LESLIE: Going to Pennsylvania where Rosemarie’s ceiling is cracking up. How can we help you?
ROSEMARIE: Thank you for answering my question. I enjoy your program tremendously.
I have electric ceiling heat. My home is 37 years old. My ceilings have all cracked.
TOM: OK.
ROSEMARIE: And I was just wondering what is the best way to pursue this. Just go to a different heating system entirely? Get the ceilings repaired? If so, how do you repair them?
TOM: Well, you have radiant heat in the ceiling; is that what you’re telling us?
ROSEMARIE: That’s correct.
TOM: Electric radiant heat?
ROSEMARIE: Yes.
TOM: How are your heating bills, Rosemarie?
ROSEMARIE: Actually, very good.
LESLIE: Hmm.
TOM: OK. Well then, you know, maybe you should just repair it. These cracks that you’re seeing, are they very long? Are they in the joints of the drywall where it comes together? Are they sort of allocated (ph) across the whole surface? Describe the crack for us.
ROSEMARIE: They extend along the whole ceiling and there’s no particular pattern.
TOM: The best way to repair that type of crack is with fiberglass drywall tape. The fiberglass tape is perforated; it’s easy to apply because it sticks up there. You apply the tape first and then you spackle on top of that. You want to use several layers, starting with, say, about a three-inch spackle knife and working up to maybe a six to eight-inch spackle knife. And the reason you’re using the tape is because the ceilings are always going to be expanding and contracting and by using the fiberglass tape across the cracked area it’s not going to crack again. If you just try to fill in the cracks they will show up instantly.
ROSEMARIE: I see. OK, I will, you know, try that method. Very good. I understand. Thank you.
TOM: You’re welcome, Rosemarie. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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