What to Do With Cracks on The Wall

So, after a long weekend of painting, you’ve reassembled all of your furniture. The house appears to be clean and new, and you congratulate yourself on a job well done. When you look closer, though, you see a crack in the paint, followed by another, and then much more!

Cracks in your wall could be only cosmetic, or they could signify a more significant structural problem. The first step in resolving the issue is to figure out which one it is:

Hairline cracks vs. structural damage

The length and size of the wall fracture is a good sign of structural damage. If the crack is large (more than 1.5 inches wide), and it persists despite multiple repairs, or you have trouble closing your windows and doors, it could indicate a structural problem. It’s advisable to hire an expert to examine the situation and do the work for you at this point.

Hairline cracks, on the other hand, are more common in most homes and are often unavoidable. They usually form around windows and doors and can be caused by a variety of factors.

Identifying the source and learning how to correctly fix the fracture will help you avoid future problems.

Why do walls develop cracks?

Here are some of the most popular reasons:

1. Because of changes in humidity and temperature, the materials that make up your wall (paint, plaster) compress and expand. This is generally a problem if the wall is in a room that is air-conditioned on a regular basis or if it confronts a lot of the afternoon sun. Hairline cracks can form as a result of contraction and expansion.
2. Low-quality paint causes poor paint adhesion on your wall, resulting in cracks over time. Furthermore, applying different paints for each paint application can result in wall fissures.
3. There’s no avoiding it! Use a high-quality product and keep your paint uniform. It may sting a little right now, but it’s better than suffering afterwards.
4. Impatience during plastering: Patience is sometimes the best option. One of the most prevalent causes of cracks is not allowing cement plaster to completely cure before adding paint. So turn on some Netflix and unwind! It will be less expensive than purchasing new paint to repaint your walls.
5. Paint job gone wrong: Painting an entire house is a lot of labor, and it’s easy to speed through it. However, mistakes such as skipping layers or not allowing prior layers to dry completely can detract from your total efforts. It takes time to do a nice paint job, so plan accordingly!

Get cracking: what’s the best way to fix hairline cracks?

Don’t be alarmed if you discover a hairline crack. While you can hire a contractor to complete the work, most hairline cracks can be repaired on your own.

It may seem counterintuitive, but before beginning the repair job, you should first create a deeper hairline fracture (with a scraper, screwdriver, or utility knife). This “opens up” the crack so you may clear out any loose concrete, paint, dirt, or old filler before mending it (with a cloth, dry brush, or vacuum). This also aids the filling solution in adequately filling the crack’s interior.

Fill the fracture with filling solution/joint compound after cleaning it. Make sure the filling completely fills the crack.

With your scraper, even out the surface and let the filling dry for a day. Keep in mind points 3 and 4. Don’t scurry through the process!

Sand the surface when it has dried to make it entirely smooth and even.

Then you may start painting. If you’re going to apply two coats, ensure sure the first one is completely dry before moving on to the second.