Fixing drywall cracks

11 years ago

I have a couple of cracks in the drywall in my bedroom and want to know the best way to go about fixing them. The cracks extend from the corner of a window.

I lived in a home years ago that had a lot of these, to be expected in an older home in the Dallas area (clay soil that expands and contracts a lot) but man were they unsightly. It seemed that they way over engineered the repair and when the soil (clay) around the house became more moist and the cracks sealed up whatever was used to fill the cracks now squished out of the cracks.

Its a real problem in the Dallas area to be sure and because my house is on the newer side I dont want to repair these the wrong way and cause an even more unsightly problem. I was thinking some caulk injected into the crack (as caulk can expand and contract to some extent)and then texturing over it (splatter drag) with a can of texture from HD.

I'm really pretty good with the can-o-texture, greatest thing ever invented, but mostly I dont want to butcher the crack and live to regret it.

Whats the best way to go about this?

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Comments (3)

doug_gb
11 years ago
You need either paper tape or fiberglass tape - to bridge the crack and give the repair strength.

Spread a little joint cement on the paper tape, then apply to the crack. With a 4" taping knife smooth out the excess joint cement. Let it dry. Then add thin layers of joint cement - sanding lightly between coats. The idea is to make an 8" - 10" wide repair that is feathered from the center - don't build a big lump in the middle. 3M sells a sanding sponge.

If you use fiberglass tape - it's sticky. Just cut to length, apply to crack, then cover with joint cement.
don92
11 years ago
Before applying compound enlarge the crack, be aggressive about it and taper the edges. Then apply compound and tape. flatten tape out and apply 3 more coats after each coat thoroughly dries.
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brickeyee
11 years ago
It the crack is 'working' (moves during the years from humidity or structural issues like wind loading, snow loads in winter, etc.) it is unlikely to stay closed perfectly anyway.