Hi, a significant crack has developed in the drywall between the living room and kitchen. I think the weight of the pot rack has, over time, contributed to the crack, but I'm not taking it down.. I've repaired smaller cracks with spackle, sanding and a coat of paint, but since this is larger, and the pot rack will still be hanging there, I want to make a more robust fix, if possible. IS there a better way to fix the crack ? Thanks
Here's a picture:
A lot depends on what is above the layer of spackle. Is it dry wall, plaste r and lath, ect. It appears to be an older house, is this the case? If so i t may be lath and plaster. To correct the issue I would start by making sur e the pot hanger is properly anchored into a beam, and not just the lath. A fter that the best way would be to remove about 4 inches from around the cr ack(2-3 in. on each side) then insure the lath above it is in good shape an d re plaster.
Hope this helps!
Jsnipped-for-privacy@gmail.com submitted this idea :
That looks like a stress break from foundation movement. Do you have/had any earthquakes in your area?
No, no earthquakes in my area. But I can check the foundation to be sure.
Better grab a shovel.
I'm not so sure that's related to the potholder at all.
Is there any chance that's water damage?
If the eye hook uses a toggle bolt which will pull on the drywall, that could be a problem.
OTOH: If it's screwed into a wooden stud then it's probably not the cause.
Little chance its water damage, however, it is possible that there was some structural work done in this area before I owned the house. We think there had once been a wall between the living room and the kitchen that wall was removed, and if so it would have stood right about there.
the hooks for the pot rack are screwed deeply in to beams. Thanks
You need to...
2.Put on new corner bead, fastening well
You also need to remove the short segment of tape (the area without corner bead), retape, mud, prime & paint it.
TimR posted for all of us...
+1 That was my thought. Looks like the taped joint let loose. I don't see any stains but... Investigate further. It's a kitchen and the hanger just might have pulled the tape loose, along with the moisture from that big bowl of spaghetti you are making for us.
OK, then as some of the others mentioned, it's probably just a matter of removing the tape and replacing.
Might as well look at the foundation of your house though...just in case there is more to it.
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com explained :
I read ahead some. There was a wall right about where thewall and lid are sepparating? I'd check the framing and see if it meets code. A metal tie-in strap, more framing to strenthen the wall and soffit, ETC. Is the walls made of driwall or plaster?
I have a hunch that's the source of the problem -- that there used to be a wall there that has since been removed.
Also, I suspect that it isn't drywall -- but instead maybe wood lath underneath with plaster over the wood lath.
Regardless, I think you would need to start by removing some of what is there along the ceiling crack first -- to get down to whatever is underneath. If you find that it is plaster over some type of lath (wood or wire), you'll have to do the repair from that point forward. That may require securing the wood lath, or removing a whole section and replacing with sheetrock.
Maybe you could take some off and take another photo or two and post the photo(s) here.
I don't think it's settling if the crack is only here.
I suspect when they took the wall out they did a less than perfect job of taping up the old exposed area. If so, just rip out the tape and do it right and you'll be fine.
You've got more than a drywall problem - - -
The pot holder didn't crack the wall. My suspiscion is a combination of a weak foundation and a bad roof.
And it was likely a "load bearing" wall. There is definitely a structural issue there somewhere - the problem is a lot deeper than just drywall.
I agree that when the wall was removed whoever did the job did a less than perfect job, but not of taping. They probably did a poor job of structurally supporting what the wall used to support.
My guess is the wall surface is lathe and plaster, not drywall and tape.
How do you know it was a load bearing wall from the photo?
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.