Home Improvement Contractor - Licensed Contractors
Drywall cracks under ceiling fan? What is this a sign of and how do I fix it?
I have 3 bedrooms in my split level house. The third room only has a light fixture in the ceiling and I noticed 3 years ago there was a hole there, as if the installer (probably the previous homeowner) just goofed up. Now I notice cracks spreading from the hole. In the master BR, my husband installed the ceiling fan and he used a medallion, but we never noticed any cracks in the drywall where the old fixture was. In the second BR, I had a contractor replace the ceiling fan and I chose not to use a medallion. The contractor and I observed that the ceiling seemed to be one whole piece of drywall, because when the fan came off, the ceiling bowed in the center, and the new fan seemed to hold the ceiling up. There were no cracks in the drywall. Now, three years later, I noticed that the ceiling drywall is cracking under the fan in BR #2. Why is the drywall cracking and how do I fix this? Incidentally, I'm sure my roof is leaking but I don't have water stains or leaks upstairs. My soffits are shot to hell, and water is leaking in my front door jamb and I saw a stream of water in my garage from that same wall. But other than that, no signs in the ceilings upstairs of water leaking. Note to handerande: we bought the fans when we first moved in - 3 yrs ago. I was having no leaks nor cracks anywhere until recently. And the soffits were in good shape 3 yrs ago. Thanks for your answer. Revision to note to handerande: we did not install a fan in the 3rd BR when we saw a hole there 3 yrs ago, and back then, it looked like whomever put the light up there just drilled too big a hole or whatever. But there is no fan there; the fans are in the other two rooms, one of which has a medallion on it so I don't know what's going on underneath.
Public Comments
- sounds like the insulation is soaking up any water and the moisture and extra weight is causing the ceiling to crack
- You build a house from the ground up and repair leaks from the roof down. Fix/stop the leaks first, then do any needed interior repairs. Your insulation might be absorbing enough moisture to keep it from actually showing inside the room, other than the cracks. Another possibility: the ceilings are screwed to ordinary electric junction boxes which originally only had a light fixture: the weight and movement of a fan will pull down, even cause to fall, a fan suspended from a light's junction box. IF that's the case, you need to install a Fan Brace Kit, costs about $20 at The Chrome Despot...you know who I mean.
- first the leak must be fixed , the scabs or nailers wernt installed to support the weight of a fan or water damage has compromised the fasteners. replace the drywall and add the proper mounting nailers. you cant just put a ceiling fan where a light fixture is . you can fix this
- Your ceilings are in danger of collapse. The insulation is saturated with water. Wherever there is moisture behind walls or ceilings, mold is growing. Why are you buying ceiling fans, when your roof leaks and the soffits are rotten? It is imperative to fix the roof immediately. Failure to do so may cause catastrophic consequences. If a building inspector looks at your house, I'm afraid he may condemn it until repairs are made. The roof may have to be replaced completely, including the plywood sheeting, and possibly the trusses! I can't stress enough the danger you may be in. Please have a reputable private home inspector look into the stability of your home as soon as possible. If a private home inspector can't be used, I reccomend the community building inspector. Sorry for your loss.
- Do you have rain gutters? Are they cleaned. Does water spill over the gutters when in a heavy rain? I don't mean sub-tropical rainstorms like around Miami. Sandy grits comes off roof shingles and dams up rain water. Spills gets behind the face board and on to your soffit, then to you exterior wall and ceiling. If the gutter is clean and rain water still spill over the gutter in a heavy rain, you should inspect the lowest row of your shingles. The lowest row should overhang the gutters. A bad gutter installation or repair could end up with the asbestos shingle (if you have that) tucked behind the gutter. This lets rain water leak into the gap instead of into the gutter. The water that leak into the gap will find its way into the soffit. I found that in my house last year when I was looking for the cause of a water leak in the ceiling. I pried that part of the gutter loose and eased the shingles back out so it overlaps the top of the gutter. If you ever use handyman to clean your gutters and have them hammer in the occasional popped pin that holds up your gutter, you may want to check that he didn't pull a loose one out and made a new hole lower than the normal water line in the gutter in a rain storm. I had that problem too. Heavy metallic tape and sealant that sticks to aluminum fixed that problem. When I fixed both of those problems, the water stain in my sun-room stopped spreading.It's stayed dry for almost a year. In your case, you should find the problem that cause water to leak into your soffit first. When that's fix, you can then repair your indoor ceiling. Sounds like that would be a big job too. Do you have a copy of Reader Digest Home Maintenance and Repair? You can find them at Barnes and Noble. Check out websites such as diy.com and websites for Home Repair shows on cable TV (like This Old House). You should be able to find help there to diagnose your problem and get you contractors to clearly explain their diagnosis and estimates.
