If you have an older home that has some structural damage, or if you are starting to notice tiny cracks in the walls, the time to fix these is now, before they get any worse. If the crack is serious, you may need to get the help of a professional, especially if the crack happens to be on a load bearing wall. However, for small cracks that are not serious, you can easily fix this on your own and make your wall look new again.
In most cases, cracks are the result of either hitting the wall too hard, or the plaster may have just cracked. Before you get started, you’ll need sandpaper, a trowel, a scraper and some joint compound. All of these items can be purchased at your local hardware store and most are very low cost. Once you have everything together, it’s time to get started.
Step One –
Sand down the paint around the crack. You need to make sure that the joint compound will be able to form a good bond on the crack, so take your sandpaper and start sanding the paint around the crack in the wall. If you have wallpaper on the wall, you will need to remove it first, and then sand down the surface.
Step Two –
Remove any surface dust. Once you have the area around the crack sanded down, you’ll need to remove any surface dust before going to the next step. A slightly dampened rag works wonders, but just make sure that the wall is dry before you proceed to the next step.
Step Three –
Apply the compound. Open up your tub of joint compound and get your trowel. Place a small amount on the trowel and then start applying the compound to the wall. It’s best to do this in short, shift motions, usually in the pattern of an X. You don’t need to extend the compound too far around the crack, a few inches will do. Keep applying the compound, using your X pattern, until the crack is completely covered over.
Step Four –
Wait for the compound to dry and then sand it down. You will need to wait for the joint compound to dry before you can go any further. It’s a good idea to use your scraper to remove any excess compound to speed this process up. Just take a look at the directions on the tub to see how long you will need to wait. Once it’s dry, sand it down so that it won’t be so obvious once you add paint. Ideally, the compound should be just about flush with the wall.
Step Five –
Repaint or re-wallpaper the area. Once your compound has been sanded down, you can paint or wallpaper the area around and over the crack so that it is not as noticeable. Treat the area with care and gently smooth out any bubbles. If necessary, you may need to sand a bit more, if you didn’t get it completely smooth the first time.
That’s it – your wall has been repaired!
Photo Credit: 1
Originally posted 2008-11-05 05:16:11. Republished by Old Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Replacing Your Smoke Alarms If you have an older home, or if you aren’t quite sure how old your smoke alarms are, it’s a good time to think about replacing them. Even if you have regularly replaced your batteries in your smoke alarms, they may become less effective as they get older. Some of...... -
How to Install Kitchen Cabinets Installing new kitchen cabinets is a great way to give an old kitchen a facelift. In addition to being more useful, new kitchen cabinets can add value to your home and make it look a lot nicer. Before we get started, let's make sure you have all the tools you'll...... -
How to Refinish Furniture When it comes time to replace your furniture, you may be able to save money and refinish the piece of furniture. What that entails is to remove the old finish, prepare for the new finish, and then apply the new finish. A little bit of effort can save you a...... -
How to Handle Mold in Your Home Mold is a serious problem for many homes, especially those in humid climates. However, some areas of your home are going to be more likely to have mold, even if you live in the middle of a dry desert. Here are some tips on how to make sure that...... -
How to Replace a Built-in Dishwasher The under counter appliances in your kitchen are not complicated to install or replace, and can easily be handled by the homeowner. All it takes is a few steps that are simple to perform. The first step in replacing a built in washer is to remove the old one. Removing......
Related Websites -
Corporate Blogging Issues and Concerns If you have never blogged before and are interested in starting a corporate blog, there are a few issues and concerns that you need to be aware of before you ever get started. These can be treacherous waters at times and if you are not prepared, it is all too...... - The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat By Mark Nicholas If you've been considering making that transition towards living aboard, this is the go-to resource for everything you'll ever need to know. We highly recommend this book since it does go into such detail that all of your questions should be answered. It was nice to find a resource that......
- Saving For An Emergency One of the greatest fears in the world of personal finance occurs when an emergency hits. When I say emergency, I am not talking about waiting until Christmas Eve to start your Christmas shopping, I mean a true emergency. The average U.S. family has little to no savings set aside......
-
Using Nature's Gift Wrap: The Eggshell An elegant and unforgettable way to wrap a present Mimic one of natures miracles by giving jewelry, money, a small gift or an engagement ring inside a pretty eggshell that must be cracked open by the recipient. The broken eggshell may be kept as a memento of the occasion. You...... -
Make Your Email List Responsive In the world of internet marketing nothing compares to the return on investment (ROI) that Email Marketing brings. Email marketing has been responsible for more online overnight millionaires than any other form of internet marketing you can think of. Now we all know that you can not have email marketing......
- Wall Antique Pre-1930 Clocks Collectibles
- Wall Modern 1970-Now Clocks Collectibles
- Posters, Wall Scrolls InuYasha Japanese, Anime Animation Art, Characters Collectibles
- Sconces Wall Lamps Lighting Fixtures Home Lighting
- Wall Vintage 1930-69 Clocks Collectibles
Categories:
Repair, Walls
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment