Maintaining Your Four Walls: Repairing Dents and Cracks in Drywall and Plaster
Joe Cline
Your walls are what hold your home together. They are the all-important connection between the roof and the ground. Without them, you would have no house, no roof over your head and no place to hang your hat. You need your walls, which means you need them to be well maintained, and that can take a little bit of work.
Over time your house starts to settle. It is not necessarily a sign that you have a problem with your house, but more a sign that the foundation beneath has shifted ever so slightly. As it does, cracks and dents may appear. They might be large cracks that immediately grab your attention and beg for repair, or hairline cracks that you only notice after a cold snap or heat wave. Either way, you will want to get rid of them as soon as possible, as any crack - big or small - could give way to an even larger one and larger one after that. If you dont stop the problem in its tracks, you wont be able to stop the crack and your walls will be in disarray.
If you notice a dent in your plaster or the subsequent hole in your wall, waste no time in repairing the problem. Start by scraping away the loose material; this will expose the sound plaster or the lath. Coat that with latex bounding liquid, forming a surface new plaster can stick to. Then, after placing a wire mesh around the lath, apply patching plaster. Place fiberglass tape and two layers of drywall joint compound over the patch. Be sure that the former hole blends in with the rest of the wall, and you have successfully avoided turning a small dent into a large gap.
If you have drywall problems, rather than dents in your plaster, you may have to tackle the problem with a little more complexity, preparing a backing for the hole as well. To do that, apply a coat of joint compound to the perimeter of wire mesh or peg board. Lace a wire in between two of the holes, and insert the backing into the drywalls hole. If you twist the wire around a pencil you can bridge the opening easily, removing the pencil when the drywall has dried. With the backing securely in place, you can continue to fill the hole accordingly.
As with anything, if any dent or crack looks too large to handle on your own, call a professional. The last thing you want to do is create a larger hole or more smaller ones.
Dont think that the bumps and cracks that form in you walls are inevitable results of nature. While that may be, they are also signs that worse is sure to come. You must act quickly, repairing the problem with the appropriate cure as soon as possible. If you are unable to conquer it yourself, ask a professional. Whatever you do, do not leave the repair until tomorrow or another day when you will have more time. Do it now and keep the roof over your head, over your head.
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