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How to Repair Cracks in Walls

How to Repair

After running to nearly every paint and home supply store in town, comparing hundreds of color charts, and arguing with your spouse over color choices, you’re all set to make that room look awesome. There is only one (or maybe 25) small problems – you suddenly notice that the walls have cracks, and you don’t know how to repair them. Don’t be intimidated, breathe deep, and get proactive. Cracks in walls are really very simple to fix in most circumstances, and really do not require any special skills or expensive tools, only a good eye for detail. The trick to repairing most cracks lies in patience and a desire for perfection that is well within the grasp of the average adult with a putty knife and a sheet of sand paper.

Most of the cracks in walls that are encountered are the result of the building settling over time – the structure moves and settles even as little as a quarter of an inch, and you get a wall crack. But before you attempt to repair the crack in your wall, you need to prepare the wall you intend to mend. For small cracks, take a piece of fine sand paper and simply sand the crack, and then rub your bare hand over it to make certain there are no raised edges. After this is done, and the dust is removed from sanding, just take a very small amount of drywall joint compound or spackling and press it into the crack, smoothing the filler as you go. After drying overnight, take a fine piece of sandpaper and sand the former crack to a smooth and level surface and remove the dust. The crack is repaired and you are now ready to paint.

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For larger cracks in walls the process is similar, but takes a little longer to paint because of the time required for the crack filler to dry. Take the sharp edge of a steel putty knife and gently but thoroughly run it up and down the crack line. The idea is to remove the loose plaster and several coats of loose paint surrounding the crack. If this step is not done properly, the moisture in the crack filler will cause the old paint and plaster to pull away from the wall, and it will pretty much become a mess the next day. Sand and dust the crack, and then apply filler to the crack, the only difference for larger cracks being to fill then in two or three light coats, over several days. After drying, sand, dust and paint.

The key to repairing cracks in walls lies in not being in too big a hurry, applying light coats of filler, and allowing them the proper drying time. Fixing the first room is the hardest for beginners, but by the time your house is finished, you’ll be knocking those cracks out like a pro.