Split drywall tape shows 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap that goes up and down in
by
Ellen Elmore
+6
in spring down in fall,all through house, has done this since home built in 2004. how can I fix it. Crown moulding would move up and down, if installed and could still see gap
I am going to assume you have a truss roof. More likely "W" trusses. The expansion and contraction of the trusses raises/lowers the roof line with temp changes. They are just toe nailed into the wall framing. Best way to solve the problem is to wait till the roof line is down with no gap and secure the trusses to the wall framing with metal brackets in the attic space. Similar to hurricane brackets.
Yup, something has shifted to create that size gap.
Fill with modeling clay
Yes I had this same problem and it was due to "truss lifting". In the spring as humidity levels rise, the trusses swell slightly causing the lifting and crack to open. In the fall as humidity levels drop, the wood dries out and contracts, and the crack closes. Sometimes this is aggravated by the bottom chord being in insulation. It does not pick up moisture but the exposed wood members of the truss above do causing the movement. You can try moving the insulation away from the bottom horizontal chord of the roof truss or the hurricane connections to try and lock it in place.
DON'T fix this yourself - get a LICENSED contractor!
You could just hide it by putting up a strip of molding thick enough to cover the gap in the ceiling, and nail to the wall. You could get fancy and make it crown molding. If cold air and bugs are coming in you could fill the gap with backer rod , either whole or cut down if it's too wide. Find backer rod in the insulation section or ask at the hardware store.
Fill in with flexible, paintable caulk.
I like William's answer. However, if you don't want to really change the characteristic of the wall & ceiling/roof being able to move with the type wood used to build your home, crown moulding would be the next best choice. If there's an insect issue, spraying would still be an option. Nail or attach the crown moulding to the "ceiling" & butt it up to the wall on the bottom but don't attach it. That way the moulding will "float" with the rise & fall of the ceiling yet conceal or hide the gaps at all times.
Filling in the space or putting up molding is only masking the problem. Fix the truss movement or more problems will happen over time.