I have a problem with my ceiling... its starting to cave in/dip down. Im not really sure whats causing it, and because of the location i cant go up in the attic and see whats up. I painted the ceiling yesterday and it was fine. Then i woke up today and the ceiling was dipping down in about a 4x4 foot area but i have no idea how painting could cause that??
I dont have very good knowledge about the layout of a ceiling but this is what i think...
There are beams going accross the top and 4x8(or12?) drywall boards are nailed the the beams. So in my room, 4 feet from one wall the ceiling goes upward a little, and im assuming thats where the first board ends. And 4 feet over is where the crack in the wall is. The cracks go along about a 2-3 inch strip for about 4 feet long right where the wall is caving in. someone told me to put in screws through this strip and it should connect to a beam and support it. I nailed holes in the strip but couldnt find anything solid. whad should i do??
2007-07-06 13:20:48 · 8 answers · asked by joe 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
This is a water problem! ether you have a leaking pipe or a leaking roof. Has it been raining? Where are your water pipes? This is not going to go away. If you don't think you can fix it try to find someone that can before your drywall falls off the wall and ceiling.
2007-07-06 13:43:03 · answer #1 · answered by old-bald-one 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The joists should be closer than 4 feet apart. Commonly they can be 24" on center or in newer construction, 16" on center.
What likely happened was the paint allowed the paper on the interior side of the sheetrock to expand slightly, and because there was not enough support (i.e. the sheetrock isn't nailed or screwed to anything in that area), it sagged.
If you are really strong, you can get up on a stepladder and push that area up, and see if it hits anything -- it's possible that whoever installed that sheet simply forgot to nail or screw it up against the rafter in that spot (or maybe they were lazy or running out of fasteners and just skipped over it). If the sheetrock feels like it's hitting something, hold it firmly up against it, or have a helper use a push broom or mop or something to push with, and at the same time, knock on the sheetrock until you hear the sound change as you pass under the rafter. YOu can also buy one of those "stud finder" ultrasonic sensors to accomplish the same thing as knocking. Once you find the rafter, either nail or screw the sheetrock to the rafter. If your helper can hold the sheet up there for a while, it might be good to get two or three screws in before you let him/her let go, otherwise the sheet may pull past the nail head (sheetrock is kinda fragile before it's all nailed up).
2007-07-06 13:37:53 · answer #2 · answered by HyperDog 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Someone has improperly installed your drywall. All seams should be anchored to a joist, as well as in-between at properly spaced intervals. THe drywall was ridgid enough when it was dry (I`m betting you used latex(water-based) paint), but when you applied the paint, the water content softened the drywall and caused it to sag. It needs to be cut-out, joists installed, and re-applied. Drywall is basically chalk sandwiched between two layers of paper. Moisture can build up a lot in a room when painting. I`ve seen it wrinkle pictures in other rooms....
2007-07-06 13:36:08 · answer #3 · answered by srmm 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sonds like yer cieling joists have warped or twisted. You'll have to go up in the attic and scab some new ones in the high spots and possibly take some of the worst ones out and replace. If you have a crack in yer drywall, you'll have to tape and mud it or it'll keep cracking!
2007-07-06 16:33:06 · answer #4 · answered by chris j 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry to hear about your dry wall...but it sounds like you might have a wet ceiling...perhaps all the moisture from your wall went into the middle of your ceiling and thats why it;s dripping down cause it's filled with fluids...poke a hole in it and see what comes out...you can always spackle it latter....maybe you will get wet walls and a dry ceiling...but I hope not....I don't know much about construction but it sounds right to me...good luck..!!
2007-07-06 13:29:57 · answer #5 · answered by calming 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the problem would be that the drywall had gotten wet or dampened in that one spot and has caused it to cave in although if you cant find anything solid the only other thing i have to say is your going to have to put a new piece up
2007-07-06 14:50:30 · answer #6 · answered by bowler_chic27 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it sounds like you have some water damage on you ceiling, if it is sagging that fast you need to take it out and resheet rock it also find way water is coming from so it does not happen agin. you may need some roof work
2007-07-06 15:16:27 · answer #7 · answered by Steven M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually only water does something like that. You really have to get above it and find out what's going on.
2007-07-06 13:25:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