ceiling cornice cracks

svouts · 22 Feb 2012

Hello,

In my living room, there were cracks around the ceiling cornice and around the bay window, (it is a Victorian conversion ground floor flat). I used filler to repair the cracks and then painted the whole room. Now, six months later, the cracks re-appear on one side of the bay window and on the ceiling cornice, in the edge between the cornice and the wall. I used normal filer and sanded the area before paining.

Any tips to repair locally without redecorating the whole room and avoid new cracks?

My neighbour upstairs almost every day is moving a furniture (possibly a heavy table or a chest of drawers). It makes a lot of noise and vibration as she drags the furniture and some time it makes the glass on the bay window vibrating. Could it be a reason for the cracks?

joe-90 · 22 Feb 2012

Try decorators caulk. Dead cheap and flexible - but you can't sand it.

deanibusmaximus · 22 Feb 2012

if you decide to caulk, use a really good one. personally I think that caulk is one of the most over used and overrated products on the market.
I have repaired alot of cornice in georgian manor houses that has previously been repaired using caulk that HAS infact cracked. I tend to use a ready mixed lightweight filler that does not set rock hard, such as toupret redlite or red devil onetime. I roll up a ball of it in my hand and then smooth it into the cracks, and then gently clean up with a damp sponge. pukka job!

Honestly I seem to spend half my life raking out caulk that has been stuffed in there by some charlieboy who things that caulk is like some kind of magic wand cure all.

vibrobullit407 · 23 Feb 2012

deanibusmaximus said:
Honestly I seem to spend half my life raking out caulk that has been stuffed in there by some charlieboy who things that caulk is like some kind of magic wand cure all.

Its not that caulk is a magic cure but it is flexible and has its uses. This would be one in my opinion.

Have to agree though that you should use only a good quality caulk. I tend to use either dulux or evostick as personal preference. Cheap caulk will not last long and can fur up when you try to smooth it out. Always let the caulk dry out before painting.

RMS · 23 Feb 2012

deanibusmaximus said:
I have repaired alot of cornice in georgian manor houses that has previously been repaired using caulk that HAS infact cracked. I tend to use a ready mixed lightweight filler that does not set rock hard, such as toupret redlite or red devil onetime. I roll up a ball of it in my hand and then smooth it into the cracks, and then gently clean up with a damp sponge. pukka job!

Completely agree with all of the above. Using caulk will crack in most cases. There are better products that are far more suited to this repair as suggested in the above.

I only really use caulk to fill above skirting boards and around architraves.

vibrobullit407 · 23 Feb 2012

RMS said:
I only really use caulk to fill above skirting boards and around architraves.

Surely this is more likely to crack due to the differing expansion/contraction rates of the two dissimilar materials.

I feel for ease and longevity that caulk will be the better option in this circumstance. It is far more flexible than the lightweight fillers and a lot easier to apply with no sanding.

TheDec · 23 Feb 2012

deanibusmaximus said:
if you decide to caulk, use a really good one. personally I think that caulk is one of the most over used and overrated products on the market.
I have repaired alot of cornice in georgian manor houses that has previously been repaired using caulk that HAS infact cracked. I tend to use a ready mixed lightweight filler that does not set rock hard, such as toupret redlite or red devil onetime. I roll up a ball of it in my hand and then smooth it into the cracks, and then gently clean up with a damp sponge. pukka job!

Honestly I seem to spend half my life raking out caulk that has been stuffed in there by some charlieboy who things that caulk is like some kind of magic wand cure all.

Dean that was a cracking post, and so much reminds me of the old days, it is funny is it not that with the so called advancement in products we tend to develop a sort of abscence of mind with regard to how we used to do it. I could drivel on regarding this subject all night, yet I won't.

Cheers

Dec

joe-90 · 24 Feb 2012

But lightweight filler won't stop movement. You'll have to redo it if it moves. Caulk, however is a pretty good adhesive and will actually glue the materials together and stop them moving. I dunno why you lot have half the problems you do.

RMS · 24 Feb 2012

vibrobullit407 said:
Surely this is more likely to crack due to the differing expansion/contraction rates of the two dissimilar materials.

Clearly, which is why I use caulk. What would / do you use?

Caulk certainly has it's uses and advantages, however, it's not something I would use on cornice.

vibrobullit407 · 24 Feb 2012

RMS said:
vibrobullit407 said:

Surely this is more likely to crack due to the differing expansion/contraction rates of the two dissimilar materials.

Click to expand...

Clearly, which is why I use caulk. What would / do you use?

Caulk certainly has it's uses and advantages, however, it's not something I would use on cornice.

I would used caulk obviously and I would also use caulk for minor cracks on cornice due to the flexible benefits it has.

Could you please explain your logic for not using caulk on something like cornice which moves less than skirts and arch's (which you would use caulk for) as I think I may be missing something very basic here.

TheDec · 24 Feb 2012

Casting plaster, better known as plaster of paris, is often used to repair ornate cornice.

Dec

vibrobullit407 · 24 Feb 2012

TheDec said:
Casting plaster, better known as plaster of paris, is often used to repair ornate cornice.

Dec

I don't think that is what the OP is saying though. I thought the OP was simply asking about the cracks where the cornice meets the plaster wall and thus not repairing the cornice itself.

If it is what I thought the OP was asking then my advice still stands.

RMS · 24 Feb 2012

vibrobullit407 said:
Could you please explain your logic for not using caulk on something like cornice which moves less than skirts and arch's (which you would use caulk for) as I think I may be missing something very basic here.

Because caulk will crack. I've fitted loads of plaster coving in the past and I use the coving adhesive to fix and fill in the gaps top and bottom along with the joins / corners. I've had no problems with cracking in the past.

Many years ago I used caulk to fill in the edges and the cracking was frequent. Not good. I certainly learned from my mistakes which we all make from time to time. Hence why I would not recommend caulk.

The reason for using caulk above skirting is because that is the only product I know of for this unless you have used any other products for this successfully?

joe-90 · 25 Feb 2012

I've used caulk for years and can't remember a single occasion of it cracking. If the coving moves then it was never fitted correctly. Where does the movement come from? Where is the movement going? Why do you have big gaps in the first place?

RMS · 25 Feb 2012

joe-90 said:
Why do you have big gaps in the first place?

erm because walls and ceilings are not 100% true are they? Are you suggesting that when you put coving up you have no gaps to fill between the coving and the wall / ceiling?

If your suggesting there is no movement with the coving then why would you use caulk which by it's very nature is flexible and not the adhesive?

I find that water based paints will usually show lots of cracks when applied to caulk unless you apply an undercoat before. You will not have this problem if you use the coving adhesive to fill any gaps.

Manufacturer's even advise the use of the coving adhesive for this purpose.

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ceiling cornice cracks

deanibusmaximus

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