WWYD? Normal Drywall Settling Hairline Cracks

[Midpack]

We moved and bought a house in 2019, the house was built in 2016 so it's relatively new. There are about a half dozen hairline cracks that I am convinced are just from normal post construction settling. A couple radiate out from the upper corners of a doorway between rooms (no door) and the others are at the junction between walls and ceiling in a couple rooms. I've hardly noticed them, but DW seems more aware of them. They are strictly cosmetic and they haven't opened up wider in the 2 years we've been here, all the more reason I think they're just from initial settling after the home was built - I assume that's pretty common. I hate to patch them up because we'll have to paint whole walls (if not rooms) to cover the repairs and we'd probably have to pay professionals vs doing it ourselves. What would you do?

 

[RobbieB]

Wait until paint is needed or you want to change color, spackle the cracks and paint then.

 

[pb4uski]

+1 unless you have some matching paint, in which case you can put a thin layer of mud over the cracks, let it dry, wipe clean with a damp sponge and the paint along the crack.

 

[SecondCor521]

It's incredibly common around here.

I agree with RobbieB and pb4uski.

If they bug your wife, you can get the paint and gloss level matched at any decent local paint store. Get a quart of paint and some spackle/mud/caulk/toothpaste/glue and you can probably do the entire house yourself in an afternoon. Just be careful not to drip paint on anything.

If the paint and gloss level match and you are a halfway decent painter, your touchups won't be noticeable to anyone. This is especially true if the areas involved are textured in any way.

 

[pb4uski]

.... If the paint and gloss level match and you are a halfway decent painter, your touchups won't be noticeable to anyone.

True, but the question will then become which are more noticiable, the hairline cracks or the touchups?

 

[CardsFan]

Even if you spackle and paint, those cracks will come back, just from seasonal movement (expansion and contracting). At least that has been my experience. I have found filling the crack with a little latex caulk before painting lasts a little longer, but they still come back.

 

[Midpack]

True, but the question will then become which are more noticiable, the hairline cracks or the touchups?

Even if you spackle and paint, those cracks will come back, just from seasonal movement (expansion and contracting). At least that has been my experience. I have found filling the crack with a little latex caulk before painting lasts a little longer, but they still come back.

That's what I'm afraid of, both above.

And just to complicate the repair the walls are "agreeable gray" and the ceilings are "white" so the wall to ceiling cracks might require two color touchup. We actually have some touch up paint the original painters (presumably) left behind. It's been in the house (conditioned space) and it hasn't hardened but it is 5 years old now.

Maybe we'll try to repair the ones that radiate from the doorway (one color at least) and see how that looks.

 

[SecondCor521]

True, but the question will then become which are more noticiable, the hairline cracks or the touchups?

If you don't get the gloss level right, the touchups.

Even if you spackle and paint, those cracks will come back, just from seasonal movement (expansion and contracting). At least that has been my experience. I have found filling the crack with a little latex caulk before painting lasts a little longer, but they still come back.

True. I pretty much go around every year or so and do touchups. I also get scratches and gouges and similar sorts of things that I try to fix. I'm pretty sure nobody notices these except me. I found one the other day that I'd never seen before and I've lived here for 15 years (and it wasn't new).

 

[calmloki]

"drybrush" the touchup. Paint a stripe on your crack repair then spread the paint around into the original paint by flipping the dry paint brush bristles through the stripe. Gets rid of the hard edge and blends into the older paint.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Well said, CardsFan.

We grew up in the SF Bay Area-earthquake country, and cracks were generally ignored. We were renters during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, 30 miles from the epicenter. We lost little except our sense of personal safety- a few knick knacks fell and cracked and that was it.

The cracks in our paint here in the east are from traditional settling, etc. They are easily fixed by spackle and paint and are unimportant. Nothing is forever.

To the OP: stop worrying and enjoy your life.

 

[aaronc879]

You have the money so no reason to do it yourself. I would say this is an "all or nothing" situation. Either do nothing since it is really not a problem or spend a couple grand to have pros come in an fix everything to make your wife happy even though you know it's likely going to need to be done again. I would do nothing and have done nothing with the crack in my living room ceiling but the choice is up to you.

 

[Midpack]

To the OP: stop worrying and enjoy your life.

Maybe I wasn't direct enough. DW is the one who is worried...

 

[pacergal]

Is she worried about the paint job or worried about the cause/reason for the cracks?

We have a few cracks that showed up after a mild earthquake several years ago, not getting any worse, so we just leave it alone until we choose to repaint.

 

[CardsFan]

Maybe I wasn't direct enough. DW is the one who is worried...

I feel your pain.

Several years ago, when we lived in a house we had built, DW noticed a "crack" running the length of the living room between the wall an the ceiling. I told her that it was a typical stress crack (it was a wall about 40' long) so no worries. I said we should cover it with a piece of accent molding, and be done. No. We had to hire a Professional Engineer to come out and inspect (keep in mind I AM a PE).

Final recommendation: Typical stress crack, no worries, cover it with accent molding . So that is what we did.

 

[Walt34]

Ignore it. Maybe it'll go away.

 

[REWahoo]

Ignore it. Maybe it'll go away.

Or repair it and wait for it to come back, as mentioned earlier.

All part of the individual charm and personality of your home.

 

[Bamaman]

I'm a believer in keeping a little of the last paint in reserve just in case wall touch ups are required.

And I always keep a pail of sheetrock mud around to make minor repairs. Between grandkids and a rottweiler that scratches on door facings to get my attention, we always have to do a little sheetrock work around here.

My yesterday fiasco yesterday was a leak in the kitchen ceiling sheetrock coming from the bathtub/shower above. At least the 13 year old grandson took a shower without having to be begged to do it.

Minor settling will just about always show up in some drywall seams showing. It's just part of owning a home.

 

[Kwirk]

I've found that a miniature roller can help blend in the surface texture of a repair.

 

[Car-Guy]

(1) There are about a half dozen hairline cracks that I am convinced are just from normal post construction settling.

(2) I've hardly noticed them, but DW seems more aware of them.

I see two problems here... Problem #1 is minor....

 

[Koolau]

Ignore it. Maybe it'll go away.

Better yet: Wait until you are ready to sell many years from now and fix it along with your regular "coat of paint on everything."

 

[Winemaker]

1. Tub and tile clear caulk.
2. Scrape with razor blade or utility knife blade.
3. Drybrush as mentioned above.
4. Don't tell DW, and she won't even notice.

 

[Amethyst]

Since you know what paint was used, why not just get little sample containers at the paint store? Old paint can actually go bad, even if it has not hardened.

That's what I'm afraid of, both above.

And just to complicate the repair the walls are "agreeable gray" and the ceilings are "white" so the wall to ceiling cracks might require two color touchup. We actually have some touch up paint the original painters (presumably) left behind. It's been in the house (conditioned space) and it hasn't hardened but it is 5 years old now.

Maybe we'll try to repair the ones that radiate from the doorway (one color at least) and see how that looks.

 

[harley]

Just get some drywall mud and make art out of it. For example:

 

[Jerry1]

Find a crack that is not in a conspicuous place. Make a pencil mark on the crack and tell DW that your working on the problem. That you put the mark there to see if the crack is moving so you know how to properly fix it. Since you will need to see how the crack moves (or doesn’t) in every season, this will take about a year. But, this is necessary and the right way to handle the problem.

There - just bought you a year to figure out how you want to proceed.

 

[skyking1]

single level home? I'd need some details for the proper fix (strictly IMO).