Cracks in drywall spoil the entire appearance of the room and puts even the most beautiful décor in a shadow. The cracks may appear due to several reasons. However, the main factor to consider here is you should see to the drywall repair immediately upon detecting a crack. This applies to even hairline cracks, as when left as such they can lead to huge difficulties including weakening of an entire building structure. To avoid expensive repair costs, attending the cracks immediately is the best way to deal with them. Here are some major causes for drywall to crackup.
Construction defects
Houses in general take some time to settle down, which does not happen in a uniform way. Some parts settle sooner than the rest. This difference can lead to cracks formation in both the walls as well as the ceiling. Another common area where such cracks form includes the area near the top corner of the doorframe.
The drywall cracks are diagonal and keep increasing.
Defect in installation
The improper drywall installation is another major reason for crack formation. Errors in joint taping and in the joint compound application can lead to cracking up of the tape. To ensure that this does not progress further, the nails and screws present on the sides of the cracks should be tightened, so the sheet rock is properly fixed.
If there is a thick joint compound coating present, the top layers dry up first leaving behind the layers below wet. This leads to surface cracking. Filling the cracks with joint compound on the upper layer can prevent this. However, if the cracks go too deep, more coatings may be needed. Once the coating is done and the compound dries up, sanding can be done to get a smooth finish and the drywall surface repainted again.
In some instances where the joint compound has been applied too thick, the layer on top dries first while the lower layer takes more time. This causes surface cracks and these can be fixed by filling the cracks with a thin coat of joint compound. If the crack is very deep, drywall may need a couple of extra coats, before it can be fixed. After the compound dries, you can sand over it and then repaint the drywall.
Moisture accumulation
Moisture can be accumulated on any section of a drywall. The screws and wall studs are the most vulnerable spots. This causes the screws to rust and leads to cracking.
Heavy objects
Hanging heavy weight objects on walls is also another reason for crack formation. These are mostly hidden and not detected for a long time and you can identify them only when the object drops to the ground due to the anchor in the wall being damaged, because of the undue stress.
Paint defects
Fine cracks spread extensively over the ceiling and a drywall resembling crushed eggshell is mostly due to the paint not being applied correctly. Paint removal with light sanding and application of joint compound will take care of this defect. Once the compound dries, primer application should be done after the surface is sanded again. Repainting will restore the appearance greatly.
When you act quickly, your problem will be resolved and you can save extensive repair costs.