Interior Finish How do I repair hairline cracks on plaster or dry walled walls?
Nearly all houses do develop typical hairline cracks on interior walls. This is very normal and is the result of typical house settlement. Minor hairline cracks on plastered or dry walled walls would be regarded as cosmetic and can be easily repaired when you plan to redecorate. When repairing these types of cracks, I recommend using either nylon mesh tape or fiberglass mesh tape. Bed coat the tape in a high vinyl content of joint compound. After this dries, do not sand. If the crack is large or has opened considerably, we recommend applying another layer of mesh tape thereby ‘plying’ the crack with several layers of a fiberglass or mesh type material. Apply three coats of a high vinyl joint compound and then sand smooth. Generally, when cracks are repaired in this professional manner, they do not reoccur. Most professional painters are familiar with this type of repair.
