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Hairline crack in plaster ceiling

5 years ago

Hey everyone,

I just noticed a hairline crack in my plaster ceiling that has a swirl design. It is a relatively straight crack with a length of roughly 10 feet. I would like to keep the same design in the ceiling but need to fix the crack.

Any solutions??

Joel

Featured Answer

greg_2015

5 years ago

Did the crack just appear? You need to figure out why it's cracked before you worry about fixing the superficial appearance. It could be a precursor to the whole ceiling falling down.

Does the plaster move if you press on it?

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Comments (7)

Joel Michael
Original Author
5 years ago
It does not move, it was fairly recent. Very thin crack but long.
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My 1940 house has had similar plaster cracks. My walls are smooth finish, and some cracks have been filled with plaster of paris, and others were fixed with drywall mud. Both solutions seem to work fine. The wall and house construction is probably fine. Plaster is very hard and unflexible, so seasonal weather changes and and expansion or contraction of the house structure can cause cracks to appear. The plaster can't give, so it cracks. Also tell her to make sure she uses the right technique to hang pictures and shelves on the walls. Just nailing a picture hanger in may cause the plaster surface to fracture, and lead to a divot the size of a quarter around the hole. Even small picture hanger nails should have a small predrilled hole, and then very gentle hammer action to drive the nail in. Another issue to be aware of is that the house probably has shiny oil-based paint on the inside trim and doors, and its a real PIA to get modern paints to stick to the smooth finish. Vigorous sanding (wearing a mask) and good primer are mandatory if you don't want the new paint to just peel off with your fingernail. Bruce
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Joel Michael
Original Author
5 years ago
Old home built just after WW2, has a swirl design ceiling. There are no other ceilings/walls with this issue.
DavidR
5 years ago
> Old home built just after WW2

I've never lived in an old house with plaster walls and ceilings that didn't have cracks. They might not have been immediately visible when I moved in, but they were there all right, hidden under a layer of spackle or plaster patch.

My guess is that your swirl texture is a recent addition, and that your crack was there and was patched before the texture was applied.

Plaster cracks are a fact of life in an old house. You patch them when you paint. Sometimes they return. Sometimes they'd don't. It depends on whether that part of the house is still feeling restless, or has settled into its bed for a nice long snooze. :)

You can demolish all the old plaster and replace it with drywall. Then you won't have plaster cracks any more. Unfortunately, you also won't have plaster any more.
Joel Michael
Original Author
5 years ago
That has been the best comment I have read about my problem yet, gives me some assurance that everything is good and that it is a problem that is fixable! Thanks!
Lyndee Lee
5 years ago
If it a hairline crack, it likely is not a problem and probably not fixable either. Attempts to fix small cracks in textured surfaces often just highlight the problem area
kudzu9
5 years ago
I'd give it several months and monitor it to see if the crack gets wider, smaller, or stays the same as the seasons change. Trying to patch something that just appeared won't necessarily make it disappear as it may continue to move.

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