Greetings,
Our little house has now been standing for a year, and for the second time, the wooden beam ceiling is lifting, causing an unsightly gap of about 5mm (0.2 inches) between the drywall ceiling and drywall wall on the upper floor. Since this has happened twice during the cold season, it is likely due to the temperature and the natural movement of the wood.
This occurs most noticeably on one exterior side (gable side), where our bathroom is located.
My questions are: should I be concerned about this, or is it a normal part of the settling process in a new build?
How long should one expect to live with this, or in other words, will it settle over time?
Is there anything that can be done about the gap? (In summer, the gap closes completely.)
Regards,
Traixes
Our little house has now been standing for a year, and for the second time, the wooden beam ceiling is lifting, causing an unsightly gap of about 5mm (0.2 inches) between the drywall ceiling and drywall wall on the upper floor. Since this has happened twice during the cold season, it is likely due to the temperature and the natural movement of the wood.
This occurs most noticeably on one exterior side (gable side), where our bathroom is located.
My questions are: should I be concerned about this, or is it a normal part of the settling process in a new build?
How long should one expect to live with this, or in other words, will it settle over time?
Is there anything that can be done about the gap? (In summer, the gap closes completely.)
Regards,
Traixes
6
6Richtige9 Dec 2009 17:19Hello Traixes,
It is normal for a house to settle somewhat during the first one to two years. Check your contract to see if the joints between walls and ceilings were specified as maintenance joints; if not, the company should apply new acrylic sealant and repaint. If you had painting or wallpapering work done by a third party, it will be more difficult to determine who is responsible for making the repairs.
It is normal for a house to settle somewhat during the first one to two years. Check your contract to see if the joints between walls and ceilings were specified as maintenance joints; if not, the company should apply new acrylic sealant and repaint. If you had painting or wallpapering work done by a third party, it will be more difficult to determine who is responsible for making the repairs.
6
6Richtige10 Dec 2009 00:06Alright, carefully remove the old acrylic using a utility knife (be careful, as you might have a vapor barrier on the exterior wall beneath the sheathing, but your wall construction might not have one). Then, use a brush to clear away any dust.
Apply new acrylic sealant (for example, Fugendicht 7, which is especially flexible). The next day, repaint (dilute the paint with water so it doesn’t build up too much).
Apply new acrylic sealant (for example, Fugendicht 7, which is especially flexible). The next day, repaint (dilute the paint with water so it doesn’t build up too much).