Drywall is vulnerable to cracks, dents and holes, but you can easily repair it with drywall joint compound and a little sanding and painting.
DAP Elastopatch Smooth Flexible Patching Compound is a high performance elastomeric spackling compound that eliminates reoccurring cracks by providing a permanently flexible fill. Excellent for use on smooth surfaces including masonry, brick, plaster, drywall or any surface requiring a permanently flexible seal.
If you have to paint a wall presenting a crack, a solution would be to apply an elastic and over-paintable material inside the crack. Then, apply the paint. Since paints are very thin layers, the material will follow the movements of the crack and will not highlight the problem.
A small crack in your wall doesn't necessarily mean you have a serious foundation problem on your hands. Minor cracks that are only surface level are often harmless and can be patched with a little drywall putty and a new coat of paint.
Add Jointing Tape
The jointing tape should be completely embedded in the filler. Also, make sure there are no bumps or wrinkles in the tape. The jointing tape bridges the crack and tolerates slight movement which is why the tape will ensure that the crack won't return.
Sheetrock® Brand Durabond® Setting-Type Joint Compounds and Sheetrock® Brand Easy Sand™ Lightweight Setting-Type Joint Compounds are the best products to use for repairing cracks. If you want to use a ready-mixed joint compound, Sheetrock® Brand All Purpose Joint Compound works well.
Polycell Crack Free Ceilings is a great way to restore cracked ceilings to a smooth 'good as new' finish. It's flexible paint formulation uses Polyfilla technology to not only cover cracks but prevent them from reappearing.
Latex paint will hide hairline cracks in plaster, at least temporarily. The coverup, though, may last only a few hours or a few months. Small plaster cracks have an annoying way of showing up again and again. It may be smarter to enlarge them and fix them properly once and for all.
If you're looking for an easy fix, you can't go wrong with hiding those cracks with photo frames. Do up your wall with minimal prints in sleek frames for a polished look. Alternatively, you could also print out patterns with lots of white space and stick them with tape on the areas that need to be hidden.
Measure the cracks with measuring tape; cracks that are quarter-of-an-inch wide and larger are often more serious than smaller cracks. A one-inch-wide crack or a crack that allows daylight to come into your home means the wall is severely damaged, and it could be a sign of subsidence or structural damage.
Horizontal cracks
They usually occur because of excessive outside pressure, such as shifting soil, water pressure, or other sheer forces to the foundation. Horizontal cracks are much more dangerous than vertical cracks because they can quickly lead to total foundation failure.
Cracks of less than 5 millimetres wide are usually a crack in the plaster, rather than the wall itself, and can be filled and decorated over. Cracks between 5mm and 15mm wide are more likely to be serious and may need professional repairs. Any crack bigger than 25mm wide should definitely be examined by a professional.
Drywall cracks form primarily due to foundation settlement, foundation heave, fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and seismic activity – all exacting undue pressure and stress on the drywall's organic materials.
The stresses of building materials, lumber, and drywall expanding and contracting can cause nail and screw pops. Temperature fluctuations and humidity changes can cause drywall seams to crack.
With fresh drywall, the substrate actually absorbs a coating really well, like a sponge. However, because it absorbs so well, without a primer coat, you'll experience uneven coverage, especially along drywall seams. This means you'll need to apply more paint to finally get an even coat.
Toothpaste is a great alternative to spackling if you have a hole in your wall smaller than 1/4 inch. Try to find a toothpaste close to the color of the wall, then squeeze the paste into the hole and wipe off the excess with a putty knife or playing card.
They occur naturally as a result of the settlement, such as in the following scenarios: Foundations in new builds and extensions will settle under their own weight over time, which can result in hairline cracks. The same can happen to freshly plastered interior walls that need to dry out over time.