August 25th, 2015 Cracks in Walls, Ceilings, and Trim.
Over the past several years, we have gotten hundreds of phone calls from customers asking us to fix cracks in their ceilings, walls, and trim. The most frequently asked questions, however, is “Why are my ceilings, walls, and trim cracking?”
Based on our 17 years of experience (combined with many, many discussions about this issue with leading architects and general contractors in the industry) we have found that two factors contribute to the answer: these stubborn cracks surface due to movement caused by either slow settling of the house and/or seasonal shrinkage and expansion as a result of cold and heat.
Cracks due to temperature variation are more prevalent when sudden weather changes occur. If you pay attention to your home, usually you will start to see the crown molding or other moldings throughout the home cracking during a sudden change from moderate weather into extreme cold weather. This is especially true for residents of the New Orleans metro area.
In newly built homes houses settling is prone to occur within the first few month–and, in some cases, the first few years.
Through out years, we have gotten hundreds of phone calls from customers asking us to fix cracks in their ceilings, walls, and trim. (Possible sentence: Among all of the questions we get, there is one that it is always at the top:) And each time we get the same question: “Why are my ceilings, walls, and trim cracking?”
When dealing with cracks, there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that they can be fixed relatively easily (if the cracks are not being caused by more serious structural issues). The down side to this issue is that there is no way of knowing whether or not the cracks will resurface in the future. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of preventive measure that could be taken since the “instigators/triggers” are mainly external and/or natural causes. Most people look at this issue as a maintenance and on-going situation.
So, how can a crack be repaired?
1. You must remove and scrape any loose plaster, drywall and/or loose paint. You can do this with a drywall finishing spatula.
2. Apply mesh (not regular) tape over the crack.
3. Apply three coats of joint compound over the tape.
4. Sand the ceiling. If you have a smooth surface, you are ready to start painting after this step.
5. Apply texture, if you currently have texture.
6. Lastly, prime and paint.
7. Voila! Enjoy your crack-free surface again!
If you need someone to take care of any cracks our Freshening Up Service is perfect for you!