Having cracks on your walls is surely a headache, even worse, you cannot paint on it. Painting on a crack would not improve it but, will make it even worse, but this simple guide will let you do it by yourself.
A crack in your drywall will cause other problems, like having insects crawling all over your walls. Drywall crack often increases with time and can decrease the overall strength and the integrity of your walls. Better to work on the problems which you could face in the future.
In this section of DIY repairs, we will guide you on how you can fix wall cracks before painting. The steps are kept simple so, you will spend less time getting the knowledge and have more time to actually work on the real problem. Cracks can be caused naturally or work behind the wall will require a cut in the drywall.
Now we can get to the step of identifying the type of the crack and what can we do to make it disappear.
TYPES OF CRACKS
• Shrinkage Cracks
The most common crack we can find where the plaster is made of lime and cement is the shrinkage crack. It happens when the plaster dries and the content shrink causing numerous cracks on the wall. It can be fixed easily by applying the plaster again to the cracks after cleaning them.
• Plaster-peeling Crack
This crack is usually caused when the structure of the plaster is distorted maybe by pressure on the plaster-like while moving furniture or any other object. You can check the crack by applying some pressure on the crack, if it moves, it is a plaster-peeling crack. You must clean the cracked plaster and sand the area. You can reapply the plaster again on the wall by applying blades to remove the crack.
Major cracks like the cracks in the wall due to brickwork or the cracks in the drywall for major piping or wiring work require much more attention because these kinds of cracks are structural cracks.
• Crack In Caused Due To A Brickwork
The cracks in the bricks’ plaster or where the brick lining areas are cracked. This type of crack requires the cleaning of the crack and making grooves so the filling can be inserted easily before you can fill it with cement or cocking which is filled, and it levels the bricks, so the structure does not change.
• Drywall Cracks
Drywall cracks are caused when the drywall is cut to reveal the underground wiring or piping behind it. Drywalls can also crack when the integrity of the drywall is lost. If the crack is big, you must replace the piece of drywall by cutting the drywall to size and fixing the new piece over it with drywall screws. After fitting the new piece over the drywall, mesh tape should be applied over the areas we have to apply plaster. If the drywall is not cut and it has cracked because of other reasons, we must apply mesh tape over it before we fill it with plaster. You can use hot mud plaster and push it in with the help of applying blades you can find in stores. Afterward, you can sand the excess.
There are other cracks that require major reconstruction work. Like a big crack in the walls where the bricks and the structure of the walls are totally lost.
These cracks are not only dangerous but do require major reconstructions before you can even work over them.
Fixing Wall Cracks Before Painting
After you have finished working on the cracks you can now move on to the painting process now. Just make sure to prepare the place where you want to paint. You can prepare the areas you fixed by sanding the plasters or cement and cleaning them so you can achieve a good and smooth working place. Make sure to cover the areas on which you do not want paint spills. You can mask the areas you do not want to paint. Always choose the right color of paint because if the paint does not match it will leave the area looking patchy and not good-looking.
Tips To Avoid Cracks In Walls
You can adopt safety measures so that you do not have to face this type of situation again. You can use studs behind your drywall. This will strengthen the drywall so the chances of the drywall cracking are minimal. Using high-quality plaster and backing on your walls also reduces the chances of your drywall cracking unintentionally.
Walls made of bricks are less likely to crack and we can make sure it by using the highest quality of the bricks, plasters, and cement, which does increase the cost, but in the long run, reduces the maintenance cost and the hassle of redoing the crack work again and again.
If you build the structure and the foundation of the building strong, there is much less chance of a crack. Check if there is any water leakage or soil contamination, fix it before you construct anything over it. If you are hiring anyone to fix the cracks for you, always check their records and always hire the ones that are professional.
Always use strengthening techniques like using mesh tapes or fixing the moving bits or pieces with screws or special compounds. When you are done fixing the crack always clean the surfaces so you can paint, and the paint can stick properly on them. Paint also acts as a protection to walls. Using paint of high quality also reduces the chances of the wall cracking.