through the flat board into the joists to lift them them up and give them extra support. The drawing below is one common way to make a strongback.
3645

My ceilings have a combination of these problems, but the main problem is that the ceilings were installed with nails instead of screws, and now that the house is 60 years old the nails are gradually pulling out in random places, letting the drywall sag and crack. I could fix it myself, but the ceilings have a small dappled texture that would make any patching obvious if it wasn't done properly to match the existing appearance. Besides which when I apply spackling or joint compound it looks like I did it with my feet!

[CathyA]

Thanks George. Also, looks like all our ceilings were put in with nails, 'cause some of them are showing now. Yeah, those textured ceilings are hard to match.