Marriage lines cracking in ceilings

[Donna L.]

I have a 2005 Champion Homes of Oregon Elite triple wide home. This is our retirement home. It is beautiful and spacious and we love it. It is on a cement pad. It is like a traditional home in all regards. It has 9' flat ceilings with custom painted walls. It has a dream kitchen and a perfect open floor plan. We're on wooded acreage 50 miles north of Seattle. We moved in August 2005. We thought this was our dream house.

However, the marriage lines in the ceilings cracked badly when the furnace first came on in fall of 2005. In addition there are some transverse cracks across the ceiling, and, in a few places, cracking down the wall on the marriage lines. The dealer finally repaired the cracks in fall of 2006. They had a drywall company come out and sand out a v-shaped channel which they re-mudded, re-textured and painted. It looked perfect, for about two days! We could hear the new cracking sound. Anyway it has been an ongoing dispute between the manufacturer and the dealer as to who would pay for repairs, and who was at fault. The manufacturer sent out a couple of reps to inspect under the roof and under the home. They determined everything was built right and the home was set up right and they were not to blame. So the dealer has consistently promised to send out drywallers again to repair these cracks. Despite communication over the last few months, this has not yet been done. I feel that the cost and the lack of reliability of repairs has kept any drywallers from stepping forward to take on this job. I have been lurking on this board for a while and have not seen this exact problem. The reason we have been so patient is we have a five year warranty on the home and were certain this would be fixed by now. Now I'm afraid they are just stringing us along until the five years are up. I know there is movement in the home, because when the first drywaller came back to observe the new cracking, he put flexible caulking in the cracks and it re-cracked also. (That drywaller has since retired).

I am concerned that there might not be a way to permanently fix these cracks. They tell us that they will cut out a section of the drywall and put in a new piece to bridge the marriage line and it can take any stress. I was reading in another thread about ceiling cracks and a new product that you would be carrying that had flexibility. I had also been looking into a product called Krack-kote that promises somewhat the same thing. What is your opinion on this? Is this common and can it be fixed? This is such a huge eyesore and makes me so stressed.

Thanks so much for any help.

Thanks so much.

Donna L.
Arlington, WA

[Dean2]

A drywaller can fix the drywall for sure but He doesn't do a dang thing to stop the house from moving.. It is something structural and to actually hear drywall cracking! 1st I ever heard of that! I've been installing and finishing DW since the early 80s!

I wonder if some firecode plywood could be used in place of DW at the marriage line? If primed 1st it should accept joint compound of any kind well,,,the only real differance to finishing is that there are no tapered edges..If the plywood ever gives way then there is some very very srious movement going on..

I would think that the 5 year time limit would be for You to report the problem to them,,if it is reported before the limit is up then I think You still have legal recourse if they do not correct it..Ask Your lawyer about that,,,Your mean and nasty cutthroat suing lawyer that is,,You can bet the manufaturer and dealer each have the same..

Dean

[RICKD]

Document EVERYTHING. Iwould send them a Certified letter with return receipt requesting attention to this matter ASAP! Thats the business end of the deal..as for the crack itself you said the home is on a slab thats great so I dont think its anything major but thats a sight unseen OPINION. It could be something as simple as wedges or it wasnt 100% level on the intitial setup. You are in oregon which is above average on rainfall it is possible the slab has settled causing the cracks. this is common but the key is to monitor the size and location and if the crack gets worse or the number of cracks increase then I'd be more concerned. I would have a the service tech check for level and all blocking and refinish the drywall as they suggeted by not having a joint in the marraige line DOCUMENT and watch for it to reappear. This is just in the marrage lines/ceiling right? all the doors are still closing correctly? the champion elite is a great home and will last a lifetime dont let this discourage you.

[Greg]

One other thing to check, make sure the slab is not cracked allowing the home home shift slightly. Greg