Good morning to this wonderful board full of people! I am just sick about our new house..it was constructed this summer. I painted it and in the corners it started looking like the paint looked lighter than the walls..last night in these same said corners..it cracked! The carpenter is supposed to come back to do the window trim..I am wondering what could cause this? I used Pittsburg paints..primer and all..I do not think it was the paint..but if it was it was..I just would like to know what you all think before the carpenter comes and gives me his version. Hope you all have a great day and thank you so much.

-- Sher in se Iowa (riverdobbers@webtv.net), December 05, 2001

Answers

Some cracking is normal. Did you use a drywall primer or sealer prior to final coat? When this happened at my place I just used some flexible paintable caulk and filled it in , haven't had a problem since. tom

-- Tom (wysfarm@raex.com), December 05, 2001.

check the foundation, you could have a settleing problem. jim

-- Jim Raymond (jimr@terraworld.net), December 05, 2001.

Thanks Tom..yes I had two coats of primer and two of top coat. How long do you think this cracking of the tape will go on?

Thanks for your reply.

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), December 05, 2001.

Jim..thanks! I HATE to ask this..but what am I checking for?Cracks or something in the foundation? (I am no carpenter..you could tell, right?) Thanks for repsonding to my questions. I appreciate all of you..and your knowledge and willingness to share it.

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), December 05, 2001.

Sher, is it just the paint cracking or is the corner bead or tape lifting up and the mud is cracking? A new house I lived in had this trouble (and nail pops). I think it was related to that quickie gizmo they use for mud and tape these days but I'm not sure. When I drywall taped myself a few years later I used the self stick type tape and mudded it in the "old fashioned" way and it didn't crack. Not saying you've got a redo on your hands, the caulk idea sounds like a fix.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), December 05, 2001.

Susan..thank you for your reply. I ran over to the house and looked again...in the bathroom..between the ceiling and wall..its through the tape. In the living room..the one that just happened..it looks like maybe just paint crack so far. With a paint crack..am I doing something wrong? And how shoul I correct this?

I so admire you for doing your own mudding!! If you lived close..I would have you over to help me out..think my carpenter would frown on that???ha

Have a great day Susan and thanks again!

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), December 05, 2001.

Sher, this usually subsides after one complete year (all four seasons) The new house can be settling during the different climates of each season. Keep in mind also the wood used to build with is starting to dry out and find its equlibrium. You are just getting into the heating season and this can really dry out the framing. This slight shrinking of the wood can create problems like this, any home builder will normally tell you this and ask you to wait for a few seasons changes then fix it. This is not an unusual problem. regards tom

-- Tom (wysfarm@raex.com), December 05, 2001.

Bless your pea pickin heart Tom. I feel good about your answer and I am goin with it!

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), December 05, 2001.

Sher, let us know what your contractor says.

keep the faith and stay the course tom

-- Tom (wysfarm@raex.com), December 05, 2001.

Hi Sher! I agree totally with Tom as well. In our climate, the temperature extremes from inside to outside will cause the frame to shift and twist a little. And the lumber they use nowadays for framing dries which causes the frame to shrink and shift a litte too. I'd say what happened is "normal" in corners of rooms. If the crack was across a wall surface and not just in the corners, then I might consider the foundation or other structural problem. But from what you've described I'd not worry. Get some of that caulk that is elastic and paintable like someone already mentioned and use it in the corners. I'd just apply it with a wet index finger. You might want to wait to do this until spring to make sure all (most) of the shifting and shrinking of the frame is complete. That way you'll not have caulk and paint new corners that have cracked after you've fixed the first ones. --Happy trails, CF

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_mn@yahoo.com), December 05, 2001.

Thanks a bunch cabinfever! You have taken a load off. I do think I will wait till spring to fix them. I was sooooo panicked that I had done something wrong..(I am sorta used to that..but NOT on the new house!?!)

Thanks again for making my day less troubled..you have a good day too!

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), December 05, 2001.

This happened with me, too, and I asked my contractor about it. He says it happens when the drywall tape is put on and fastened with mud top and bottom at the same time in the corners. According to him, if you mud the top, let it dry, then mud the bottem, you'll be alright. This only happens to me, btw, in OUTSIDE corners, not inside corners.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), December 05, 2001.

I am a spackler and drywall installer and totally agree with Tom and cabinfever. It is most probably the wood shrinking, caulking is the answer. Spackle tape should never crack, if it does it is unrelated to the spackling. If the paint looks lighter in the corners it is probably because it needs another coat with the brush. It is hard to put the same amount of paint on with a brush as with a roller.

-- Bob Fade (fadefarm@aol.com), December 06, 2001.

Make sure you get 100% acrylic latex caulk. I used some one time with silicone additive in it, but despite the manufacturers claim of paintability the paint continually beaded off of it irregularly and wouldn't stick where it did hold.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), December 07, 2001.