When a homeowner decided to move his laundry room upstairs to make handling his children’s laundry easier, his plumber had to cut open the walls to make the pipe connections. While the drywall was repaired after the project, the homeowner has been dealing with cracking seams ever since. When he finally had enough patching and painting on his own, he called the team at Ask This Old House for their help, and paint expert Mauro Henrique gladly answered the call.
Repairing Cracked Drywall
- Prepare the area by placing a drop cloth under the cracked area and applying painter’s tape to the surrounding surfaces. If there are any countertops, cover them with plastic.
- Use the pointed hook on the multitool to open the crack area so it can receive patching compound. Press the hook into the crack and drag along the edges of the crack to create a v-shaped recess rather than just a crack.
- Pour between 1/8th and ¼ cup of water (roughly) into the mixing pan. Slowly add the patching compound mix and mix it into the water to create a slurry. Continue adding and mixing until the compound becomes a slightly runny paste. Add more compound or water as needed.
- Use the taping knife to apply the joint compound to the crack. Apply the compound and push it in with a slow, firm hand to ensure all of the crack is full of compound. Apply the mud at an angle and then push it in by dragging the knife along the crack.
- Apply the mesh tape to the crack by unrolling it a foot or so at a time and pressing it lightly into the compound with your fingers. Cut the tape by placing the edge of the knife across the tape and pulling the tail end to rip the fibers.
- Apply a coat of patching compound on top of the mesh tape. Apply the compound to the tape with the knife and then drag it along the tape, holding the compound knife at a low angle to the wall. Apply a thin coat at first. For the second and third coats, remove the excess compound with the taping knife, sanding between coats.
- Prime the patch area to seal the patching compound. Use a paint roll for wider areas and the paint brush to cut around corners and edges.
- Wait an hour for the primer to dry. Repeat the process with the matching paint. Cut in around the corners and edges with the paint brush and use the paint roller for the field. Wait about an hour for the paint to dry before applying a second coat.
