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Dywall Cracks

Arapaho-Rd
18 years ago

Is there is good way to repair drywall cracks for good so they don't show up again and blend in correctly with the rest of the wall? Thank you.

Comments (15)

  • sdello
    18 years ago

    patching with compound, sanding and painting should repair the cracks. If done properly you'll never know they were there.
    As to whether the cracks will return or not, that depends on what caused the cracks in the first place. If they're settlement cracks and the settlement continues then they'll reappear. Similarly if the cracks are forming because the floor is bouncy and moves, they'll reappear also. You need to identify why it cracked in the first place to see if that action has stopped. HTH

  • Arapaho-Rd
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Can you recommend a good patching compound? Thank you for your help - I really appreciate it. BTW, the problem I have had with patching drywall is that, when sanded, the area patched is smooth while the rest of the wall is slightly bumpy, if that makes sense. How can I prevent that or fix it after its sanded to match the wall?

  • maxthedog
    18 years ago

    You're going to need more than just patching compound. I have to respectfully disagree with sdello there.

    Drywall cracks are mainly due to settling and the only way to correctly fix them is to gouge a "V" groove approximately 1" wide and use mesh tape over the crack, then use a drywall compound (mud) over it. You have to feather the mud over a 8" to 10" width over several muddings in order for it to seamlessly "disappear". You have to treat the crack just like a typical drywall joint.

    You can get away with most any type of drywall compound if it is a small crack.

  • texasredhead
    18 years ago

    If I understand you correctly, what ever you are using to presently fill drywall cracks does not work. Very simply, you are going to need to discover what is opening cracks. Do you have any problems with doors closing easily? Are you on a slab by any chance. Are the cracks in the drywall around doors? Before you go much further you really need to have possible foundation problems checked by a reputable foundation company. Walls do not simply crack for no reason.

  • sdello
    18 years ago

    max:
    thanks for correcting me. The word "drywall" didn't click with me and I was thinking "wall" crack i.e. plaster. where I've had success on hairline cracks with just patching and painting. FWIW: You really need some movement to "crack" through the facer on drywall. If the crack is just in the paint layer over the top, you might get away with patching/painting. Depending on the "texture" that the OP is trying to restore a roller with a thick nap might make the whole thing blend.

    My 0.02

  • drywall_diy_guy
    18 years ago

    If these are cracks below or above a window or door, they will appear again very soon. A permanant solution is to reconfigure the drywall so there are no seams running straight up/down from a corner - this involves removing a sheet or two and replacing. A less permanent solution is to remove existing tape and retape. The site below has details.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Repairing Cracks In Drywall

  • texasredhead
    18 years ago

    This whole thing smacks of a hole in a dam and you guys worrying about cleaning up the water. Cracks in walls, regardless of what the composition, do not appear for no appearant reason. The OP suggests this is an ongoing problem. My suggestion is to find out what is causing the cracks.

  • sdello
    18 years ago

    texasredhead wrote:

    "This whole thing smacks of a hole in a dam and you guys worrying about cleaning up the water. Cracks in walls, regardless of what the composition, do not appear for no appearant reason. The OP suggests this is an ongoing problem. My suggestion is to find out what is causing the cracks."

    FWIW:
    1st response to original post.

    "As to whether the cracks will return or not, that depends on what caused the cracks in the first place. If they're settlement cracks and the settlement continues then they'll reappear. Similarly if the cracks are forming because the floor is bouncy and moves, they'll reappear also. You need to identify why it cracked in the first place to see if that action has stopped. HTH"

  • drywall_diy_guy
    18 years ago

    In very cold US climates, you nearly always get cracks under or over windows and doors if you have a vertical seam at a corner of a window or door. We are talking about temps that might be 30 deg one day and -20 deg F the next. The windows and doors get colder much faster than the rest of the structure which causes stress.

    Avoiding the vertical seams at the corners will prevent this (at least it did for me). Patching the seam will hold up for a while if retaped but eventually it will crack again.

    If it is not the cold but major shifting due to structural deficiencies, then yes, further investigation is needed. This would be the case if you are seeing cracks at places other than the cold-sink locations of windows and doors.

  • Arapaho-Rd
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thank your for all of your help. I do live in a climate where it can get very cold (below zero) during the winter months and then very hot in the summer. The foundation is poured concrete and is in good condition considering the house is 54 years old. I've had several people here tell me that cracks are normal given the condition. I just wanted a means of patching them correctly so they wouldn't reappear, but without tearing out the wall. So it sounds as though I am going to have to live with them.

  • omf1
    17 years ago

    I have some cracks in my ceiling that have formed along the tape joints. I just repaired one by gouging out a v notch and filling with drywall compound I put the second coat of drywall compound on yesterday and was sanding today only to find the crack had returned. When I put the first coat on the temps were high 70Âs to low 80's during the day, last night the temp dropped into the 30Âs. I added extra insulation above the effected area before starting the repair assuming the temp swings were causing expansion and contraction. I have tried re-taping in the past and the cracks still returned. Short of living with the cracks is there a solution to my problem?

    Thanks!

  • qdognj
    17 years ago

    i have patched and sanded and thought they were fixed, only to return a few short months later...Most are at windows or doorways, or where drywall boards meet and the seams are not doen well...I do have some "bounce" in some floors,but the cracks are not in areas where the bounce occurs..the ones i have patched with mesh tape have held up,while those i "grooved" and spackled have returned...

  • loanjenny_yahoo_com
    17 years ago

    i got the same problem too, i bought the house almost 3 years ago and the previous owner got a cracked in basement already fixed but they patched up the other with thick paint and the past winter too cold and all of the crack were open back up
    i got it fix and that cost me about 1k, also upper floor i got several crack around above and under windown , can anyone tell me what wrong with that, how to fix and how much to fix that
    ps, can i come back and sue that seller ?

  • Arapaho-Rd
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well, here is a solution I tried and it has worked so far but is not what should be done. I used DAP DYNEFLEX 230 caulk. It expands and contracts. Tried to do the best I could to make it look halfway decent. I had drywall cracks above and below windows, above doorways and a long one down the wall next to my fireplace. It's been a couple months and no more cracks. It may not be the most professional job but it sure looks better than the cracks that were there and kept coming back.

  • handymac
    16 years ago

    To omf1---those cracks sound more like they are caused by truss movement due to the temperature swing and moisture/humidity. Adding insulation is a good start to trying to lessen the movement. Another thing to try would be adding blocking between the trusses in the area of the cracks. Blocking is simply 2 by fours added between the truss members---or even across then and nailing to each truss.

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