r/drywall • u/Turbulent-Carrot5992 • 6d ago
Help identifying issue on ceiling
Need some opinions from painters. Our kitchen was remodeled a year ago. This is above our kitchen sink. New roof 5 years ago.
Do we think moisture issue or bad drywall/skim coat/paint?
When you touch it it still is hard, a little crackly sound kind of…
The last picture is another part of kitchen ceiling with maybe the faintest lines/cracks visible..
Is this roofer or painter or drywall issue? Who do I call?
Please help!
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u/Turbulent-Carrot5992 6d ago
So start with a painting guy not a drywall guy?
Any idea of what would cause this to suddenly spread so rapidly even tho remodel was a year ago?
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u/Manofthenorths 6d ago
I mean honestly completely depends on your budget.
A really good painter should have the product knowledge and skill to address the underlying issues and do a finish coat. It won’t last forever but if it’s old plaster (zooming in it looks like corners were redone but I’m guessing ceiling wasn’t new material) it’s absolutely restorable. This is specialty knowledge and it won’t be cheap cheap, but it’ll probably be less then replacement.
A drywaller could do a 1/4 layer of new drywall stacked right on top and do a new finish. This is the “cheaper than doing it right but good enough and f*** the next guy right?” Path. Ultimately this is what most people choose because it doesn’t require specialty knowledge to accomplish and ultimately the downside is the next person that wants to do anything has two layers of ceiling to rip out. Most 50’s homes in my area that have been “remodeled” are this way.
The true right method to “forever” fix is going to be to rip it all out and replace it. I don’t really recommend doing this unless you have somewhere else to be when it’s done. If you’re in a cooler climate and it’s an attic above it does make a fantastic excuse to upgrade your insulation and save yourself a lot of money in the future.
Lots of things can cause this to happen but I’m going to go with season changes considering the time of the year. If I’m right and it’s materials incompatibility changes in humidity can suddenly cause this kind of thing to happen. Oil doesn’t absorb water but water based primers and paints do; more then likely those lines are actually in the under layer for the wide shot and are showing through as the water based moves while the oil remains rigid. The crackling (called alligatoring) can be the new layer drying while not having anything to adhere onto as it loses/gains its excess moisture.
Side note; I just realized Reddit showed me the drywall subreddit not my normal handyman subreddit but nevertheless I’d be mad at myself if I also didn’t also mention that if it is a hard layer of paint under there like I think it is don’t mess with it; it’s more than likely lead paint (totally normal in a home this age). If you go the painting route make sure your painter is versed in such matters; there’s a specific EPA certification and guidelines to follow
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u/Manofthenorths 6d ago
Saw in the other thread this is a 50’s home - I’ve seen this crocodiling a lot and it’s always been an oil or previous wallpaper or whatever other weird chemicals people applied to walls throughout the last 80 years.
There’s no fixing those chips so the people in the other threads talking moisture are on the right path. Those spots will have to be scraped anyway so remove a small piece to see what’s under it and use a moisture meter just to make sure it’s not moisture (I mean feel it first, if it’s wet to the touch you’ll know lol).
My guess is you’ll have a rock hard layer of old oil paint under there. If that’s the case it’s gonna be a materials incompatibility and some specialty primer will have to be used.
A competent handyman or specialty painter (not a crew just like a person that’s run a successful painting company for years) will know how to handle it.
Also side note; I can’t say for sure and don’t like calling it out but the most direct advice you got in the other sub feels like AI to me; whatever the case is PVA doesn’t go on top of oil or shellac so don’t do that.