drywall cracks in corners

[xyz]

I have 1/8-th inch, jagged cracks along some of the vertical corners of my drywall caused by earthquake. These cracks run at least half the height of the wall.

These corners don't appear to be taped, so I'd like to know if I can just fill these cracks with either mud, spackle, some kind of caulk, or whatever else might work.

If I can fix with a small line of filler, then the touchup painting will be more unnoticeable. Also, it sounds from this message board like taping drywall corners requires some talent, and I'm a complete novice with drywall but want to learn.

In addition to a recommendation for filler material, any comments on tools or tips are appreciated.

Thanks

[Clark W. Griswold, Jr.]

Do not use drywall mud or spackle, the crack will just reappear. Instead, use a good flexible, interior, paintable caulk.

[v]

You sure about the cause? Such cracks appear routinely as houses dry out, without any earthquakes. The corners probably are taped, but the tape tears.

A lot of people would just caulk & paint.

-v.

[Kyle Boatright]

Unless you're selling the home in two weeks, maybe a month, those cracks will reappear if you just fill them. You need to tape them. Go to your local home improvement store, get the self-sticking fiberglass tape, some lightweight sheetrock compound, a corner trowel, and a sanding sponge. Apply the tape, a thin layer of mud, let dry and sand. Repeat until it is smooth. This is one of those things that does take either skill or patience. First time around you'll need patience.

KB

[xyz]

Thanks for your responses above, which may seem trivial or obvious to you but really help me alot.

BTW, the cracks were caused by the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area. I didn't bother fixing until now because I'm preparing to sell.

[John W. Wells]

I agree with Kyle. But don't skip the tape in the repair. I'd call it a dirty trick to do so! On my very first repair (pre-10/15/89!), not knowing any better, I just filled the crack with joint compound. Within a very short time a hairline crack came through the paint. Later repairs (for various smaller quakes) which I taped held up fine.

Gee, and here I thought I was the last one around to finally finish up the drywall repairs after that quake! In my house (15 mi. from the epicenter) there were cracks opened from every corner of every window and door frame, diagonally to the ceiling and floor. Plus lots of other damage, too. Curiously, relatively little corner damage like that which you've sustained.

But like you, I never completed the repairs until I finally sold the house two years ago.

Good luck with your sale--my house sold for 14x what I'd paid, 30 years before!

--John W. Wells

[xyz]

I agree about not making a cosmetic, temporary repair to hide the problem.

I haven't repaired the cracks because I didn't want the syndrome of repair-crack-repair. However, I didn't have cracks before the quake, and there are no new or worsened cracks since the quake, even with aftershocks and milder quakes, so I thought that caulk might be sufficient.

It seems like your joint compound might easily crack since it may not be very forgiving. A flexible caulk as recommended above might be different.

Maybe I'll try putting my home on the market without fixing. If it lowers the price appreciably, I'll take it off the market and fix.

I was in my home during the quake. The floor was moving at least 3-4 inches where I couldn't stand, but the only permanent damages were four cracks in corners and two small horizontal cracks. I was lucky.

BTW, it sounds like you got a great price for your house in the middle of the post-bubble housing slump.

C> I agree with Kyle. But don't skip the tape in the repair. I'd call