Hairline cracks are thin cracked lines that can appear on the walls and ceilings of a house. These cracks are usually surface-level and pretty harmless. However, there are occasions where hairline cracks can be a symptom of larger problems occurring within the inner construction of your house.
Hairline cracks in drywall most commonly occur due to changes in weather or humidity levels. They can also occur as a result of the structure of the house expanding or settling into itself. Depending on the severity of the damage, hairline cracks in walls or ceilings can be easily fixed by sealing them up with constructional filler.
If you are reading this article, it is likely you have noticed a crack somewhere in your house and feel concerned. To help you through this issue, I have noted down the main reasons and solutions for cracks in this article. If you’d like to find out how to fix hairline cracks in drywall ceilings or walls, just keep reading.
What Causes Hairline Cracks In Drywall?
Hairline cracks get their name from the fact that they are very thin, just like a strand of hair. Most of the time, they are not too serious or even noticeable. However, if noticed once, it can then become very difficult to un-see or ignore cracks in your walls or ceilings. Though these are usually harmless, they are better covered than kept open.
Cracks in walls or ceilings often occur from excessive stress or pressure. This is why you may usually find cracks near support beams, corners, or places where the wall meets the ceiling. With drywall, in particular, cracks often occur due to two pieces of drywall being joined together with weak or faulty drywall tape or other adhesive materials.
Another common cause of drywall cracks is the weather. Heat and humidity can cause minor changes to occur within the building’s framing. This can then lead to cracks forming. With new houses, cracks often surface as the construction materials begin to settle into the frame. Older houses may have cracks due to minor aging or rotting of the building’s internal frame.
How To Prevent Cracks In Drywall?
Much like wrinkles on a face, it is impossible to completely prevent cracks from appearing on walls and ceilings as a house ages. Though directly stopping cracks from appearing is not a feasible task, there are certain precautions you can take to ensure hairline cracks appear later rather than sooner.
The best way to prevent cracks in drywall is to take precautionary measures during construction. A common reason for cracks is the tape holding two pieces of drywall together falling apart. Make sure that drywall is being taped together properly during construction. You may also want to add extra layers under the drywall to prevent cracks from breaking through.
Drywall is a cost-efficient building material. For this reason, it is also a material that starts cracking quickly. To make the material less flaky, many people add additional layers of drywall mud, compounds, or butt joints to keep cracks from appearing. Adding these extra elements makes the house’s frame stronger, thus reducing cracks.
The suggestions mentioned above are only applicable if your house is still undergoing construction. If your house has already been built, you can still try to prevent hairline cracks by keeping your house clean. Keep the walls and ceilings dusted regularly and keep water away from the drywall. These small steps can also help in preventing cracks from surfacing.
How To Fix Hairline Cracks In Drywall?
The way you fix or get rid of cracks in drywall depends on how severe the damage is. Most cracks are easily fixed with a little bit of filling. However, cracks resulting from major constructional issues will need more severe solutions. In these cases, you may need to contact a professional for help.
Minor cracks can usually be fixed at home without the need to call professionals. The way you decide to solve the issue can vary depending on how serious you are about covering cracks and the effort you are willing to put into fixing them. Here are a few ways in which you can cover cracks in drywall.
Seal and Paint Over
For this method, you will need plaster or drywall mud, a drywall knife, and some drywall tape. If the crack is on your ceiling, you will also need a ladder and goggles to prevent drywall dust from falling into your eyes. Once you’ve gathered your materials, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Stick your knife into the crack to slightly open it up. Make sure not to go too deep. Just open it up slightly more than it originally was.
Step 2: Take the drywall mud, filling of plaster onto the knife, and in small strokes, push it into the crack. The goal is to make sure the filler enters the crack all the way through.
Step 3: Once you have filled the crack, scrape away the excess from the surface.
Step 4: Add a layer of drywall tape and then cover the tape with another layer of drywall mud or whatever filler you are using.
Step 5: Smooth everything over with a knife.
Step 6: Wait a few days for it to dry. After this, you can either leave it as it is or paint it over.
Spray Over The Cracks
If the method above feels too complicated for you, you can always choose to seal cracks by spraying them with construction mud or plaster. These sprays are usually available online or at any store that sells construction supplies. It will come in the form of a spray bottle that looks like spray paint. Make sure to read the packaging to ensure it is safe to use on drywall.
These sprays are very simple to use. You simply have to spray them over the crack and then scrape away any excess. However, this method usually works best on small cracks. While this is a quick and plausible solution if the crack is not severe, it is not nearly as effective or durable as the previous method.
Tape and Paint
This method is another easy fix, but it requires even less effort. Just like there are special sprays for covering cracks, you can also buy special adhesive tape to hide cracks on your walls or ceilings. For this method, you need not worry about cleaning off any excess plaster. All you have to do is take the tape and stick it over the crack.
After this, you can either keep it as it is or paint over it to help it blend in. This method is only advised if you are trying to solve an aesthetic problem rather than a constructional one. If the crack in your drywall is minor, you may consider adhesive tape as a simple but effective solution.
Drywall cracks are a common problem and not something that requires too much worry. However, if you notice that cracks are frequent and come accompanied by discoloration or peeling, you may want to contact a professional. Even if nothing is wrong, getting the framework of your house checked is essential to make sure it stays strong.
If you have been worrying about fixing hairline cracks in drywall ceilings or walls, I hope this article helped put your anxieties to rest. Hairline cracks are problems that are easily solved. With proper care and attention, your home can live a long life, healthy and scar-free.
