A question for the plasterers - fixing cracks

[MasterOfReality]

Ok,

I'm renovating at the moment and I have this crack in my ceiling that keeps re-appearing a couple of months after I patch it up. I reckon its movement in the joint between two sheets.




What options do I have in getting rid of this crack? I have heard some good things about the Wet and Stick tape?

I was also thinking about a false ceiling as the crack goes through the cornice, I don't know, a false ceiling to drop the height a little and cover the crack entirely, with some feature lights or something.

How much would I be looking at for a false ceiling? Or would it be worth getting new sheets up there? The area is around 3.4m x 2.7m.

Some ideas would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers

[Troy711]

Doing a false ceiling would cost you bugger all. Ask fitzy to snake 3x27s off a job and give him a slab of beer to fix it

Other then that you could plane the joint out and reset it. It's not a huge job and shoudn't cost a great deal.

[88GreenVN]

Get a groove into the crack, use the sticky webbing joiner tape - it's like fine string webbing. Then use cornis cement to glue into the groove. Only use a small amout - no excess as it dries very hard.

Top coat over it.

[vlv8vic]

cut it out. doesn't have to be wide but if you can remove or expose the original tape (if there is any) that'd be good. re-tape and fill with cornice cement. slag some top coat on and bob's your uncle.

$5 for tape, about $10 for small tub cc, same for small tub of plaster bog.

Sand and paint.

Sidenote, i can't stand lino - but your flooring actually looks alright!

[f1tzy]

Doing a false ceiling would cost you bugger all. Ask fitzy to snake 3x27s off a job and give him a slab of beer to fix it

Other then that you could plane the joint out and reset it. It's not a huge job and shoudn't cost a great deal.

lol my boss has been a tight ass lately and is ordering exactly how many sheets we should use which is never right ha ha. To the op, what is the full size of the room including that area around the corner?

[vkberlina]

I have been going through this problem at home with renos. I have cut out the join taped it and set it again with cornice cerment and it cracked again.

To solve the problem I fitted a 4x2" timbers in the roof bracing the ceiling joists. These were fitted along the join and nogens fixing off to existing timbers.
All timbers were glued & screwed to the plaster & glued & screwed to the timber. I had nearly a full tube of liquid nails left over from a job so I used it to fix off the wood & plaster.
Next I repeated the cleanout of the join, taped & reset.

nearly 12 months later no cracks or movement.

cheers
Scott

[MasterOfReality]

Doing a false ceiling would cost you bugger all. Ask fitzy to snake 3x27s off a job and give him a slab of beer to fix it

Other then that you could plane the joint out and reset it. It's not a huge job and shoudn't cost a great deal.

Sweet, good to hear I won't be up for a heap of money.

Get a groove into the crack, use the sticky webbing joiner tape - it's like fine string webbing. Then use cornis cement to glue into the groove. Only use a small amout - no excess as it dries very hard.

Top coat over it.

cut it out. doesn't have to be wide but if you can remove or expose the original tape (if there is any) that'd be good. re-tape and fill with cornice cement. slag some top coat on and bob's your uncle.

$5 for tape, about $10 for small tub cc, same for small tub of plaster bog.

Sand and paint.

Sidenote, i can't stand lino - but your flooring actually looks alright!

Ok, so looks like the tape and cornice cement is the go. Cheers 88greenvn and vlv8vic.

Funny you should say that about the lino, I've had a few people comment on it, but its getting replaced with tiles. I might leave the tiling to a tradesman, its around 70 square metres of floor space hehe. The original colour scheme was a horrible strong yellow, with brown lacquered skirting boards and architraves, combined with the lino.

After ripping off the architraves and skirting and smoothing things down, I discovered the original colour was dark blue everywhere. How depressing!

lol my boss has been a tight ass lately and is ordering exactly how many sheets we should use which is never right ha ha. To the op, what is the full size of the room including that area around the corner?

Its a formal lounge that connects to the kitchen through the door in the pic. Total area is 25 square metres.

I have been going through this problem at home with renos. I have cut out the join taped it and set it again with cornice cerment and it cracked again.

