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How to fix long crack and slightly dropped celling edge?

Hi everyone

I am new to here. 😀

Hope to get some idea on how to fix the long crack on my ceiling….devastating

Move into the house and saw a small crack became a long crack after 3 months. I wasn’t not sure if the damage has gotten worse because of the heat or whether we had an electrician up there to fix out lighting about two months ago.:(

The crack looks to me is the edge of the two plaster board there. I am not expert so I cannot be sure of that.

When I put pressure on one side of the crack, it feel it has drop a little bit and not secured on the beam while they other side of the crack doesn’t feel that well. It feel secured on the beam to me.

I have gone through some old posts here and it suggests to use the tape to bind the joint again. Wonder it suits in my case given it has a little drop and I worried that the tape can only connect the joint but not secured it to fix the….sagging?(is it what it called?)

Hope I can get some direction to diy myself.

Thanks in advance everyone. 🙂

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Comments

EricL

Hello @Amber0v0

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your ceiling.

Generally speaking, the ceiling plaster must be nailed or screwed back to the ceiling framework to remove the sag. Once the sag has been addressed, I suggest using Gyprock CSR 2.25kg Less Mess Multi-Purpose Joint Compound in combination with Gyprock CSR 75m Plasterboard Perforated Paper Jointing Tape.

However, before you carry out any repairs, I suggest doing some investigations to find out what caused the crack in the first place. Was it because of the tradesperson who did work in your ceiling? If the crack has become bigger and bigger, there must be a reason for it such as wall movement. Now technically there is frame movement that sometimes occur in houses, but neve this severe and in such a short amount of time.

I suggest engaging the services of a builder to find out if there has been any significant movement in your house structure. As well as getting a quote to repair the damage to your ceiling as well.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/49578#Comment_49578

Morning @Amber0v0

Have you had a look in the ceiling space? I always suggest to turn off the power to the house before climbing into the area just to be cautious. As @EricL has said for it turn up in a short period of time there must be a reason and its worth having a look.

If you cant find any reason in the ceiling (footprint, water marks, ??) then you could get a builder to have a look as they will know more.

To fix it yourself if you happy with the reasons you have found that the plaster has dropped.

- Re-attach the dropped plaster using plaster screws (they have a cupped head) May help with two people with that length of drop, or an ag prop with a piece of timber to push it back up, screw it into the ceiling joists.

-Clean up the join, remove the old tape, any flaking bits of plaster

- Depending on what tape you use (perforated or paper) the process is a little differant. Id suggest perforated tape for someone who isnt familiar with plastering. Step through the porcess (hit up the community if you run into questions)

- When plastering over the tape, the width of plaster should be to start with 2 times the 50mm width of the tape either side. I remember going light on the mud and running into issues with a "mound" that had to be sanded a lot more so. The wider the overall width of plaster over the join the easier the join is. Remember you will be sanding off excess so its a ballance. You may have to do a few runs of plaster over it until you fingers cannot feel the "bump" or the buldge.

- Plaster dust vacumming will kill your general vacumm cleaner. Far better to sweep and dustpan.

- Undercoat and then paint. Id suggest to paint the whole ceiling as the new paint will possibly stand out more so.

Note-

- Check the side that hasnt sagged as you may need screws in that as well. You will need to plaster over the screw heads as well. Screws should be done up to just bellow the surface.

Dave

Nailbag

Hi @Amber0v0

I can understand your devastation and hopefully it's nothing too serious. The ceiling plasterboard will be fixed to the joists with either screws and glue or nails and glue. Joins are then taped and coatings applied to conceal and strengthen. Full-length joins should meet on a joist or have several points of contact to fix to as per the image below. Having the electrician work in the roof space above, though wouldn't have created the issue, but his weight on the timber frames as he moved about might have speed the eventual extra cracking.

If one side of the crack you can push in further than the others, might indicate there is actually no timber support at the join. So over time the weight of the sheet join has given way.

Step one is to get into the roof and see why the sheet has dropped. You might want a carpenter or decent handyman if you're not confident. Basically you need to if the dropped side sheet ever had timber to fix to or there is another issue going on. If it's discovered there was never a joist for the sheet to fix to then a length of 90mm x 45mm needs to be fixed against the current one.

The broken joint needs to be cleaned out, stud glue applied to the back, then pressed up against the new joist and screwed in to place. A process of jointing tape and base coat is applied working towards two layers of top coat. Prime paint and then ceiling paint.

This process is one that does require experience, especially when its a ceiling as any imperfection in the quality of work is very evident. My recommendation is to get a plaster to do this work. And then usually the entire ceiling should be painted, which you could do.

As a side note. In the 3rd photo, is that another crack through the cornice and in to the wall? If so, that indicates something more serious maybe going on. and in that case, I would get a registered builder or building inspector to investigate.

Nailbag

Screenshot 2025-03-06 at 9.38.03 am.png

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/49587#Comment_49587

Morning @Amber0v0

@Nailbag has made a very good catch on the last photo. I would be suggesting the same thing if that crack has appeared at the same time as your ceiling crack.

Dave

Amber0v0

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/49587#Comment_49587

Thanks for all the great advices here.
Unfortunately, I was also worried that there are more serious issue behind this cracks….sigh….but at least I know where to start thanks to everyone here.

I guess it’s best to get someone to investigate before I do any diy as most of you suggested.

Wishing myself good luck now. (Fingers crossed)

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/86994#Comment_86994

Morning @Amber0v0

Right of passage to running a house 🙂 You have taken the first step of which I think its the hardest as its the acknowledgement that something needs to be done. I just did the same with my flooring, Once you get it sorted to whatever level you are comfortable with that feeling of "done" will flood over you!

Good luck!

Dave

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