For obvious reasons a crack in the wall is bound to make the room look shabby and unkempt. A crack in the ceiling for that matter is more than just a matter of concern. With the easy steps mentioned in this story you can repair the drywall cracks that have appeared on your ceiling.
Drywall is made using gypsum and it pays to know ... ... that, the word "gypsum" comes from the Latin term gypsos, meaning plaster.
Drywall is essentially a construction material used to construct durable walls and ceilings in a relatively lesser time. It is increasingly used to cover beams, create eaves, arches and other architectural specialties.
It is easy to install and most importantly offers easy and inexpensive means to insulate the walls from fire. What makes it a favored choice for many is the fact that it is cost-effective, requires less skilled labor, and is easier to repair than an old-fashioned plaster wall/ceiling.
A drywall panel is created by sandwiching two sheets of fiberglass or heavy paper with wet gypsum. The wet gypsum is essentially a mix of fiber, foaming agents, finely ground gypsum crystals, starch, additives to decrease mildew and wax emulsions that lower the rate of water absorption.
Excessive moisture, tension, poor installation and cracked paint can cause cracks in the drywall ceilings and walls. To combat the shabby appearance that accompanies cracked walls you ought to regularly inspect your walls and do not neglect a single hairline fracture in the ceiling.
Tools
Tapes and Sandpapers
To get you started with the repair you ought to keep a 6 inch taping knife, a 10/12-inch taping knife, 1 square piece of plywood or a plastic mud pan, drywall compound, drywall tape (paper or fiberglass), and fine-grit sandpaper and a sanding block.
Clean and scrape off the Crack
Start by using the taping knife to scrape off the edges of the crack. Take off the old plaster and tape with the help of the scraper. If needed widen the crack a little bit so that it allows the compound or plaster to hold firmly.
Apply layers of plaster and tape
Mix the putty/compound/plaster in the mud-pan and apply a thin coat of this to the crack. Apply a layer of either fiberglass tape or drywall paper tape to this crack. Once dry cover with another thin layer of compound/plaster.
Final layer of Plaster
Cover the entire crack or widened gap with plaster with tape. Once the initial layers are dry, apply a final coat of plaster to the entire area that had been scrapped.
Level the area and scrape of excess
Scrape off any excess plaster using sandpaper or the sand block. Next, level the final coat of plaster evening out the edges and concentrating on the taped area.
Apply a coat of Primer
Once the plaster is set, sand the area to smoothen down rough edges. You can now apply a coat of primer to the area and leave to dry.
Touch up with paint
Now that the primer is dry, apply paint to touch-up the area and cover the patch. The crack will be gone and your room will end up looking neat again.
In case the crack is too big and the ceiling is leaking, you would have to take off the panel entirely and get a new one fixed before it is too late. Make sure you take care of leakages before you repair ceiling cracks in case of leaking ceilings.