Returning Cracks-1
Updated: Dec. 02, 2010
There are a number of cracks on the walls in my bedroom. I patched up the cracks last summer, but they have returned. Is there a trick to prevent the cracks returning?
If you fixed the wall just last year and the cracks have returned, it is because your house is moving. Controlling the water around the foundation may stop the annual cracking. If you cannot stop the movement, then hide it. My suggestion is to install new drywall over the existing one. If your house continues to move, cracks will appear, but they certainly would not appear the following summer. Another option is to install some paneling over the drywall. Paneling sheets come in 1.2 m x 2.4 m (4 ft x 8 ft) sheets, and in some cases come with attractive patterns. The panels themselves will not crack, but each sheet will move back and forth. There are two little tricks that can make that movement invisible: The first is to paint the existing drywall the same color as the panel that you will install. If and when the sheets move, the part of the drywall exposed will not be that noticeable. The other, cleaner, option is to install some wood trim over the space where the sheets meet. If the sheets move slightly underneath, the wood trim will keep that space covered.
