Ceiling Issues? Knowing When To "Look Up" Professional Help

 

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In many ways, a home is like a person. In the early days, they can have teething troubles, but as they settle and grow into themselves they become reliable and reassuring. The longer they’re around, the more likely they are to begin to show their age and the more faults will become recognizable. And the more faults develop, the more important it is to seek out help.

In a lot of other ways, a home isn’t like a person. With the correct maintenance, a home can live on indefinitely and be around for hundreds of years. This does however rely on the aforementioned maintenance being sought and delivered at the right times, which isn’t always easy. It does mean that you’ll need to keep an eye out for signs of wear and tear, and this is particularly evident (and particularly important) when it comes to your ceiling. When there are problems developing over your head, it becomes essential to keep a close eye on the matter.

Sagging with age is not an inevitability

If your ceilings begin to sag, you’d be correct in thinking that it’s a sign of things not being as they should be. Most usually, it will be as a consequence of a burst or damaged pipe causing water to leak into the space between a floor upstairs and a ceiling downstairs. Gravity means the water will drip or flow down, and it can collect up and become a real problem. A sagging ceiling is your cue to call a plumber and get their opinion on what needs to be done. Doing it in a timely fashion can save you a more extensive and expensive repair.

Are the cracks beginning to show?

Cracks in your ceiling are not an ideal development, although they are not necessarily as big a problem as you may be thinking they are. They will certainly always need to be dealt with, although sometimes a DIY topical application of plaster and paint will be enough to take care of these signs of ageing. If, however, the cracks grow, or are deeper than just the surface, then a ceiling repair expert is going to need to be called. A crack running the length of your ceiling could mean the house is settling badly, and extensive work will be needed.

Spots and blemishes need attention

If your ceiling has developed black or grayish spots, there is a potential problem with mold that may not destroy your ceiling, but will have worse repercussions if left indefinitely. Black mold develops because of moisture hanging around, and can arise as a result of unmitigated humidity and poor ventilation. If you have a HVAC system, get it checked out, but also get that mold removed and put defenses in place against it. If black mold is breathed in by people, it can cause serious health problems which can become lethal if allowed to persist.

Your ceiling is quite possibly not something you look at particularly often. It’s just there, doing its job. But particularly as it gets older, you may want to give it a bit more care and attention. Recognizing issues and repairing them is vital for your home’s health, and your own.