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Ceiling Maintenance: Ceiling Crack Repair
from:You look up and notice that it is time for come ceiling maintenance. If you spot a crack in the ceiling, you will need to take care of this long before you actually paint or cover the ceiling. Most of the time, homes settle and this is what leads to the small cracks that you may have. If there is a foundation problem with your home, this could be causing some of the cracks as well. Other times, ceiling materials begin to wear and it does not take much for a crack to show up.
When the cracks are minor like this, there is no reason not to fix them yourself. On the other hand, if a crack is significant, you may need to first determine what the crack is from, especially if it was just recently occurring. If it is significant and large, you will need a roof inspector determine what the underlying cause is as it could be a problem with the structural integrity of your home.
Fixing Minor Problems
Hairline cracks in the ceiling can be repaired through a few simple ceiling maintenance tips. Here is what you need to know:
Start with a putty knife. Remove any of the lose edges surrounding the crack. You want to scrape away any of the excess ceiling tiling that may be falling off. If you have a stucco or popcorn ceiling, you will need to scrape this away, too, to create a flat surface surrounding the crack. Later, you can add this back on.
Once the entire surface has been scraped near the crack, you next will need to apply a layer of spackle. Most hairline cracks will not require any type of packing, since they are so small. The spackle will be sufficient at covering up the crack. Apply enough to cover the worst areas of the crack.
Next, use the flat edge of the putting knife to level out the spackle. The thinnest layer possible should be used.
Allow the spackle to dry thoroughly. Use a piece of sand paper to remove anything that is excess and to smooth off the edges of the spackled area. You want this area to blend easily with the ceiling around it.
Once complete, and allowed to fully dry, you can then paint over the spackle as needed. It may be best to paint over the entire ceiling so that one section does not look brighter than another.
Repairing more significant cracks in your ceiling is a job for a professional in ceiling maintenance. If you do plan to tackle these types of problems yourself, be sure to investigate the cause of the crack so you can ensure it does not happen again.
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