Cat smell or cat urine smell?
If it is the latter, I have had success with Nature's Miracle. If the smell is just the animal, that will diminsh with time and with changing out blinds, flooring, wall coverings, etc.
I would look for a framer to look at this. most likely you have either some thermal movment, settling, or it may just need braced against small movements cauise by other forces (wind etc..). You could fix the ceiling endlessly, but until you find the issue the ceiling is just the symptom.
There are companies that offer energy evaluations and some even use thermal imaging and a tool / process called a blower door reading / test. This will help identify the cause and opportunities for correction. You can do some easy items as well like ensuring all like plate covers have insulated pads behind the covers, check for insulation around your homes perimeter if you have an unfinished basement, check your homes exterior for small gaps or holes left from old utilities and service work performed over the years. Best of luck!
Search for a door protection kick plate. This will cover current damage and protect for any future...
Per ANSI/IICRC S500 Standards and Reference Guide.
"Restorers should consider drywall restoation when it can e verified that no structural integrity has been lost. Dywall can be restoragle if the water is Category 1 or 2, there is no obvious swelling, seams are intact, and there is no idication of fungal growth. Drywall should be replaced when contaminated with Category 3 water, damage is obvious (e.g., swelling, seam sagging, seperation), fungal growth is present on paper coverings on either side, or when blown-in insulation materials behind the drywall have likely packed down."
The drywall that has water damage should be removed. The wood studs might also need to be replaced depending on if there is mold or rot. The insulation behind the drywall should also be replaced. The base molding might also need replacing as well as the flooring.
Hire a structural engineer. This could be a bit more expensive initially, but you could stave off lot of frustration later.
Hello Anthony,
Cracks can occur for a multitude of reasons. I would recommend hiring a home inspector to take a look at your situation and get his professional unbiased opinion.
Thnak you!
Teresa
Usually cracks in wallboard or ceilings indicate movement or settling in the structure. This is not uncommon in new home construction as footings and foundations cure and the moisture content stabilizes in the framing. It can also be caused by frost heaving in colder climates during freeze / thaw cycles. If your builder won't address it, hire a structural engineer. An engineer should be able to identify what is causing the movement to occur. Good Luck!
John,
Are you referring to insulating the ceiling of the garage (i.e. cold floors above)? Will you be dropping the ceiling or are you looking for options with minimal disturbance?
this is very common in new homes. I would work with the builder first. That is the easiest way to correct the problem. They are in the buiness of building home and need good referrals I would try the builder again and you would be surprised at the outcome with a softer approach.
Philip Anderson
Berkeley Ca
John,
If it is a small repair, you may want to test out a product at Lowes. Homax ceiling texture. I'd suggest trying it on a scrap piece of drywall (make sure it's at ceiling height for testing). Jayme and Phillip both had great ideas. Perhaps yet another would be to just remove the popcorn all together.
Supplies needed:
hopper gun and compressor (available for rental at home-center stores), paint tray, paint suit and glasses, stepladder , putty knife, paint mixer, paint roller, masking tape, drop cloths, ceiling texture, primer sealer, spackle
Here are the steps you need to take to get the job done:
1. Fill any dents or imperfections in the ceiling with spackle, and then apply a coat of primer with a roller. Allow the primer to dry at least four hours.
2. While it's drying, mask off the walls and floor with masking tape and tarps, plastic sheets or drop cloths.
3. Wearing proper protective clothing and goggles, pour some texture mix into a large bucket and mix according to directions. Use a paint-mixer attachment to achieve a nice blend. The mixture is ready when it's the consistency of thick porridge.
4. Fill the hopper with texture mixture and fire up the compressor. Practice spraying on an old board or a large piece of cardboard to get the feel of the machine.
5. Lightly spray the mixture onto the ceiling, and keep moving to avoid oversaturating any area. Use multiple light coats and allow the texture time to dry between coats. If you spray the texture on too thickly, it will drip off the ceiling.
