From Plat to Place
The Step By Step Home Construction Site
Step 43 - Fixing Drywall Cracks
The Art of Fixing Drywall Cracks
Every one of us wants to live in a beautiful house. It would be nicer if we got a nicely decorated home with a classy arrangement, fully furnished, and well structured and painted. Unfortunately, every house is not spared of the wear and tear as it stands over the years. Eventually as years go by, paint becomes old and some parts of the house need repair. Normally, it's the kitchen and bathroom that needs to be repaired first. These rooms are usually being used the most in a household. What about the drywall? As time goes on, homeowners will probably begin to see cracks, especially near windows and doors, or on the wall as well.
Most of our household walls and ceilings are made of drywall and plaster. A lot of people choose plaster because it is harder and more solid compared to a drywall which is light and tends to attract bends, mold and mildew from water damage. Plaster walls and ceilings, however are easily affected when a house moves during settling. It can have cracks as fine as hair or holes of any size. This kind of damage on plaster walls and ceilings, especially cracks, needs to be taken care of right away because it can result to bigger problems later on. The following plaster ceiling repair tips and tricks will provide you with the knowledge on how to repair your plaster correctly to avoid repairing it again.
Small cracks on drywalls need fixing as soon as possible. More so with large cracks, It is not appealing to look at. Before further damage will appear, you have to do some repair. You can do it yourself it's not that difficult. As long as you have the necessary materials needed to repair drywall cracks. Doing it your self can cut down the cost of the repair because you don't need to hire a professional to do the job.
The first thing you will need to do is to prepare your tools and materials for the job. You will need to make sure you have enough plaster to fill in the hole, a putty knife, joint compound, a screwdriver or a screw gun, a chisel, sandpaper or a sand block, primer and paint. Small holes and cracks can be remedied easily. You will need to widen the hole or crack about an eighth of inch using a screwdriver or a utility knife. Next, apply enough joint compound to fill in the hole using your finger or a putty knife. Small holes and cracks should dry within a few hours. Scrape off the surface when it is dry with a putty knife and sand to make it smoother.
Cracks in drywall or gypsum board can definitely occur over time and it happens for various reasons. Some of these reasons may come from a house settling, bumps caused by rearranging the furniture, and also, it is sometimes caused by the home owner's inability to provide a form of protection towards the walls. These concerns can lead to a very serious problem, most especially if it is not addressed right away. It is never too late to deal with items in the house that need restoration. Repairing cracks does not have to cost you too much money because there are steps that can be followed on how to fix it by yourself. Home construction definitely is one of the biggest investments a person could ever make and this should also entail that as a home owner. As a homeowner, you need to ensure that all parts of the house are in good condition all the time. If it happens that minimal damages are starting to occur, it should be fixed right away to avoid further problems from surfacing.
Things We Learned Along The Way
The Art of Fixing Drywall Ceiling Cracks
A Guide to Plaster Wall Repair
A Simple Trick for Ceiling Drywall Repair
Easy Ways for Patching Damaged Drywall
Drywalling an Unfinished Basement
How to Stop Drywall Cracking - Once and For All
Gypsum boards also known as drywall or sheetrock are great options that can be used in home construction because it is reasonably priced and it is contained with properties and components that can serve great uses in protecting walls and ceilings. Although this is the best route to take when doing home construction, the wear and tear situations and other circumstances in the house can eventually cause cracks on the walls and ceilings of your home. You should pay serious attention in this kind of issue because a simple crack can lead to much bigger damage if it is not fixed and restored as early as possible. In order to give you a better idea about this concept, here are easy to follow steps that you can utilize in repairing the cracks found in your gypsum board.
Larger holes need a little work to be repaired. Try to widen the hole with a utility knife and make even surfaces using a chisel by taking out the loose plaster around the hole or until the lath is visible. A lath which is usually made of wood can be found in the innermost part of a plaster wall. It is needed for the new plaster to adhere. If the lath is not visible, you cannot directly fill the hole with plaster. Clean the hole or crack first with a damp cloth and use a wire mesh to serve as the lath. If the holes are deep, you may need to do a few coats of joint compound. For every coat, which is about within an eighth to a fourth of an inch, score the dried patch surface with a nail to create a lath for the next coating. Large holes and cracks may take up to twelve hours to dry completely. To speed up the process, ventilate the area properly. This can be done using a fan or opening a window. Make sure to clean the surface before applying the next coating. Scrape excess material off the wet finish coat. Let it dry and use sandpaper to make a smooth finish. Make sure to use primer on all affected areas to seal the compound before painting.
You may have some experience repairing drywall. But if you don't, you need to read this to teach yourself how to repair cracks in drywall. First, we go over the materials you need before you can start repairing. For small cracks, you only need sandpaper, a premixed drywall compound, 4"taping knife, also an 8" taping knife. You can buy all of these in all hardware stores. It is easier to fix a small crack that's why you only need a few supplies. For large cracks, you need a fine-grit sandpaper, a 4" taping knife, also 8 - 10" taping knife, premixed drywall compound, drywall tape, a plastic mud pan, primer and paint.
