The crack is a 1/8 inch wide straight line crack running from the
opening for the dormer to the wall (2 feet long). It is not in a corner
but halfway down the dormer opening and running laterally to the wall.
Could be a seam that is opening but the ceiling has a circular scrolled
skim coat. There is no water stain on the ceiling to indicate a water
problem. There are soffet vents, ridge vents and feeding channles
running between roof and insulation. We walk away from the condo for
the summer to go to a summer home so it is closed up tight and it
probably does get very hot up at the ceiling. Hope that answers
questions?
wrote:
Dick wrote:
Have a cathedral ceiling in living room of condo. The ceiling has a
dormer with a window. The condo is three years old and for those past
three years, when we return home the celing is cracked (roughly 2 ft
wide) between the opening for the dormer and the wall. The builder has
always repaired but he is now hedging saying that the problem is when
we shut the house down without any ventillation or ac, the ceiling is
being stressed because of the heat building up during the hot days of
summer. Is this a valid theory? Should I buy into this or is there a
problem with construction? What does it take to correct problem?

You need to give better word-picture. Like we have no idea what you're
talking about.

Wood changes dimension seasonally- primary cause of drywall joint
cracking. Since you mention "cracking" it seems like you're talking a
straight-line opening (along an _untaped_ joint) vice the jagged tear
you'd get within a sheet of drywall. IOW- joint needs proper taping;
maybe more joints do.

Meanwhile, what sort of roof ventilation is there? 3YO house should
have soffit vents feeding channels under roof deck and discharging at
ridge. Or it was stupidly/cheaply done. IMHO.

J