HOME INTERIORS: “How Can I Stop Recurring Cracks Where Ceiling Meets Walls?”

Question: How can I stop the ceiling from cracking and recracking where it meets a partition wall in my home? I think I have a case of roof truss uplift. Repeated drywall repair attempts by a contractor look good at first, but the cracks always return each winter.

A: Looking at the photo you sent and reading your description of the behaviour of the situation, it’s clear that you do have truss uplift. This happens when the framing members that form your roof and ceiling rise and fall seasonally as the rest of the roof frame changes temperature and moisture content from winter to summer and back again. It’s a common issue, and you won’t ever stop this from happening, so the question becomes how to stop truss uplift from being noticeable.

I’ve seen good results installing crown moulding that’s fastened to the ceiling only.  It’s crucial that the moulding remain unfastened to the wall, and only fastened to the ceiling. When the ceiling rises and falls seasonally because of truss uplift, the crown moulding simply moves up and down in relation to the wall, sliding over the surface. The cracks you see in the top corner of your ceiling are caused by this movement, and though the cracks will remain there, you won’t see it under crown moulding. The trick is securing the crown sufficiently so it doesn’t come loose in time. This is a distinct possibility if fastened to the ceiling only, but I do know of an option to help with that.

 The best way I know of to easily and securely fasten crown in any situation is with a simple product called EZCrown. That’s what you see above. Invented and sold by a Florida dentist, EZCrown also makes it simple and secure to fasten crown the ceiling only. Click to learn more about EZCrown.