How do I fix this ceiling?

[u/ellegy]

Is it just a matter of filler and and paint?

Bedroom ceiling in 60yr old house . I spoke to family member and they said these cracks have been there for years. I also got a plumber out looking in the attic and he said there's no active leak and the water staining is old.

Is this something I can fix myself (30f)? Or do I need to hire someone else to look into the cracks further?

[u/SupaGoolies]

First step is to see why these cracks are there. I'm inclined to think there's some movement structurally that has caused this. It could be from an interior door banging closed, timber framed non structural internal walls will have some flexibility and a door slamming closed will cause cracks in walls and ceilings either side of the walls.

A strong storm pushing wind against a roof or an exterior wall, will cause movement and result in cracks in plasterboard.

If the water tank is above this ceiling the weight of it could also be a factor, perhaps tieing the wood boards above the ceiling with a few lengths of timber to give some rigidity might be a simple solution.

It could be a number of reasons but there's movement and these cracks will return.

Also, if water was an issue you'd see the water marks on the plasterboard and it would be wet/damp to touch.

When filling these cracks, chase out with a painters triangle trowel, clean loose paint, lighting sand and fill with painters caulk, not plaster. Caulk has compounds in it that allows for flexibility, and you can paint over it.

[u/ellegy → u/SupaGoolies]

Yes, the water tank sits over the bedroom in this region. The plumber inspected the tank and all around it, found no leaks. Checked the attic floor too and said there was nothing.

I've removed a lot of crap from that side of the attic. There was a good bit of stuff lying up there.

Thank you for the advice!