Mysterious sudden large flakes of ceiling paint coming down

[chickenlittle]

A few months ago I walk into my kitchen and see 3 foot cracks in the paint on the ceiling. A couple of months later I see large cracks in the paint in my living room ceiling which is on the other side of the stairwell from the kitchen. Several months before the first crack I saw termite swarming up the front wall of the house. I ordered chemicals for termites dug a trench around the house and poured the chemicals according to the instructions. I also drilled holes in my patio and poured poison down the holes according to the instructions. I have not seen any termites since then. The day before I saw the crack in the kitchen ceiling I drilled a 1 inch diameter hole through one of the houses supporting beams to run an internet cable through. Could a hole that small have done this? I don't see any bowing of the beam through which I drilled the hole. What is causing the ceiling paint to come off the ceiling in this way.

[PipeDown]

This could be a lot of things. Assuming it is not termites or water damage (you said nothing of stains or smell) it may be a settling problem. Are any floors creeking more. Are you on a crawlspace, (inspect posts under the house for one that may have slipped off a pier block). Observe the cracks and imagine the freaming behind, does it seem like the staircase might be settling. One or two floor house? This time of year when we transition from cold to hot and wet to dry, there may be opportunity for settling due to ground drying out or erosion damage earlier in the year

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) beam through which I drilled the hole. What is causing the ceiling :) paint to come off the ceiling in this way. :) :) :) A guess would be moisture. If it were termites there would be a grit or sand stuck to the ceiling/walls.

It is common to see flaking paint with termite damage, but it seems to show up more years after the termites are gone.

[tbasc]

Are the cracks in the paint only? Is there a pattern to the cracks? TB

[Joey]

I had the same problem once in one room. Turns out that the termites had gotten into the wall near the corner of that room (also the corner of the house) and ate away the studs up to about six feet. They also ate out the seal (bottom board) and partly into the floor. A termite contract paid for all the repairs but I was there during the repairs and they actually had to jack up the corner of the house about three inches where it had settled due to the termite damage. That was enough to cause the cracks. So, how can you check for yourself ? Take an ice pick and try to run it into the wall where you think there has been damage. If the ice pick goes in fairly easy (into the stud) then you have damage. Termite also eat behind the old style (paper wall board) also used on the ceilings in older houses. This leaves a hollow tunnel underneath which causes the paint to crack. Push with your finger on top of the crack and if you can push through fairly easy then you have this damage.

J

[Joseph Meehan]

It might pay to have a professional exterminator and a home inspector to check these things out. It is kind of hard to see from here.