Stopping Cracks Where Wall Meets Ceiling (With Pics)

[planemad]

Hi

I have one room where the right angle between the wall and ceiling keep cracking.

Before the wall was skimmed the crack was already there but the plasterer should have taped the crack before skimming (looks to me like he did not).

Over the past weeks the crack has reappeared.

I want to repair this myself so that the crack does no reappear.

Can anyone please advise me or point me in the right direction for filling this? and making the job look good?

Many Many Thanks in advance. View media item 7807 View media item 7808

 

[markwm]

That looks like a big crack. Something is moving....

if you can't stop it moving then you need to fill it with something that can accommodate the movement.

Even then I doubt you'll fully conceal it if it continues to expand and contract.

 

[roughcaster]

We had a debate a week or two ago on the very subject of taping or not taping the ceiling/wall joint. This is the "cracking" result of "not" taping or scrimming the joint.. Whether it is plasterboard ceiling to plasterboard wall,,, or plasterboard ceiling to brick/block wall, the joint should "always" be taped or scrimmed, to tie in the ceiling to the wall, I can see no evidence of any fibre tape, jute scrim etc from those photo's. Are we talking solid walls or skimmed plasterboard?.......

On the other side of the debate,( non taping), some argued that it wouldn't crack, but if it did, it could be filled in easily with decorators caulk ...... To be honest, that broken area looks as though it was probably loose before it was plastered over.

Roughcaster.

 

[planemad]

Solid Wall, Plasterboard ceiling.

I can feel movement in the ceiling I can when pushing it.

Shall I caulk up the crack then use gyproc easi fill to fill in.

Or shall I find the joists in the loft and try to screw the boards up a bit more.

I could always fill in the screw heads with easi fill as well

 

[roughcaster]

Even though there is a little movement in your plasterboard ceiling where it meets the wall,,, if the joint had been scrimmed (hessian) in the first place, and then plastered, the ceiling and wall will have been tied in together with the re-inforcing scrim giving that joint strength......

In a new room that is to be plastered, where the bare walls are brick/block, and the ceiling plasterboard, scrim would be applied to all the joints, including ceiling line,, the ceiling would then be plastered first, followed by the walls,, burying all the scrim under the coats of plaster, tying the walls and ceiling in together..... I dont think that happened with you.... In your case now,,, if you can find a joist to put in a few extra screws in that area, then all well and good, After that, I would use a gyproc filler to fill up the bad area and go over it with a little easi fill to finish it off,, sand down when dry, then paint. The ultimate solution for you now,, would be to add screws if poss,, fill deeper areas,, put a fibre tape along the whole wall/ceiling line, cover with a coat of ready mix, let it dry,,, put on another coat,,, let that dry, sand it down and then paint.

Roughcaster.

 

[Alastairreid]

We had a debate a week or two ago on the very subject of taping or not taping the ceiling/wall joint

.

Remember it well r/caster......the proof if ever needed .

the member in conflict with our views (cjmuzzi) now seems to have vacated the forum. .

 

[dave1953]

hear hear!!
I remember this topic as you say and always, always tape the joints.That particular guy must like going back to his customers to sort out cracks which as sure as eggs is eggs will happen on shrinkage

 

[SUPERSLASHER]

The plasterer that done that ceiling must be one of these new 4 and half day men. Quality and know how is the key.

 

[swidders]

If you can, scrape some plaster off the ceiling and add your own scrim before skimming over and sanding.

 

[gday2uk]

This room looks like a good candidate to try your coving skills..........

 

[noseall]

although, as rough has said, there doesn't appear to be any scrim at this junction, it could be a localised problem causing the cracking. this may make it difficult to avoid.

if it is an upstairs ceiling then there may be structural reasons why this crack keeps appearing.

i despair at builders sometimes in their lack of concern over vulnerable areas of a build that quite clearly will cause future problems.

i remember once seeing ceiling plasterboards joined on a pair of double joists that weren't bolted together. their shear movement caused the ceiling to crack no matter what.

in the end we had to take a large section of the ceiling down and ensure that the new plasterboards completely carried across the double joists and joined somewhere beyond.

i don't know.

 

[wayne2008]

I Totally agree with Roughcaster. That is the right way to do it!!!
I have done this sort of thing commercially and residentially for decades!!

A little naughty way with less work and less money.

stanlyknife the crack out about 10 mm at the right angle.
dust off as much as possible
get some nonails (needs to be a runny type) and force into the crack,
wipe all you can get off and leave to dry (like applying a seal coat)
Reapply the nonails with a wet finger, then leave to go off
Lightly sand when dry, then apply a flexible sandable decorators caulk.
when dry blend in with sand paper and paint

the idea is to force the sticky nonails behind the board and to create a mushroom shape this not only bonds the plaster board together but when set stops it moving again

This has worked many times in the past

Hope this helps a little

 

[builderboy]

in work we always run scrim along the top joint half on the ceiling half on the board never have any trouble with cracks after skimming

 

[roughcaster]

in work we always run scrim along the top joint half on the ceiling half on the board never have any trouble with cracks after skimming

Always the best BB, it's all in the prep'..

Roughcaster.