How best to deal with bad cracks between ceiling and wall?

[tonyrobbo]

Our house is now around 8 years old and the last bedroom is in need of re-decorating, but it has a badly cracked external wall right at the top where it seams the webbing has shrunk or something and pulled off the plaster, in another room I just filled over, but they have just got worse. How is the best way to deal with these:

Untitled

• tonyrobbo
• 30 Apr 2012
• 1

The webbing actually seems to have shrunk so much I would no longer be able to fill it square unless I actually cut it and stick it back in to the corner?

Any help much appreciated.

Tony

 

[TheVictorian]

I'd be inclined just to fit some coving, otherwise you'll spend forever trying to put that right.

 

[planemad]

I had this once in a house, I actually detached the ceiling board from the wall so they were not joined together.
I then just coved it and have not had a prob since.

 

[joe-90]

Pull the bits off and use easi-fill.

Coving is so 1980s.

 

[oldgreymouse]

Tony, you say your house is only about 8 years old, so I would like to make a guess that your house is still having movement problems.

Houses today show up a lot more movement problems and although not too drastic, it is irritating to have to try and put them right. The photo shows the wall in a downward movement and it is only the tightness of the plasterers scrim that has pushed off the corner plaster. Either the house has had quite a lot of shrinkage, or the plasterboard was not pushed tight to the ceiling on fixing and they have tried to cover a too large a gap just using scrim.

I would cut the tight scrim, hack off all the loose and out of shape plaster, refit some scrim in the gap behind, then plaster using some 'One coat' plaster from Wickes or B & Q, about a tenner a bag. The one coat can go on thicker, allow to dry out, maybe even over a day or two, then as it is a bit 'grittier' than a thistle finish plaster, use a good powder mix filler to skim over to get a nice smooth finish for painting.

 

[tonyrobbo]

I did think about coving it for ease, but would rather not have it in a bedroom.

I will nip to B&Q and get some scrim?, one coat plaster and easi-fill, thanks all for your help

 

[joe-90]

Looks too shallow for one coat.

 

[tonyrobbo]

Its about 2-3mm deep I reckon, could I just use scrim & easi-fill or will it crack again?

 

[joe-90]

It should be fine. The movement should have finished by now.

 

[oldgreymouse]

tonyrobbo, one coat plaster can go on to a depth of 20mm in one go with a trowel, where as easi-fill is better for a skim over the top as a finish using a filling knife.

 

[joe-90]

But it's only 2-3 mm.

 

[sparkwright]

What's actually behind the cracked plaster?

A wooden 'plate'?

 

[tonyrobbo]

its just plaster board.

 

[Nige F]

Pull the bits off and use easi-fill.

Coving is so 1980s.

1890`s the post was made by Victorian

 

[oldgreymouse]

tonyrobbo, as the cracks are only 2or 3 mm thick then fine, just use some easi-fill if you have some to hand.

It was just that the photo made the cracks look quite big.