Repairing hairline cracks in the ceiling.

It sounds just like normal shrinkage
Replastering is just as likely to get some as well
All the water used evaporates off and thats what potentially causes the shrinkage

They used to say if new plaster dried out too quickly it could crack more, no idea if true

I would fill with normal filler, if cracks are very fine water it a little more. Its probably just the drying out and will not return.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
It sounds just like normal shrinkage
Replastering is just as likely to get some as well
All the water used evaporates off and thats what potentially causes the shrinkage

They used to say if new plaster dried out too quickly it could crack more, no idea if true

I would fill with normal filler, if cracks are very fine water it a little more. Its probably just the drying out and will not return.
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thanks do u think there is any significance of horizontal vs vertical cracks

must be honest I seen a lot of cracks in my time but these are the first ones that are horizontal in my home
its almost a straight line right bang centre of the wall.
 
could be reflecting something behind, such as a join or a pipe or something

i really wouldnt worry unless it returns. If the rad is big its probably dried a part far faster than the rest and something somewhere has to give

how big a gaps are you taking, under a couple of mm over 3-4 years I wouldn't worry about unless they return after you fill them
 
Solus said:
Just decorated my daughter's room and this filler is unlike any other premixed filler i've used. It's so light and "fluffy". You'll see what i mean if you use it. Awesome for hairline stuff!
Click to expand...
It's like marshmallow goo!
 
dal said:
Scrim tape is for plastering over really.
I had a number of cracks in one of my bedrooms so i put some noggins up in the ceiling above some of the cracks then used plasterboard screws to screw into the ceiling either side of the wood, then put scrim tape over the cracks and skimmed the whole ceiling, it was probably overkill but no cracks have re appeared since and that was in 2015
. Is the ceiling on the ground floor or upstairs ?
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Whilst reskimming the entire ceiling using scrim tape would remove all the cracks, and less likely to re-appear that is a bit drastic if hes using the room as reskimming with gypsum finishing plaster is not only a skill, its also bloody messy ... He would need to ideally remove as much furniture as possible .

His best option is to scribe out a 6mm v shape line where the cracks are, and then fill with Easifill 60, its less likely to shrink and will provide a decent finish if he applies with a 10" flat float trowel - if using a scraper then he can level it out best you can , then sand smooth - if he uses a trowel he can feather it in using water just before its going off to get as smooth and flat as possible to reduce sanding

The Scribed out line will give the easifill something to wedge into, and will prevent cracking hopefully, and should be less mess and should hold up

Caulk won't work as you can't really sand it, and it shows a visible line , its fine for cracks in corners, around skirtings and door frames etc - but in the middle of a ceiling or wall you will just see the line of caulk soon as you apply paint.
 
Toupret fine surface filler - it is absolutely wonderful for hiding small cracks.
However, you should paint again over the whole ceiling / wall rather than just locally.
 
psd99 said:
thanks do u think there is any significance of horizontal vs vertical cracks

must be honest I seen a lot of cracks in my time but these are the first ones that are horizontal in my home
its almost a straight line right bang centre of the wall.
Click to expand...

Vertical cracks are often caused by uneven movement in the wall foundation. Say one part of the wall stays put and another moves a tad then you will get a vertical crack. Horizontal cracks form when only part of the wall moves. Say when the foundation sinks a tad and takes the wall with it, but the top of the wall is tied to another wall that does not sink. Horizontal cracks can also form when the roof expands or contracts and drags the top of the wall with it. These cracks usually happen high up though, a crack in the middle of the wall indicates the foundation has sunk a tad. Usually the cracks are harmless and only if they continue to get bigger are they something to worry about. Once cracked then the wall can crack again and again and the only way to stop it is to pin it. Basically if you hack out some slots in the wall every foot and use metal braces screwed to the block it will stop the wall moving. It sounds like a drastic repair but it's actually very easy and every effective.
For ceilings, if you have access then glue a piece of wood over the joints between the plasterboard, since this is usually why they crack - they are unsupported along the cracked edge.
 
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