Whether your walls are plaster, drywall, or concrete, fixing small to medium cracks typically requires just a few tools and simple instructions. Cracks result when a wall moves and are usually due to the house settling; the building materials in a house expand and contract due to temperature changes, and the soil under the house can shift, both of which can cause cracks. Most are cosmetic problems that you can repair using a putty or epoxy filler of some kind. Cracks that are especially wide or that show up again, however, should be diagnosed and repaired by professional contractors, as these may indicate serious structural damage.
Determine the Wall Type
The first step to repair cracks in walls is to determine what the cracked wall is made of. Whether you are dealing with a concrete wall, a plaster wall, or drywall — also called sheetrock, plasterboard, or wallboard — affects the way you should go about fixing the crack. Generally, only older homes are finished with plaster, a gooey substance carefully spread onto closely-spaced, horizontal slatted boards called lathes. Drywall is usually made of gypsum plaster sandwiched between two pieces of paper, and can be found throughout a house; you will typically find concrete walls in basements. One way that you may see a difference is that plaster and concrete often chip and crumble if you try to hammer a nail into them, but drywall usually will not.
Goodbye Cracks Drywall Repair
- Center the tape on the crack. Since one side is sticky you can place it on the wall and get your Patch Plus Primer ready. Step 2: Add a Thin Coat of Patch Plus Primer to the Drywall Tape. 3M Patch Plus Primer is great for repairing cracks or holes in drywall because it doesn’t require a primer coat like traditional joint compound.
- Aug 28, 2018 How to Repair Wall Cracks. Being a homeowner comes with its fair share of maintenance and repair projects, many of which - like fixing minor cracks in the wall - you can do yourself at home. Whether you're dealing with drywall, plaster,.
- Homax Spray Spackling has an Innovative Dispensing System that allows for even spray and easy build of spackling material. Easy-to-hold can has an ergonomic actuator with a wide and flat push button. Improved formulation provides a smooth, less visible drywall patch.
Fixing A Crack In Wall
Before applying to the wall, spray the product for about 3 seconds onto a rag or similar to get rid of any excess propellant. Remove the cap, hold the can upright and spray lightly halfway onto the crack. Work the filler well into the crack with a filling knife, smooth off removing any excess filler and allow to dry for 2 minutes.