The Concerning Reasons Your Ceiling Is Sagging (& What To Do About It)

When you spend a lot of time on a DIY ceiling design to elevate your home, you want it to continue to look great for many years into the future. If the drywall ceiling develops some slight damage, you can usually fix a ceiling crack with DIY work and maintain the look of your design. If you notice that your ceiling is suddenly sagging, though, all the time you spent on the design work could soon come crashing down. To help you figure out why your drywall ceiling is sagging — and what you should do about it — we spoke to an expert.

Bob Beacham, House Digest's expert carpenter and remodeler, says in an exclusive interview with House Digest that most homes have drywall in the ceilings — either because they were built after the mid-1950s or because the original lath and plaster ceiling underwent a replacement in the past few decades. When a drywall ceiling is sagging, it usually means moisture has penetrated the material. "If drywall gets damp, it swells and crumbles and can pull away from around the screws that hold it to the ceiling studs (beams)," Beacham says.

This unwanted moisture could relate to a leak in the roof, according to Beacham. The leak could soak insulation in the attic before penetrating the drywall. The weight of the damp insulation on the drywall can worsen the sagging problem. Absent moisture damage, improper installation of the drywall ceiling or insect damage to the wooden beams where the drywall is attached could cause the sag, he explains.

A sagging ceiling demands your attention before it collapses completely. The first step is identifying the cause of the sagging ceiling. You'll want to remedy this problem before you repair the ceiling, or the original problem could cause the sag to reoccur. "If it's a leaking roof, that needs to be fixed," Bob Beacham says in an exclusive interview with House Digest.

If you believe insect damage is affecting the structural beams in the ceiling, you need to call an exterminator for help immediately. "If it's insect damage, the infestation is likely to be considerable," Beacham warns. "... Many pest control companies will carry out annual inspections, so that's worth considering."

Once you solve the original problem, you then can begin fixing the drywall that's sagging. Although some handy homeowners may want to try a DIY fix, Beacham says most people will want to hire a professional. "Drywall isn't particularly difficult to work with, but boarding a ceiling is considerably more challenging than a wall," he says. You may need to rent or buy a drywall lift to hold the awkward sheet of drywall in place. Working above your head is tiring, whether you're screwing in the boards or mudding and sanding the seams and screw holes. You might need to buy stilts. "It's hard work, it's dusty, it's time-consuming, and if not done properly, it's a safety hazard," Beacham explains. "It's certainly not a job for someone who has never worked with drywall before."

After you fix a sagging ceiling — or if you simply want to prevent one from occurring in the first place — you can take several preventative maintenance steps. Bob Beacham suggests visually checking the status of your ceilings every three months. You can stand on the ground and look for a noticeable sag or dip, or you can climb a step ladder for a closer look. Slight cracks or gaps where the ceiling meets the wall may be signs of sagging, too.

Because roof damage that results in leaks is the most common cause, you should check the status of the roof, both inside and outside. "Check the roof from outside for tiles [or shingles] that have slipped or are damaged," Beacham tells us exclusively. "Look in the attic. Get a good [flashlight] and spend some time checking for damp patches. Doing it just after a good rainstorm can make any leaks more obvious." If you have concerns about insect damage in wooden support beams in the ceiling causing sagging, go into the attic and "look for beetle bodies and damage to wooden beams," he says. "A peppering of small holes can be a sign of wood borers."

If you see roof damage or wooden beam damage, Beacham recommends reaching out to a repair professional right away. "There's no telling when the whole thing might collapse," he says. "... Having that fall on someone is a major safety hazard. I wouldn't use the room until it was fixed."