Fresh drywall looks great, but that’s just it, it looks great as long as it’s all nice and clean, and in one piece! Since drywall is fairly thin, it’s also very susceptible to cracks. Any time you make changes to your walls or your room, or just accidentally damage the drywall, you’ll probably be left with lots of cracks everywhere.
The great thing is that whether your drywall has a small crack, or a giant hole, it’s possible to fix it! You just need the right tools, and information, you should be able to fix the crack easily! In this post, we’re going to be going over exactly how to do that!
How to Repair Drywall Cracks
Determine the size of the crack and even it out: The first thing we need to check in order to be able to fix the crack is how big it is. If it’s a small crack, you will have to even it out before you can fix it up. This is done by taking a scraper, and slowly scraping along the drywall. You’ll have to scrape some of the paint and everything off as well just so you’re left with a smooth surface to work with.
Then, bring in the compound: You’re going to have to mix up some compound, making sure it’s not lumpy at all, and put it in a mud pan. This way, when you go in to apply it to the drywall, it won’t clump up! Then, using a 6-inch taping knife, take the compound and apply it directly on top of where the crack is, making sure to go over the sides too. Apply the compound in very thin layers and build it up. Remember, you can always add more, but it’s harder to take giant clumps of compound away once it’s already on the walls.
Tape it up: Next, you’re going to have to take some paper tape. This is just going to be good quality painter’s tape that you can find in any hardware store. Take the tape and place it on top of where the crack was, for added security. If the crack you’re trying to repair is too crooked, you might want to cut the tape up into several little pieces to be able to smoothly cover the entire surface.
Cover the tape: Now that you have the added enforcement of the tape, you can go in with a final compounding layer. Take the compound just like you did before, and add another layer of it on top of the tape. This will basically sandwich the tape between the compound and make the repair a lot sturdier than if you were to just put the compound on its own.
Even the material out: Once you’ve added all the layers of the compound, take a knife that’s much wider than the one you were using before, and go over it. This will allow you to even the mixture out in a way that makes it one with the rest of the wall.
Repeat and finish: Let the mixture dry and then repeat the process. Do it until you’re satisfied with the way it’s turning out and then, once the final layer is dry, sand it. After it’s sanded, it’s going to be ready to paint! Prime the section with primer and go over it with the paint that matches the wall! Once it’s dry, it’ll look like the crack was never there in the first place!
This process is fairly easy to get through, however, it can be a little much if you’ve never done it before. If you can’t do it yourself, call Handyman NYC, or a handyman in your local area to come and fix the cracks in your drywall in no time!