Why is there a huge crack in my living room ceiling? Chunks are falling,too?

Question

The other day I noticed a crack and a hanging piece of the ceiling. The crack grew larger a chunk of the ceiling fell out and now there's a little hole and a steadily spreading crack. There was no leak as far as I know but a leak was repaired in that area of the ceiling almost 2 years ago.

My super just came to look at it. He doesn't know why this is happening. What can it be?

The area is dry. This is a random occurence. I had leaks in this apartment before but never splitting ceilings with pieces of it coming out. What would you do?

Answer 1

Is it plaster? Whatever the cause, the plaster is coming off the ceiling, and the plaster should be removed in case it all comes down, and the ceiling re-done. Plaster is heavy, you don't want it falling on you or your stuff. I had a plaster ceiling in my room as a kid, and one day it did come down, about 3/4 of the ceiling all at once. It started just as yours did, with a crack and a hanging piece.

Answer 2

when you had the leaking the wet area should've been treated

this way :

completly dry the wet area

apply kills after is completly dry

let the kills dry completly before painting again.

if the wet area was not treated like this the most common thing that could have happen is the drywall created mold and the mold started to destroy the drywall in small pieces.

the best thing you can do is replace the drywall.

Answer 3

Hi MML

I'm not a plaster guy and i don't play one on Y/A But I'm almost positive that you have plaster ceiling  b/c sheet rock ceilings don't fall in chunks nor do they open up with cracks that spread and get larger/

Some of you more experienced people feel free to correct me on this But my best guess is that whomever did the initial repair  two years ago did it wrong and you're looking up at the result of their incompetence

You claim that the area is dry But dry to -the -touch and dry to the needs of the plaster are two different definintions of what is  dry.

Were i doing the repair I would just sheet rock over the existing ceiling and call it a day

If you're interested in how plaster walls and ceilings are made and repaired you can peruse this article

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detai...

Good luck

Answer 4

Notify the apartment manager. There is probably something wrong with the roof (if you are on the top floor). The ceiling definitely needs to be fixed, though.

Answer 5

i would definitely move out. that doesn't sound very safe.

Answer 6

houses settle and shift causing cracks in plaster. If the crack is large there may be a structural problem underneath the plaster.

Answer 7

tell the people upstairs to settle down with their love making

Answer 8

Its probably a stress fracture, caused by the building settling. I would have a building contractor take a look at it. If you have an apartment above you or below you ask the tenant there if they have the same thing happening in the same area.