The second floor of the house was built 17 years ago. Every seam has fiber tape, and every seam on the ceiling and wall cracked. It's only the second floor that's cracking.
Can I just Spackle the lines?
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2 Answers
Depends on why its cracking..
Were trusses used for the roof construction? Many problems are caused by wind and truss "uplift" The solution for this problem is a special, movable joint. No nails or screws are used within 18" of interior wall's top plates. Special clips are used that allow movement.
Building Sciences Corporation report on truss uplift
The expense and hassle of retrofitting "floating corners" might mean trying a number of fixes.
First might be be using a lightweight elastomeric patch, such as
Product Description:
DAP® ElastoPatch® Flexible Patching Compound is a high performance, elastomeric spackling compound that eliminates recurring cracks by providing a permanently flexible fill. Will not crack, crumble or fall out as the joint expands and contracts over time. Superior paintability – won’t flash paint. Available in smooth grade and textured grade to provide the perfect finish. Interior and exterior use.Suggested Uses: Ideal for filling and repairing recurring cracks and holes in: • Stucco • Brick
Surface Preparation & Application:
• Clean surface removing all loose particles, plaster, wax, dust, dirt, peeling paint, old caulk, grease and oil. • Using a caulking gun, brush, putty knife or trowel, fill crack with patching compound. Tool patched surface to desired finish before product dries.
- Product is not sandable.
• For some repairs, more than one application may be required. Use product to bridge gaps up to 1/4” wide and 1/2” deep. Fill small cracks and surface defects to a minimum depth of 1/8”.
• Can be painted after 30 minutes with latex-based paints. Allow to dry at least 2 hours (longer in cool or humid conditions) before painting with oil-based paints.
• Wash tools immediately after use with water.
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It should handle seasonal movement due to humidity changes. It won't handle anything structurally deficient..– HerrBagCommented May 14, 2013 at 18:17
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When they did the drywall, they apparently put it in incorrectly according to Handyman magazine. That plus high winds we had plus an army base which does bombing drills, all seems to add to the problem. I will try this elastopatch before I try anything else. Thanks! Commented May 14, 2013 at 20:36
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@Herr - do you dig out around the cracks at all or just fill with this? And if you dig do you tape?– DMooreCommented May 15, 2013 at 4:21
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@dmoore: diagonal cracks are a sign of settling and stress. Commented May 15, 2013 at 10:55
I live in Texas and the ground is notorious for seasonal movement (as well as drought/flood extremes that add to the variation). Recurring cracks that are sealed up that do not provide flexibility only cause the cracks to reappear somewhere else. So I found that DAP ElastoPatch works well for the smaller repeating cracks in drywall (1/4” or less). Just keep in mind it’s not sandable so some cleanup is required - some shrinkage so not too overboard. It’s paintable after about 2 hours, in our humidity. I did have a slight learning curve being limited in my “caulk” application artistry - but switching to the tub version was easier for me. It comes in a textured or smooth version depending on your surface. And I used the white but it also comes in off white. I have not seen those particular cracks return through 5 seasons. Knock on plaster.
