Cracks on my wall

[muji511]

I have a new build house just over 2 years old.
I'm deciding to want to redecorate as its currently very white and bland.
I came across some cracks along my wall from the skirting board to the ceiling
Should I be alarmed?

Crack in my wall

• muji511
• 10 Jun 2015
• 1

 

[misterhelpful]

No need to be alarmed as it's just the outline of the paper jointing tape. It has more than likely cracked due natural movement in the timber framing of the walls. It's annoying and is an extremely common problem that is easily remedied.

Depending on how loose the tape is, you may be better off removing the whole strip from floor to ceiling then replacing with a new strip and using jointing compound over it and sanding to level the surface out. A new piece of tape will need to be pressed tightly into the corner, bending 90° around the corner onto the adjacent walls. However, if the tape is well adhered, you can often just use some standard fine surface filler to fill the crack - cutting away any loose edges of the tape before doing so.