Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | May 30, 2000 04:57am | #5

   *
   (Forgive me if you saw this in another area. Not sure how it got there...)

   I have a house in the Seattle Area that was built in the 50s. I have owned the house for 15 years. At some point (before I purchased it) insulation was blown in the attic. There is a slight but noticeable sag in the ceiling which I believe the weight of the insulation has caused the nails to slip a bit except close to the edges where there are noticeable dimples.

   The sagging hasn't gotten worse but will it over time? Do I have to replace the ceiling or is there a way to pull or push it back up? The finish has that sand texture so covering a bunch of screw holes would be a job. Any thoughts?

1. 
   Guest_ | May 29, 2000 08:54pm | #1

   *I assume it's drywall. If so, screw it back up and patch the screw holes.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 29, 2000 10:50pm | #2

   *Hi Steve,Trying to screw it back up may be frustrated by the loose insulation having settled between the joist or bottom chord and the drywall.If you take it slow and lay out lines of screws along the strapping/joist/chord and work up and down the line, screwing as you go, you may be able to tighten it up.It would have helped if you indicated if it were drywall or plastered ceiling that we are discussing and also the amount of drop in the center.Gabe

1. 
   Guest_ | May 30, 2000 12:07am | #3

   *Thanks for the responses. Yes it is drywall. I haven't actually measured the amount of sag. A person doesn't really notice unless you look up and sight down the ceiling. You can push it up about a 1/4 inch or so in the center by hand. Most noticeable are the dimples near the edge of the ceiling where the sagging stops due to the nails that haven't moved. The ceiling has that sandy texture so rescrewing might make it worse trying to patch and match all of them.If I replace it of course it's a bigger job and I will have all that insulation and drywall to dispose of and replace.What does everyone think of building a drop or soffit in the middle of a living room? Maybe it's only as deep as a 2x2 with some kind of design. I would think this would pull the ceiling back up and maybe help break up a rather large ceiling area. I haven't sketched anything yet but would appreciatte all comments - even if you think I'm out of my mind!

1. 
   Ken_Diamond_Builders | May 30, 2000 03:23am | #4

   *SteveScrew up the existing ceiling so its tight and secure. Install 3/8" rock or blueboard over the old ceiling with a smooth skimcoat and you'll have a brand new ceiling.Ken

2. 
   Guest_ | May 30, 2000 04:57am | #6

   *Crawl up into the attic and shove the insulation away so that you can get to where the drywall is drooping away from the construction. Shoot a lot of adhesive into the space in between and then prop up the ceiling with some temporary supports from floor to ceiling and leave them up long enough for the adhesive to dry. Also sister the ceiling joists with 2x4's with adhesive applied to the edge facing the drywall.