Replies

1. 
   andyfew322 | Feb 16, 2008 06:55am | #1

   ductape.

    

   Ductape can fix EVERYTHING!!!

1. 
   Marc | Feb 16, 2008 06:58am | #2

   And for the few times when duct tape won't work...

   Use 100 mile an hour tape!

2. 
   collarandhames | Feb 16, 2008 07:23am | #3

   You might consider crown moulding only mounted on the ceiling,, but paint it when it's fully up!( like you should be so lucky!)

   Best I have!

   d

    

   Its a horse thing!
1. 
   frammer52 | Feb 17, 2008 05:22pm | #15

   I found out that this works the best of anything

3. 
   Matt | Feb 16, 2008 09:26pm | #4

   Generally speaking truss uplift is caused by seasonal changes in the moisture content of the truss framing material.  You might want to look at this from the angle of identifying sources of excessive moisture and how to eliminate them...  Wet basement?  Different attic ventilation scheme? Etc  There is no silver bullet for truss uplift... 

   Also, do a search on truss uplift.  You will find a lot of discussion but not too many answers...

4. 
   silvertip | Feb 17, 2008 01:07am | #5

   though this may not be applicable to your situation what one drywaller does is he attaches a piece of metal flashing to the wall and ceiling prior to any drywall instillation.  Then he attaches the ceiling drywall to the metal flashing  and only screws the drywall to truss at about 16" from the wall.  This allows the trusses to move and not break the joint.

5. 
   Riversong | Feb 17, 2008 01:24am | #6

   Even with stick-framed ceiling/roof assemblies, it's good practice to keep ceiling drywall fasteners 16" from any wall.  This will allow the ceiling to remain attached to walls regardless of relative motion or shrinkage or settling of framing.

   Trimming the joint with a slip molding only covers the crack but does nothing to prevent heat and moisture loss into the attic, which will only make uplift worse (as well as making your fuel supplier rich).

    

   Riversong HouseWright

   Design *  * Build *  * Renovate *  * Consult
   Solar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
1. 
   collarandhames | Feb 17, 2008 05:49pm | #16

   Riversong,

   Up north here, we install vapour barriers!

   d

    

6. 
   JMadson | Feb 17, 2008 01:31am | #7

   There was a really good discussion about this a month or two ago.

   Anyone here remember it?

    

7. 
   seajai | Feb 17, 2008 08:35am | #8

   I used 6"  lag screws designed for landscape timbers, They had a hex head with a built-in washer. I crawled through the attic and ran them through the bottom cord of the truss into top plate of the wall.  The next season, there was slight movement in a couple of areas but not the large amount (3/8"-1/2") of movement previously experienced.

    

1. 
   JMadson | Feb 17, 2008 08:39am | #9

   This could just lift the whole wall up if you're not careful.

     

1. 
   fingersandtoes | Feb 17, 2008 08:45am | #10

   And voids the truss warranty.

2. 
   seajai | Feb 17, 2008 09:23am | #11

   Its been a year and a half, the wall has stayed put.  

2. 
   jonblakemore | Feb 17, 2008 09:28am | #12

   The problem with what you're describing is that, if the wall is anchored well enough and you have enough "uplift" force, you could pull the bottom chord loose from the webs.Once the truss plate connections are compromised you have little more than a collection of 2x4's. 

   Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

8. 
   john7g | Feb 17, 2008 04:29pm | #13

   Color matched flexible caulk applied very carefully.  The crack will always be there due to the seasonal changes, so best to hide/obscure it as opposed to attempting to stop it.

9. 
   BossHog | Feb 17, 2008 05:13pm | #14

   I did a post on Truss uplift quite a while back. Unfortunately the links are all outdated - I need to re-do it one of these days.

   There are a couple of things I've seen people try that will NOT work

   One is to cut some of the webs in the trusses. I would think people would see that doing so is a stupid idea, but I've seen them do it anyway.

   Using lag bolts to try to hold the bottom chord down is also not a good idea. It may work in some cases. But in others it can pick up the whole wall or pull the top plates off.

   So what WILL work?

   Increasing attic ventilation may help. EVERY house I've ever been in that had truss uplift also had poor attic ventilation. Ventilating the attic helps keep moisture from condensing on the top chords of the trusses.

   Sealing up ceiling penetrations so less air from the house gets up into the attic may also help.

   The other fix is a pain in the neck. It involves removing nails or screws that are near interior partitions in the ceiling drywall. Then you go up in the attic and put some dead wood on the top plates to hold the edge of the drywall down. That was the drywall flexes a bit and hides the truss uplift.

   I'd be glad to discuss it more if you have questions.

   One is very crazy when in love. [Sigmund Freud]