There comes a time when drywall just splits and forms a gap. This may happen for a number of reasons, however, the causes can be generalized into two categories: settling, that is due to material contraction or expansion (however, this may take a number of years before it occurs) or poor installation techniques. The inadequate use of joint compound under the tape used on drywall can cause bubbles that will eventually become cracks. No matter what the cause of the problem is, the main concern of the household owner is fixing the drywall cracks for good, thus preventing it from happening again. Now, for better organization and to help save time, it is advisable that the necessary tools and materials are purchased and prepared before starting with the repair project. The basic materials that one needs to get ready are:
Mud - also known as the "joint compound" or "drywall compound" is used to fasten joints or close holes or cracks in the drywall. There are basically two kinds of joint compound. One is the Drying Type mud and the other one is the Setting Type drywall compound. The former is very popular as it is very handy and easy to use, plus it is very practical as far as the spreading and duration of usage is concerned. Say for example a five-gallon bucket can be used in fixing drywall cracks of an averaged size room. However, the mud must be completely dry before applying another coat. The average drying time of joint compound is approximately 24 hours, so using this type of compound can be time-consuming. On the other hand, the setting type of mud dries quicker than the former while it is not susceptible to shrinkage or cracking. While it is best for patching, its main disadvantage is that it is more difficult to use. It is also a bit more challenging to sand.
Drywall tape- there are two types of tape, the paper drywall tape and the fiberglass drywall tape. For durability, the latter is recommended.
Utility knife
Hammer and nails (or drill and screws can also be used) " Taping knife " Sand paper (or sanding block or sanding pole may do)
Primer
Paint
Now that the tools and materials are ready, one can begin with the fixing of drywall cracks endeavor. First, with the use of the utility knife, furrow both side of the crack in order to make clean the ugly edges. Once it is done, check the drywall to see if it creates movement by pushing the sides of the gap. Should there be a movement, screw the affected area. Ensure that there is a solid support at the back of it to avoid further damage or poor reparation results. Next, tape the gap with drywall tape, after which, coat it with the drywall compound using the taping knife. Follow the instructions specified in the label when using the product. If you are using the drying type mud, wait for another 24 hours before applying the second coating, however, if you use the setting type, you can start coating it with second application once it dries- it could be anywhere from 5 to 90 minutes. After it is dry, scrape off the hounding edges with the use of your taping knife. You can then check if the 'treated' area is humping or hollow by running your taping knife at the center. If it still is, apply another coat and concentrate on the problematic area. Wait for it to dry before scraping off the excess edges. On the other hand, if it is already okay, let the coat dry thoroughly before sanding to level with the rest of the wall. You can then put on the primer followed by the paint.
" Before starting any restoration project, be sure to prepare all the materials that you need. You can purchase the materials in the nearest home improvement store within your vicinity. Also, do not forget to request the manufacturer's guidelines in using the product so that you can prevent mistakes in fixing the cracks.
Be certain that you have sufficient protection provided for the furniture, floorings, and appliances in your home before doing the repair project.
Make use of the utility knife to cut through the cracks and other loose pieces. Ensure that you are able to cut all loose ends as this can avoid further residue from spreading towards the rest of the wall.
You can start applying the compound as soon as the entire surface is cleaned. Make use of the knife to spread the compound back and forth within the edges of the crack. Make sure that you are able to apply the joint compound with several coats and you should obtain and even and smooth finish.
The compound needs to dry to in order to achieve a sturdy state. Allow it dry out completely for twenty four hours. Afterwards, check if there are bumps that occurred during the hardening process. Remove any bumps and impurities by using sand paper or a sand block. Sanding the entire wall can help achieve a smoother wall and it secures that all the cracks have been fixed.
In some cases, especially older houses, plaster around the affected area could be loose. If this is the case, drill random holes around the affected area and caulk it with plaster adhesive to glue it back to the lath. You could also use drywall screws to try and secure the surrounding areas to prevent further cracking and chipping of the plaster. You need to bear in mind that these plaster ceiling repair tips and tricks can help you repair some minor plaster problems. It is always recommended to hire an expert to determine the cause of cracks because they might be a result of problems in structure and these tips and tricks will only solve the problem temporarily and not be a permanent fix.
Steps on how to repair drywall cracks in plaster:
Firstly, you have to prepare the materials that you are going to use. This will allow you to save time and make your work as efficient as possible. The materials that you are going to need are as follows: o Taping knives: 6-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch o Drywall Hawk or mud pan o Drywall compound: (1) 5 gallon pal of ready mix. Secure the lid tightly and it will last for years! o Drywall tape: either paper or fiberglass o Sandpaper with fine grit 120/150 o Sanding block: medium grit
The next thing that you have to do is prepare your crack by cleaning it out. You may use your taping knife to smooth out the edges of the crack to remove any dust and grit.
Put a sizeable amount of compound or plaster onto your hawk or mud pan so that it would be easier for you to place it on your taping knife.
Using your taping knife, apply your first coat of compound to the crack. Make sure that you do not apply a very thick compound as this is just the first coating. In addition, it is best that your compound is only slightly wet before application.
After application of the compound, make sure that you immediately place a drywall paper tape onto it. Embed it so it will hold the compound in place. You may cut it into several strips if you are going to apply it on a crooked crack. However, this is so if you are using a paper drywall tape. If you are to use a fiberglass tape, there is no need to push the fiberglass tape on the compound as it is self sticking. Generally, you need an indention first because fiberglass tape is thicker than paper tape.
Remove excess compound that you would see on the tape. Smoothen it.
Let it dry for at least 24 hours before applying your second coating of compound. Let it dry again, and then add the final coat. Make sure that you feather the edges to make it look natural.
Use the sandpaper and sanding block to smoothen out the surface of the patch.
Apply a coat of primer after the compound is dry. " How to repair drywall cracks in plaster is one easy task to do especially when you follow these helpful tips.
Clean up the mess and you are done. That is how easy it is to fix cracks in drywall.
Without hesitation we can say that fixing drywall cracks may be tedious, but can be done by a novice with, of course, the aid of informative guidance and proper instructions.