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
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!
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.
Do you really want to do this. If you have not done this before,, I would think about subing it out
Philip
Berkeley Ca
Is your garage attached to the house or is it on its own? If it is attached is there living space above the garage? Are you looking to insulate the walls and ceiling? Are you going to drywall the garage? I would suggest using batt insulation, with a vapor barrier. I would then drywall everything. Before you drywall I would make sure that you have all the electrical and anything else that you want in the walls installed.
If you use a black light you can target the urine areas soak in white vinegar leave for ten min wet vacuum as much up as you can mix up a cup of water with a quarter size dawn dish detergant put in spray bottle saturate area but don't soak. Sprinkle baking soda around on the wet area spread likghtly. let sit until everything dries hard this could take up to a day. break up the crusted area with finger tips when dry then vacuum up. it is a bit time consuming but it is all natural and it works like nothing else!
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.
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.
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?