To solve the problem I fitted a 4x2" timbers in the roof bracing the ceiling joists. These were fitted along the join and nogens fixing off to existing timbers.
All timbers were glued & screwed to the plaster & glued & screwed to the timber. I had nearly a full tube of liquid nails left over from a job so I used it to fix off the wood & plaster.
Next I repeated the cleanout of the join, taped & reset.

nearly 12 months later no cracks or movement.

cheers
Scott

Oh sweet, I was thinking about something like that but its good to hear someone who has actually done it. Cheers.

[cander24]

Vkberlina is on the money. Apart from fixing the crack where it is visible in the room with tape and filler, you also need to do something on the top side of the ceiling sheet in the roof space otherwise it is likely to continue moving and cracking on you. vkberlina's method sounds pretty good and another way it can be done is by simply using offcuts of plasterboard about 250mm wide and cut to length to fit inbetween the ceiling joists and then simply glued down evenly over the top of the join with plasterboard adhesive. This basically just works as a big plate holding the two firmly together to prevent movement between the two sheets. Good luck with it.

[f1tzy]

Vkberlina is on the money. Apart from fixing the crack where it is visible in the room with tape and filler, you also need to do something on the top side of the ceiling sheet in the roof space otherwise it is likely to continue moving and cracking on you. vkberlina's method sounds pretty good and another way it can be done is by simply using offcuts of plasterboard about 250mm wide and cut to length to fit inbetween the ceiling joists and then simply glued down evenly over the top of the join with plasterboard adhesive. This basically just works as a big plate holding the two firmly together to prevent movement between the two sheets. Good luck with it.

Backblocking its called. That would be the go or another option is an expansion joint.

[vlv8vic]

Funny you should say that about the lino, I've had a few people comment on it, but its getting replaced with tiles. I might leave the tiling to a tradesman, its around 70 square metres of floor space hehe. The original colour scheme was a horrible strong yellow, with brown lacquered skirting boards and architraves, combined with the lino.

mate tiling isn't hard either. if the area isn't a weird shape have a crack at it. you'll save a fortune. No doubt you've already had a look but google renovate forum (i don't remember the url) and you'll find the confidence. I've saved heaps doing this place myself. Done everything besides electrical and most plumbing - some things i'd do differently next time, others came up trumps the first time (amazingly).

[Troy711]

Backblocking its called. That would be the go or another option is an expansion joint.

Expansion joint looks shit though

[f1tzy]

lol shit yea especially when they use trim tex magic corner. looks like balls. Expansion joint would be my last resort if it cracked again after back blocking it and re setting it. too lazy to drop a ceiling ha ha

[MasterOfReality]

Vkberlina is on the money. Apart from fixing the crack where it is visible in the room with tape and filler, you also need to do something on the top side of the ceiling sheet in the roof space otherwise it is likely to continue moving and cracking on you. vkberlina's method sounds pretty good and another way it can be done is by simply using offcuts of plasterboard about 250mm wide and cut to length to fit inbetween the ceiling joists and then simply glued down evenly over the top of the join with plasterboard adhesive. This basically just works as a big plate holding the two firmly together to prevent movement between the two sheets. Good luck with it.

Yeah I like that idea better, using it as a plate to reinforce the crack.

Backblocking its called. That would be the go or another option is an expansion joint.

Expansion joints are visible aren't they? Could be an issue as this will be the home theatre room and I aim to have it looking nice and seamless.

mate tiling isn't hard either. if the area isn't a weird shape have a crack at it. you'll save a fortune. No doubt you've already had a look but google renovate forum (i don't remember the url) and you'll find the confidence. I've saved heaps doing this place myself. Done everything besides electrical and most plumbing - some things i'd do differently next time, others came up trumps the first time (amazingly).

I have helped my dad tile 2 apartments, and your right, it isn't hard, just time consuming. There are no weird shapes, although some of the walls have a bow in them so that might be difficult or fiddly. Like they say, if you want it done properly you have to do it yourself. I spent the weekend regrouting sections of the bathroom in my house (its a 3 year old bathroom and was put in before I bought the house). They did a great job and must have cost a shitload but the grouting in the shower is rubbish, as I found the grout had just bridged the gap between the tiles.

[f1tzy]

Yea expansion joints are visible but that would be my last option if it still cracked if i didnt want to drop down a new ceiling