Pics show the ceiling of an upstairs bathroom in a 2 storey house (about 100years but overall in good renovated condition) with drywall seemingly pulling apart or cracking just above the corner of a window frame and rising into the ceiling. These started to appear about 8 months ago and got progressively worse. What could be causing this and how much trouble am I in?
Why is my ceiling cracking?
- Thread starter Spiper
- Start date
Help Support House Repair Talk:
slownsteady
Well-Known Member
Cracks at the corners of windows often are related to settling. A 100 yr old house isn't settling unless something has changed. Have you looked around at the outside in that location; under and over the area? Check the attic to see if anything up there has loosened.
Water intrusion would be a prime candidate.
Look what's on the roof near that area. Not necessarily directly above --- water could be getting in at, for example, degraded flashing around a plumbing vent stack, and then the water running down the rafter, and then finally dripping off when it reaches a nail or a splinter.
Look what's on the roof near that area. Not necessarily directly above --- water could be getting in at, for example, degraded flashing around a plumbing vent stack, and then the water running down the rafter, and then finally dripping off when it reaches a nail or a splinter.
Thanks, much appreciated. Nothing visible on the facade (brick), and things look normal in the attic above. Will have a look at the roof next, but the damage looks more like the wall pulling apart than water leaking through, especially on the wall at the window edge. Will take a closer look from the outside.
I peeled back the paint where is was cracking and took these photos. Hoping someone might have further insights. To me it looks like maybe there was an old crack in the wall there that had been filled in some time ago? Wondering why it would continue to pull apart. Nothing visible on the outside of the house.
