Very compatible with a lake house vibe, and a first choice for many for a beautiful, high-end look. I really like Jan Moyer's idea to tongue and groove the ceiling. Your contractor's subs may not even be capable of a smooth finish, so if you go that route, do due diligence before they come near your ceiling. The redo is going to be pricey and a freaking mess. That will just make the ceiling that much harder and more expensive to redo. If they haven't done all the ceilings yet, stop. What's done is done, and the important thing is to not compound the problem. Telling a homeowner 'this is how it's done, this is the norm, yadda yadda' is, unfortunately, a pretty common tactic to push the easier, faster-and therefore more profitable-technique. Hopefully, this 'surprise' is a case of your husband having been snowed by a contractor who either did not want to do the exacting work required of a smooth ceiling, or was incapable of it. These do not portend scary structural issues.īut a great majority of cracks in old houses (at least for the ones that aren't derelict) are the result of long-ago shifts and will be able to be camouflaged with a skilled skim coat.īeyond, that, perhaps you can persuade yourself to see any recalcitrant cracks (usually just hairlines, anyway) like the owners of a 15c Italian palazzo must see their walls: slightly crazed, but with very good bones! One other thing to keep in mind is that some cracks are the result of seasonal shifts in the house, and nothing (except the unacceptable and unattractive sheetrock solution) will ever "cure" them. I also write a date next to the lines so I know when I started the test - it reassures me later. A test of at least several months to a year will tell you definitely if you have a real problem, or can safely cover up and ignore the issue. Usually I just haven't seen it before and the pencil line test reveals it's not an active one.
Skim coating plaster walls crack#
I regularly do this when a "new" crack suddenly catches my attention. If it is, you'll see the pencil lines shift away from each other over time. Then watch those lines to see if the crack is still moving. One way to assess this is to mark the most worrisome ones with fine diagonal pencil lines at several points along the crack. Some hairline and stress cracks are old, and very stable, and won't quickly reappear. And those will keep reappearing until the issues are resolved. (I'm ignoring dings and gouges which usually result from single events.) Cracks, from hairline to larger are usually the result of structural stresses, some of which may be recurring. However, before you do a big round of patching and skim coating, try to analyze why the cracks are there. Even 1/4 wallboard will always be second best in my view and it will disturb the proportions between your wall plane and the protrusion of your trim details. No question, I would do the repairs and skim coating. I don't complain when I need to use the services of aborists.
You expect to invest upkeep in luxuries, just like I keep a tree collection outside.
I would not cover any plaster in my house, as long as it's repairable.but that is a personal choice I make to keep the house's integrity as long as possible. The one repair has lasted, in the other, the crack has shown back up. I did on hairline cracks on one side of a door, and put down tape before I repaired the other side. If you do decide to skim the old plaster, don't take shortcuts.
That is, as long as the keys are patent, holding the body of plaster to the lathe. I figure they have withstood nearly two centuries, so likely shall be around for awhile, so I have either fixed them, or plan to eventually. Those openings are not even rectangles anymore, lol, more like trapezoids. I have some really trouble spots like over several door frames, and a couple windows. It's helpful to know when the last plaster job was, because you can sort of estimate how long a life a repair is going to have. No, it won't necessarily crack in a couple years. I have been doing plaster renovations off and on for a couple years now, in an 1820s house.
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