Ceiling Salvage

Q: We live in a 50 year-old house and have problems keeping paint on our kitchen ceiling. There's no evidence of a roof leak anywhere, though there have been some previously. The ceiling has made a few strange cracking noises recently, too. We're concerned about the safety of the situation. What should we do?

A: Why the paint has started to peel so extensively now, without an obvious leak, is strange. Although it’s unlikely that the wooden structural members of your roof have been damaged by that previous roof leak, an attic inspection is the place to start. Have a professional carpenter come in and take a look.

It's more likely that your current ceiling drywall is sagging, perhaps weakened by previous exposure to water or moisture buildup. If this is the case, the easiest way to fix the problem is by applying a new layer of ceiling drywalled over the old stuff. If this were my job, I'd use 5/8-inch thick fire code drywall. It's heavier and stronger than traditional 1/2-inch stuff, and this makes it better able to resist sagging, especially with a flaccid layer of drywall above.

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