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Often found on both ceilings and walls, cracks can be treated with either acrylic-filler or a lightweight filler such as spackling. Longer cracks are generally best treated with acrylic filler. Fill deeper and wider cracks with spackling.
As with gaps, when using acrylic filler remember to smooth it out with a moist finger or wet filler-knife. You’ll get a smoother finish which stands a much better chance of being invisible when the emulsion is applied.
Deeper and wider cracks are best treated with spackling. This lightweight filler is generally white in colour, is very easily and smoothly applied and sets hard quickly. It is easily sanded to a smooth finish and if applied carefully will be indistinguishable from the surrounding surface.
For very deep holes it is best to build up to the final surface in stages, letting each stage dry before applying the next and so on. Light sanding is all that is needed to get a professional finish ready for painting. Like acrylic filler spackling is best applied slightly moist. Add a few drops of water to the compound and mix to a smooth paste before applying. A really excellent and versatile product indoors and out! |
More awkward cracks can appear almost anywhere. One of the more difficult ones to deal with is when the crack has caused the surfaces on either side to shift away from one another leaving them at two different levels.
If you simply apply filler there will always be a noticeable defect. In the example below the crack is on the ceiling...
It was repaired by cutting through on either side of the crack in order to widen it. This makes the shift in levels less noticeable...
To complete the repair fill with Spackling and sand level if necessary.
The finished look after painting!
