cracks everywhere

sassybooboos

just stripped the wallpaper off the walls in one of my rooms today and there are loads of cracks, they aren't very wide or anything like that.

im sure someone told me there is something you can paint on the walls and the cracks wont show through but i dont know what it is.

any one heard of this

Poppycat

Decorators filler does the job just get a mastic gun and put filler thing in, costs about £5-£6 for both and apply along cracks and wipe of any surplus


Or you can get fine ready made plaster that you dont need to sand down

Snooze

You can get flexible paint easily enough but it's not cheap. Perhaps you should be investigating the cause of them first before covering them up though! It could be just normal movement/settling if the house is newish but if it's been there a long time then there's likely to be an underlying cause for them and if you ignore them you could regret it by way of a very large bill in future years, depending on what's causing it.

If they're hairline then probably not too much to worry about (if anything). If you can get your nail in them and they run the full height of the walls then you need to be getting a structural engineer in, and if they're any bigger than that then you've definitely got big problems!!! Have a good look at your external walls too.

Rob

sassybooboos

they are only hairline cracks and the house is about 70yrs old. The cracks are only in room so i dont think the house is on the move (bloomin hope not)

just there are a lot to fill using decorators filler, will be there for weeks trying to do it that way.

phill99

Fave ytou tapped the plaster? if it is hollow sounding, then it is loose and may well need reskimming. If yo9u have a lot of cracks, skimming may well be the best option anyway.

I can't agree with Poppycat though. Caulking (the stuff you apply with a mastic gun) is not suitable for hairline cracks on flat surfaces. It is acrylic based and will sink, apart from being difficult to apply to a flat surface. You would be better off with Tetron which is a good quality powdered filler that you mix with water. It is excellent for fine cracks and once sanded down with a medium or fine graded sandpaper will give a really smooth finish. If you have a lot of cracks, use Easifill (as tetron, but in a much bigger bag) or Ready mixed Gyrroc, both from builders merchants. Trust me, Its my livelyhood.

misgrace

I'm with phil on this one, Decorators caulk is more suitable for along skirtings, frames, in corners etc.
If you apply it over a crack, it tends to flash thru the paint.

Here is the same question posted by another OP, could be of some help to you.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=10180705#post10180705


You can buy a flexi paint, but I have never used it, but have heard that its a bu55er to paint over.

If cutting out cracks and sanding is too much hard work for you, as it can be, but I am used to it, you could always line with lining paper, you cant mess up lining paper, but you would still have to do some prep, and deep cracks would still have to be filled, as would show thru paper, or any raised cracks, or holes.

I hang LP 75% of my jobs, and I know what will show thru.

Any chance of showing a pic?