Wall cracks or ceiling cracks freak some people out! Don’t worry. If you can’t fit your hand into the crack you are usually ok. But there are different kinds of wall and ceiling crack. So there are different kinds of repairs materials for each one. All of the suggested crack repair materials listed below are tried and tested by me. I’ve also tried cheaper versions thinking, what’s the diff? Oh, there’s a diff! In the end I’ve returned to the more expensive market leaders and I’ll explain why. Need an interior crack repair AND painting expert? Click here. Wall and Ceiling crack fix 1 - Selleys No More GapsThis stuff is perfect way to FIX CONVEX WALL AND CEILING CRACKS. Eg. Wall meets cornice, cornice meets ceiling, wall meets skirting board etc. HOW? – Scrape out any loose or flaky bits. With a CAULKING GUN push a thin bead of No More Gaps along the crack. NOTE: Push don’t pull the gun along. Pushing forces No More Gaps into the gap, where pulling doesn’t. WHY? – No More Gaps sets in about half an hour (longer if it’s really thick).It can easily be painted with oil or water based paint. It’s also flexible and can take some movement. ISSUES? – Selleys No More Gaps SHRINKS. IT is great for many CONVEX cracks and can be topped up if the shrinkage is noticeable. But if you are filling a crack in a flat surface No More Gaps will shrink and show even after painting. OTHER BRANDS? – There are many cheaper alternatives. The generic name for this material is CAULK. But I’ve found the others to be too runny or too thick. Selleys No More Gaps, like Goldilocks, is just right. Need an interior crack repair AND painting expert? Click here. Wall and Ceiling crack fix 2 - Selleys SpacfillaThis stuff is perfect way to FILL SMALL DEEP HOLES/DRILL HOLES where you might have removed a picture hook. HOW? – If you removed a picture hook, blow the dust out, and using the little plastic blade supplied, fill the hole to slightly proud (above) the wall surface. When dry, sand the repair and paint. WHY? – Spacfilla dries in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on depth which is nice but the best part is that it DOES NOT SHRINK. This means only one application is needed and its pretty fast. Also no primer is needed. Two top coats will hide this repair for ever. Another advantage is that if your Spacfilla dries in its tub a few drops of water bring it back to life! ISSUES? – There’s always a down side. Spacfilla is very soft. Usually this is not a problem. But it can’t be re-drilled. OTHER BRANDS? – Most other/cheaper brands of fast drying filler either slump or are too crumbly or dry too hard. There may be alternatives that are as good but I haven’t found one yet. Need an interior crack repair AND painting expert? Click here. Wall and Ceiling crack fix 3 - Selleys Tradies BogThis filler is a good way to FIX HOLES, CRACKS OR BIG CHIPS THAT NEED A HARD REPAIR. Eg.picture hook holes that need redrilling, doors, windows, timber, and corners that get a bit of wear. WHY? – Selleys Tradies Bog sets HARD! As it dries it can be carved. Or when fully set can be sanded or even sawn like wood. Also it needs no priming before painting. HOW? – Bog is a chemically set filler created by mixing two parts that react and harden very quickly. It can be pressed into holes just like spacfiller, or shaped to re-build a piece that has been chipped of the corner of a wall or door. Because it sets so fast (5 minutes) I find building up layers works best. It can be sanded within half an hour but I’ve found best results by leaving it overnight. ISSUES? – Fast setting is a blessing and a curse. The best approach is to gradually build up the desired profile by mixing small amounts one by one. Being a chemical reaction unsurprisingly there is a bit of a strong smell for a while. And compared to all the other crack fillers on this list Bog is quite expensive. OTHER BRANDS? – I’ve tried alternative/cheaper brands and found the main problem was slump. I’m filling a hole in the wall which looks fine but over an hour it starts to slid or slump. I went back to the more expensive and reliable Selleys Tradies Bog. Need an interior crack repair AND painting expert? Click here. Wall and Ceiling crack fix 4 - Skim and StripThis solution is a process using skim coat (smooth wall plaster) and a reinforcing strip (like a bandage). Skim and strip is the way to FIX LONG CRACKS ON THE FLAT PARTS OF WALLS AND CEILINGS. It’s a bit of a process but when finished is invisible and give the crack its best chance of lasting. WHY? – The reinforcing tape (paper, fibre glass mesh, or fibre glass matt (Fibre Fuse) – which I prefer) gives a strong tensile aspect to this repair. The skim coat (which is usually premixed plaster and other ingredients) gives a super smooth hiding effect to this repair. HOW – 1. Apply a (6 inch/15cm) strip of skim along the crack. Cut a length of fibre fuse tape and press this into the skim with a plasterers blade. Smooth everything out as much as possible. Wait 24 hours. 2. Scrape any high parts of the now dry skim. Apply a wider strip (8 inch/20cm) of wet skim over everything and smooth this down. Wait another 24 hours. 3. Lightly sand the dry repair. I us a sander attached to a vacuum cleaner because there will be a lot of dust! 4. SEAL the repair with either diluted paint or Zinsser Peel stop – which I prefer. If you don’t seal the repair any painting over the top will peel off within months. ISSUES? 1. This is a difficult craft and it takes many attempts to get right. 2. Its very dusty unless you use a vacuum. 3. Sometimes you are fighting against a house that is moving around on it’s foundations. No amount of skim and tape will win that fight! I tell people this crack repair will give your home its BEST CHANCE. OTHER BRANDS? – I use BORAL FINAL COAT. It’s a pre mixed skim that works well. GYPROCK have a similar product called GYPROCK TOPPING COAT and its fine too. With the tape, the main thing is to find one called Fibre Fuse (rather than paper or fibre glass mesh). This tape is a fibre glass mat – a lot like the stuf they make fibre glass yachts out of. Its very strong and hides better that the other options. Need an interior crack repair AND painting expert? Click here. Wall and Ceiling fix 5 - Sikaflex ProThis is the stuff you get when the crack or gap is between two MOVING MATERIALS. Say a wooden skirting board against floor boards that move a lot. WHY? – SIKAFLEX PRO gives maximum springiness or stretchability. It can go on slightly damp surfaces and when set is waterproof. But unlike similar SILICONE, this product can be painted. HOW? – Apply two parallel lines of masking tape with the desired filler gap between. With a caulking gun push the filler along the gap. With a rag dipped in turps smooth the filled gap. Then IMMEDIATELY remove the masking tape. ISSUES? – Need to mask, clean up with turps, a bit smelly, more expensive than No More Gaps, and a bit tricky to apply. OTHER BRANDS? – In the past there were paintable, water-based caulks (No More Gaps) OR very NON-paintable, oil-based Silicone. SIKAFLEX PRO is a great compromise between the two and similar products are coming on the market all the time. I haven’t tried them all but I find Sikaflex Pro to work well in the ‘paintable, very flexible, water proof, caulk gun’ filler. Need an interior crack repair AND painting expert? Click here.
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