Ceiling cracks appear and worsen over weeks. Self repair or professional

ceilingdiy-vs-profoundationstructural

Background

We recently purchased a home built in mid-50s. At the time, no structural movement or displacement was noted by the home inspector. Over the last few weeks, there have been long cracks on the ceiling of a room appearing and worsening. We've had low temps averaging 40F (lowest 27F) and we keep the house 61F minimum at night.

ceiling cracks

The first crack that appeared was (A), then shortly after (C), and now (B) as of today. There is some evidence of previous repair (varying paint texture) for cracks (A) and (C), but not so much for (B). There are no cracks on the walls or elsewhere in the house.

Please see question after photos.

Approx locations from attic:
attic area of (A)
attic area of (B)

Ceiling:
A2
A3
A4
B2
C2

Question

Is this symptomatic of a structural issue requiring a professional, or expected from an older home in low temperatures and remedied with DIY patching? If structural issue, what is the urgency (could it wait months)? Thank you!

Best Answer

There is visual evidence in photo A3 of one or more interior renovations constructed with less than workman-like quality.

Given the age of the house and what portions of the original construction remain, I it would be common for a house of this age to have had a load bearing wall perpendicular to the ceiling joists when originally constructed.

If there was previously an interior load bearing wall perpendicular to the ceiling joists, it's purpose would have been to reduce ceiling joist deflection. The cracking in the ceiling finish is symptomatic of deflection beyond the strength of the finish joints.

I recommend consulting a structural engineer familiar with residential projects of this scope. The condition is probably repairable given a reasonable budget, but it is necessary to first know what exactly needs to be repair.

Related Topic