This article describes the common causes of all types of cracks that appear in drywall or gypsum board or plasterboard walls ceilings in building interiors.
Cracks in drywall seams after attic renovation.
A crack a 16th of an inch or larger that runs at a diagonal angle through a sheet s of drywall requires a lot of force to create this crack.
Ceiling cracks running diagonally across ceiling.
Some drywall mud has more adhering ability and should be used when taping drywall whereas other types of drywall mud should only be used in finishing.
It s like the drywall is ripped apart.
Some drywall mud products are intended only for second or third coats.
If you ve got thin cracks in your drywall you don t necessarily have to break out the drywall compound to mud the area.
In fact you can save time and money on your home renovation by caulking drywall corners in areas like closets laundry rooms and mudrooms.
Illustrations show where cracks are most likely to appear explain why and suggest both repair approaches to drywall cracks and how to prevent cracking in plasterboard or gypsum board.
Repairing cracks in walls the best way to repair a crack in drywall is to re tape the joint.
Most drywall cracks occur on the seams where two pieces of drywall meet.
Typically plaster ceiling cracks have two causes.
This type of crack generally would be considered a red flag depending on width length and location.
House settling and temperature or moisture fluctuations in an attic which result in the expansion or contraction of framing members.
When a crack appears it is usually on a seam where two drywall sheets meet and it is easily fixed.
These joint areas are weaker than in the center or field area of the drywall therefore some cracks may occur at these joints.
Caulking drywall is a much faster and easier way to repair those hairline cracks.
Additionally drywall cracks are often found where two pieces of drywall are butted together.
One reason drywall cracks is because the wrong type of drywall mud was used when taping the seams.
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.
Usually the seams are invisible due to the use of drywall mud and tape.
This occurs because there is a joint which gets drywall taped and then layered with two or three coats of drywall mud.
Drywall cracks in ceilings or walls.