Understood but we have a hot tub in our open Lanai which we haven't used yet, so would the heat from the tub make any difference? One thing we noticed was slight shadow's of the beams on the ceiling when we bought the house. We think it was from the previous owners using candles and the hot tub. We repainted the ceiling high with Sherwin Williams outdoor primer/paint so we will see if the shadows come back.

I wouldn't insulate the ceiling because of the hot tub, unless you want to heat the lanai in cold weather. In any event, I don't think an insulated ceiling will have any effect on the ceiling crack issue.

agree - Lori is an artist.

We had Lori look at a ceiling crack, she walked in & took a look at it and told us NO I can’t do it. ??

A good solution. People do not seem to realize, molding is used to cover disguise such issues. Wood-framing-will always move as it absorbs and looses moisture. Sheet rock does not move.

Robert, feel like posting a pic of your lanai ceiling ? I wanted to cover with vinyl soffit breadboard. Thanks.

We have a large (8' by 8') hot tub set for 102 degrees in our screened lanai, for 8 years, no problems. Recently developed a crack in the lanai ceiling away from the hot tube, appears to be due to weather temperature changes.

Hey Villagetinker,

We can take this off-channel if you like, so as to not hijack the thread - but it seems to have mostly played out, I want to know more about your hot tub. 8 years! Mind if I ask a couple questions? I assume this is a "freestanding" above ground type? Electric or gas. If electric, 110 or 220? Any issues? Approximate energy usage (how much more per month to run)? Do you keep it on year round? How often to treat/drain/clean? Would you put one in again?

Thanks!

Any mistake will show up over time. That suggestion by another villager to cover the joint with molding is a common use for molding-to cover and disguise problems. Today people find traditional cover ups attractive-such as crown molding which was in the past used t disguise the impossible to achieve perfect ceiling to wall joint with REAL traditional plaster.

Not sure I understand what you are trying to do. Vinyl will move far less than wood. If, you will need to apply wide WOOD you will need to allow it to move. If it is securely fastened on both sides of a wide trim board, when it shrinks in dry weather, something has to give. The wood might split lengthwise.

Absolutely false. Kiln dried wood when kept dry does not shrink or expand. Vinyl shrinks and expands with cool and heat and so does pvc . Why do you think vinyl siding is not nailed tightly?

It is a Sheetrock ceiling not concrete

Follow-up on this topic.
So after doing some more research and investigation i found when visiting other neighbors and friends if you look hard enough you will find a crack in most open Lanai ceilings. Whether its a hairline or larger crack. Thinking about it, the problem could be from shoddy workmanship but also due to the attic air above the ceiling super heating in the summer.

The answer in my opinion is to install a solar attic fan to reduce the temperature in the attic and or insulate above the lanai. You are not doing this to save money but to have a more stable attic environment which will effect the living space in a small but positive way.

I called the Solar Guys but you can use whomever you want. I had a solar attic fan installed and had insulation blown in over my Lanai. What i found was after installing the attic fan the attic temperature so far hasn't gone over 100 degrees on a 95 degreee day. Now i don't have to worry about my stuff melting in the attic over the garage anymore and the garage is noticably cooler on very hot days. The ceiling on the Lanai doesn't feel hot to the touch any more.

The cost to do all this is not cheap but not crazy expensive and you get a Federal income tax credit on the solar fan. The Solar Guys did a great job, no mess, very professional and provided the necessary paperwork for the tax credit.

Again doing this work is not meant to save money but any lowering of the attic temperature will make the inside of your home cooler and make the A/C work less saving some money over time. And if i don't get any more cracks in my Lanai ceiling i won't have to spend money on repairs every so many years.

Why would you try and scare somebody by posting their slab is bad? Oh, that's right you recently moved here and hate it. Is your year up yet so you can move?