Cracks along edge of ceiling and walls

[LJ1711]

I'm considering putting in an offer on a house but most rooms have cracked sections around the edge of the ceiling where the plasterboard seems to be pulling away from the walls. The property is a 3 storey terraced built in 2002. A couple of the rooms also have floor to ceiling cracks down the corners of the walls, the picture is the worst one. Will flexible filler do the trick or would I need to get something more advanced done to it? Trying to get an idea of the cost involved before deciding if and what to offer to buy it.

 

[johnny2007]

It's all cosmetic.
Those cracks can be fixed by a good decorator.
I recently saw a plasterer use a metal corner bead for internal corners and I thought it was a good idea.
Why don't they do that as standard?

 

[JohnD]

I don't know the cause, but I fixed some, by injecting expanding foam from above, into the small gap between the wall, the final joist, and the plasterboard, after hoovering clean and moistening with a sprayer. The foam holds the board in place and has enough flex not to crack, and you can use caulk to fill the gap once the foam has set. I used fire foam, just in case.

If you happen to like coving, that will also hide the crack

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

It's all cosmetic.
Those cracks can be fixed by a good decorator.
I recently saw a plasterer use a metal corner bead for internal corners and I thought it was a good idea.
Why don't they do that as standard?

because its not a good idea

 

[johnny2007]

because its not a good idea

Can you explain please?
Doesn't it make the internal corner stronger?

 

[Wayners]

Plan B will be a corner tape. Use paper and I seal tape with a bit of thinned pva sometimes. Youtube will show how, but sealing tape is my way

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

Can you explain please?
Doesn't it make the internal corner stronger?

not in my eyes. in a solid plastered and skimmed wall it would end up a car crash as there’s no flexibility in a metal bead internally ,so when movement through thermal expansion and contraction occurs the corner will destroy itself. hence flexible scrim tape.
for tape and jointed walls paper tape or reinforced steel paper corners are the norm , they end up looking like the ops house though, usually through settlement or cheap shoddy workmanship. although it’s a crappy system to start with and only good for housebuilders to complete newbuilds quickly.
just my opinion

 

[johnny2007]

not in my eyes. in a solid plastered and skimmed wall it would end up a car crash as there’s no flexibility in a metal bead internally ,so when movement through thermal expansion and contraction occurs the corner will destroy itself. hence flexible scrim tape.
for tape and jointed walls paper tape or reinforced steel paper corners are the norm , they end up looking like the ops house though, usually through settlement or cheap shoddy workmanship. although it’s a crappy system to start with and only good for housebuilders to complete newbuilds quickly.
just my opinion

It makes sense, thanks.
Go to have a look at those corners in a couple of years to see the damage.
Any repair I ever done I used scrim tape and no cracks.
Mind you, I didn't ever attempt to plaster, only patches here and there.
I leave it to the pros.