Repairing Corner Cracks In Plaster Walls

To solve this problem apply self adhesive fiberglass mesh drywall tape over the crack for reinforcement.

Repairing corner cracks in plaster walls.

You can try to find a matching caulk that will cover the cracks as well as possible or. If you have ever repaired drywall you may know that it is often easier to replace entire portions with new pieces of drywall it s possible to remove just the section that needs fixing and a few. If the crack is on a vertical or horizontal seam carefully widen the crack with the corner of a paint scraper utility knife or chisel to determine if the crack extends completely through the paper that is covering the seam image 1. Otherwise the cracks come back no matter how many times you patch over them.

Here tom silva shows how to repair plaster walls to make them look as good as new. An overview photo by david carmack. There are really only two solutions for unpainted textured walls that crack up the corner. For finishing you ll need primer and paint.

The process is different for plaster than for drywall. He asks us in an e mail. The plaster keys holding it to the underlying lath can also crack and break over time causing the plaster to partially separate from the wall. The key to any fix is to reunite the plaster with the strips of wood lath underneath.

No special tools no special patching products. Fortunately you can repair chipped plaster and fill wall dings in a matter of minutes. Plaster walls in older homes are often plagued by cracks and other defects such as pitting and uneven texture. Even the most careful family occasionally cuts a corner too close or bumps into a wall resulting in chips and dings in the plaster.

Corners and edges seem to get the most abuse and on corners the damage is especially noticeable. You do not have to tape and finish the corners. No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound. A quick and easy way to fix cracks in plaster wall corners.

To repair small cracks in plaster you ll need patching compound medium and fine grit sandpaper a sanding block a putty knife a masonry chisel a paintbrush a rag and a screwdriver. If cracks are simply filled with spackling or joint compound they have a tendency to telegraph back through. And if the tape has pulled loose from the wall surface.