Help with cracked walls

[LCangler]

The house we bought (mid 70's brick home) apparently had paneling in just about every room. I have to admit, they were very creative in covering it up. Wallpaper in one room and painted in another with a chair railing below. But in the master bedroom, it seems they put a coat of some sort of plaster and then painted. I thought at first we had sheet rock, but it's plaster. Well, the plaster cracked in a line from ceiling to floor along every paneling seam. When we first moved in we just spackled the cracks, sanded and painted. It lasted for a while, but they have all recracked. It seems a more permanent fix is needed. Since we want to change colors anyway, I am ready to do something, but don't know what that is. Any ideas? Simple is better, but will do whatever it takes.

 

[Daryl in Nanoose]

Wallpaper over it or drywall it up. You could even tape the joints and mud it up and then repaint but paneling is not a stable substance and it could crack again.

 

[LCangler]

Thanks Daryl in Nanoose Bay. I actually know where that is. Been there about 4 times. My best friend lives there and I have traveled from Louisiana to there and will be there in August again. As to my walls probably the least time intensive fix would be wall paper that I can paint over. I was afraid though that the cracks could cause the wallpaper to rip eventually. Do you think that could happen?

 

[Daryl in Nanoose]

This is a possibility but your cracks are probably being caused by the incorrect procedure. You could tape out these cracks and put 2 coats of mud over it and then wallpaper.
Its a small world eh, Nanoose is nice place to live and I,ve been here 40 years now so have a nice trip up and stay.

 

[LCangler]

One more question, which shows my ignorance a bit about mudding. If you tape and then put 2 coats of mud, how to you get things flush with the surrounding wall without a huge bulge down each seam? Are you saying to mud the whole wall or just down the seams where I put the tape?

 

[Daryl in Nanoose]

I forgot to ask you how wide these cracks are and are they surface even or does one side protrude slighty out from the other.Can you take a pic of this.
Also give a little push on the walls beside and on the cracks to see if there is any movement. Let me know your findings and we will go from there.

 

[LCangler]

Most of the pics didn't show it very well. This is the worst one. Most are just straight hairline cracks with no bulging of the underlying plaster. Some are a little jagged as this one is. But they travel from floor to ceiling on most every seam. I could detect no visible movement when I pushed on either side of a crack. Thanks again for your help.

 

[marie38]

Hi I have had the same problem in the past, and every time I patched it up and repainted the cracks would come back. You soon realise that you are just throwing your money away.

Its always best to sort the problem, so I learnt to plaster. I reckon iam as good as anyone at mudding over the walls but I am not to confident about ceilings.

It’s a lot of fun and ihave done the kitchen walls for a male friend and two bedrooms for my sister.
I learnt from a video that I downloaded from a website http://www.grahamvideos.co.uk

Re-mudding isent for everyone but I am sure glad I learnt.

Hope this helps
Marie38

 

[LCangler]

Thanks Marie. I really don't want to mud the whole room, but I am sure I could if I had to. I don't know if I hate wallpapering worse though. I don't mind fixing my own mess-ups, but I hate fixing what some other idiot did.

 

[Deacon]

Do not forget to use some sheetrock nails (every 8") into the wall studs before you start your new tape and bed job.

 

[Daryl in Nanoose]

One more question, which shows my ignorance a bit about mudding. If you tape and then put 2 coats of mud, how to you get things flush with the surrounding wall without a huge bulge down each seam? Are you saying to mud the whole wall or just down the seams where I put the tape?

I was talking about just the seams. Taping and mudding is a fine art but since your going to wallpaper over it, it will be a little forgiving. A book or video is a good place to start so take Marie's advise here and re nail as Deacon has mentioned.
It would not cost that much to have a taper come in and do that part for you if your uncomfortable with doing this. I have also found trying to explain how to do this on paper without at least pictures is rather difficult to understand if doing this for the first time so a good book or video is a great idea. The whole idea here is to create a joint by appling at least 2 coats over the tape each one a couple of inches wider on each side This creates a suddle curve not a abrupt one that becomes less noticeable on each coat.
Check this site out http://www.mikebelldrywall.com/howtodrywall.htm

 

[LCangler]

Thanks everyone for your help. I just may hire someone to remud the entire room and tape the cracks, etc.