Ceiling Drywall Repair in Grand Rapids, MI

Ceiling Drywall Repair in Grand Rapids

Ceiling drywall repair fixes cracks, stains, sags, nail pops and holes in the drywall over your head. Ceiling work is harder than wall work, so it is one drywall repair most homeowners hand off.

Call (616) 677-8849 to be matched with a Grand Rapids drywall provider who does ceilings.

Ceiling problems we get calls about

• Water stains and bubbling paint on ceiling drywall
• Sagging or bowed ceiling drywall
• Cracks along drywall seams or in the middle of the room
• Nail pops in a line along a joist
• Holes cut for wiring, plumbing or a fan
• Old plaster ceilings that are cracked or pulling loose

Winter and Your Grand Rapids Ceiling

West Michigan winters are hard on ceiling drywall. Grand Rapids averages more than 70 inches of snow a year (climate records). When heat leaks into the attic, snow melts, refreezes at the roof edge, and forms an ice dam that sends water into the ceiling drywall near outside walls.

Some homes also get seasonal cracks where ceiling drywall meets an interior wall. Roof trusses can lift a little in winter as the top and bottom of the truss sit at different temperatures, then settle back in spring. A drywall pro can use a floating corner method so the joint does not crack every year.

How Ceiling Drywall Is Repaired

1. Check that it is safe. A bulging or sagging ceiling is supported or taken down first.
2. Find the cause. Leak, fasteners, framing or truss movement.
3. Cut back to framing. Damaged ceiling drywall is removed to the nearest joists.
4. Install new drywall. Screwed to the joists, with backing where needed.
5. Tape, finish and texture. Ceiling seams are feathered wide because side light shows every flaw.
6. Prime and paint the ceiling. Often the whole ceiling so the new drywall does not show.

Plaster Ceilings in Older Grand Rapids Homes

Many older Grand Rapids homes still have plaster ceilings. 37.5% of housing units in the city were built in 1939 or earlier (American Community Survey 2020-2024). When plaster keys break, the ceiling can sag away from the lath. Options are re-attaching the plaster with plaster washers, covering it with a thin layer of drywall, or replacing that section with drywall.

In a pre-1978 house, taking down a painted plaster or drywall ceiling can disturb lead paint. The EPA RRP rule applies to paid work that disturbs 6 square feet or more inside a room. More on the plaster repair page.

Common Questions