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How to Repair Cracks in your Basement Ceiling
By Anna Young
It’s not unusual for a finished basement ceiling to develop a crack or two over time; this occurs due to shifts and settling of the home’s structure, which then stresses the drywall causing it to crack. For a standard drywall ceiling, simple drywall patching techniques can be used to repair the crack. If you have a textured ceiling there are some other considerations to keep in mind. The Age of a Textured Ceiling
If your home is more than 25 years old and you don’t know when the textured ceiling was installed, you should have the material tested first for asbestos before attempting to scrape away cracked debris and performing a repair.
Asbestos test kits are available online and in home improvement stores; be sure to follow all directions to the letter and protect yourself with eye goggles, a face mask, gloves and protective clothing when collecting a sample for testing. If your test is positive, you will need to contact an expert regarding the best way to repair or remove the asbestos from your home. If the test is negative, you can go ahead and make the repair yourself. How to Repair Ceiling Cracks
When attempting any ceiling repair you will always need to wear goggles to protect your eyes from falling debris. If the ceiling is textured and you’ve determined that it does not contain asbestos, scrape away the textured material surrounding the crack with a putty knife. Clearing the textured finish away will let you make your repair with drywall compound. Then proceed with your repair as you would with a smooth drywall ceiling. Minor cracks can be repaired by applying drywall compound with a mud trowel. Scrape a small amount of compound onto your trowel and run it over the crack, filling the crevice and smoothing the edges. If your crack is a large one, however, you will likely need to cover the crack first with reinforced drywall tape; then smooth several thin layers over drywall compound over the tape. You will get a smoother, better looking result if you let each thin layer dry before you apply the next layer. After the finish layer of compound is dry, sand the repaired area with sandpaper or a slightly damp sanding sponge. Prime and paint a smooth drywall ceiling; for a textured ceiling, you will need to re-apply texturing compound to match the existing color and finish of the original ceiling. Techniques for Other Repairs
In addition to cracks, other problems can occur as a home shifts and settles over time. Nail or screws can pop through the surface of the ceiling leaving a little blister mark. Gently pry or peel off the blister, drive the nail or screw deeper into the ceiling and repair the area with drywall compound. Large gouges or dents in the ceiling should be removed with a utility knife; replace the section with fresh drywall, then tape, patch, sand, prime and paint. Photo from Flickr - "Dad and Kevin" courtesy of
hannah_and_simon . |
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Thank you for sharing this good advise on drywall ceiling repairs, Anna. Not rushing the job, applying sufficient coats of compound and finish sanding will help to make for a successful job.
Best wishes.
Frederick
The copyright for this content entitled "How to Repair Cracks in your Basement Ceiling" has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
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This intel was contributed by Anna Young
Anna Young
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May, 2012
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