How to Repair Gyprock Ceiling Cracks | A Master Guide for Home Owners

As time passes, homes get older and are subject to many environmental effects, including earthquakes, storms, and many other elements in this process. These environmental changes cause cracked ceilings. Another reason for cracks in the ceiling is the plaster tapes that are used to join the ceiling when it gets older and dry, which is why it’s easy for ceilings to leave bonding. Do you have the knowledge to repair gyprock ceiling cracks? In this article, I will provide you with the entire procedure to repair gyprock ceiling cracks. Before beginning, you should be aware of the characteristics of Gyprock.

Gyprock is composed of paper, gypsum, and a tiny amount of addictive. If gypsum is dehydrated to a certain extent, it is transformed into the plaster of Paris. It can be used for various purposes; however, nowadays, everyone uses it as a ceiling for their homes. Are you aware of what type of gyprock ceiling is suitable for homes? Gypsum is an evaporating mineral that is made up of sulfate from calcium. Plaster ceilings in older houses tend to break with time. The plaster begins to bulge as it starts breaking off.

If only a thin line is damaged, you can fix the damage with a plasterboard patch by using dry-lining methods. This procedure doesn’t require any special skills to complete. More minor cracks aren’t more apparent, but more significant gaps, mainly greater than 1/8 inch, are a sign of structural damage. Analyzing these issues will help you understand the causes of these cracks and their solutions. It is essential to eliminate the cracks to avoid any significant injury.

Where the cracks mainly occur

Cracks can develop in your ceiling from any angle. The most important places to look for include:

• In the middle
• Near load-bearing walls
• At the corner
• The point at which the ceiling joins with the wall
• At the joint between the sheets of drywall
• Randomly distributed

If you see cracks around the edges of the ceiling, they cause by the effects of aging. When the fracture locates in the middle of the ceiling, it is composed of numerous long and wide cracks that signify structural defects. Suppose the damages are randomly spread in various positions and locations. In that case, there’s nothing to be concerned about as the root causes are minor.

Don’t miss: How to remove water stains from ceiling

How to repair gyprock ceiling cracks

The majority of plaster ceilings crack and are sagging with time. It’s possible that the ceiling is old. Consequently, vibrations and gravity have caused the plaster to loosen. Here we will discuss how to repair gyprock ceiling cracks.

Learn more: How to remove mold from popcorn ceiling

Repair minor cracks

Now, I will guide you on how to fix minor cracks. Most ceiling cracks result from expansion, settlement, and contraction of construction material in the process of setting. Cracks in the ceiling can easily repair using the tools mentioned above and the materials. Expand the crack using your utility knife. Use the crack to roughen down the painting. Clean the area of the crack with a damp towel to get rid of any dust.

Apply the jointing compound for drywall on the crack. Make use of fiberglass mesh tapes to fill in the crack. If there is a crack between the drywall and ceiling sheets, use two screws for drywall to make sure they are level. Then, apply the jointing compound to the tape. Once the jointing material is dry, make sure to smooth it out. Then paint it with primer to match the existing surface.

Repair wide cracks

If a ceiling begins to bow and is not maintained correctly, it requires attention. In some cases, when you put in a water bathtub or hot tub, water table, or pool table, the ceiling joists could bow due to the weight. Ceilings can also split when it damage by the support members. First of all, draw the line using a marker along the crack. Cut off the seam or the plaster to level it using an apex saw. Then remove any nail protruding with the claw hammer. Next, cut two noggins ranging from the 100mm-to-50mm range of cut softwood to fit inside the joists, and they will create two edges of your opening. Following the previous procedure, the next step is to insert nails into the noggins with such angles to secure the joists.

Take a piece of plasterboard to cut it to fit the size of the crack. It should be less than the thickness that your ceiling is. Then, secure it in the correct position using nails for plasterboard between the joists and the noggins. Then, fill it with a bonding undercoat. When it’s dry. Then, coat the undercoat plaster until you can make it to the proper level. Once it’s dry, you can use an abrasive to get rid of the remaining plaster of Paris, after which coat using a scrubber. A tip: apply two coats to the patch instead of a single thick skin.

Repairing walls depends on their type. If your ceiling is constructed of plaster, then the repair can cause a lot of mess. If your ceiling is made from drywall, there are cracks, and you need to replace them. Before you take any of these actions, you should remove all furniture and accessories to avoid a huge mess or to avoid any loss.

Internal and external corners: If it is to only take down the ceiling drywall or wall, you can cut the drywall sheets to match the room’s walls. However, if the task merely repairs the crack, they’ll group alongside the ceiling’s walls.

Fills a massive gap in Gyprock

First of all, draw the line using a marker along the crack. Cut off the seam or plaster to level it using a pad saw and remove any nail protruding using a hammer that can claw. Then, you need to cut two noggins of between 100mm and 50mm wood to fit in the joists, which will then form two faces of an opening. After this following step, you need to insert nails into the noggins with such angles to fix the joists. Then, take the plasterboard and cut it by the size of the crack. It should be less than the thickness of the ceiling.

After that, you can fix it into the correct position using nails for plasterboard on the joists and the noggins. Then, fill it with a bonding undercoat. Once it is dry, then multi-coat the undercoat plaster until you can ensure it is an even level. After it is dry, use an abrasive to get rid of the remaining plaster of Paris and then coat it again with a scrubber. Another tip is to apply two coats to the patch instead of a thin coat. Now you can see it is straightforward to repair gyprock ceiling cracks are pretty easy.

How to repair a crack in a plasterboard ceiling

Most ceiling cracks result from settlement, expansion, and contraction of the building material as it sets. These cracks can easily repair with the help of this equipment and materials. The steps to repair them are to widen the crack using your utility knife. The crack will sand to roughen down the painting. Clean the crack area with a damp towel to eliminate all dust. Apply the jointing compound for drywall on the crack. Apply a fiberglass mesh tape to fill in the crack. If there is a crack between the sheets of drywall or ceilings, you can use two screws from drywall to make sure they are level. Lay jointing compound on the tape. Once the jointing compound is dry, make sure to smooth it out. Paint the primer to match the existing surface.

How to repair gyprock ceiling cracks: Things to consider

Consider popcorn ceiling removal

The craze of the 1960s and 1970s, the popcorn ceilings that exist today are typically dust and grime traps, and any repair for a cracked roof will likely be noticed like an unruly thumb. Because this kind of ceiling is a risk to the value of your home, it could be the perfect moment to eliminate the texture or to cover it with drywall panels or foam panels. Ceilings installed before 1978 could have asbestos in them; therefore, it’s essential to determine what kind of popcorn texture is found on your ceiling before making repairs. It generally recommends hiring an asbestos remediation professional to remove a popcorn ceiling with asbestos.

Allow enough time to dry

Repairs to ceiling cracks made using wet drywall compounds should be completely dry before a second layer is applied. The rule of thumb here is to apply the mix using the thinnest coat and then remove any excess using a paper knife. Once it is dry, the substance will change to a white color. Then it can sand and then recoated.

Purchase the proper equipment for ceiling repairs

Suppose the fracture is just a thin hairline and has been present for some time. In that case, chances are you could simply put small packing material on your finger and carefully smear it inside the crack making sure to remove any residue from the surface. The damage may grow more prominent in most cases, or the ceiling might contain numerous cracks. If this is the situation, you need the proper tools and materials can give the most effective results. A taping knife of 6 inches works well to get rid of loose ceiling texture and peeling papers. Small tubs of drywall mud are essential to fill in the cracks making use of mesh or drywall tape to help reinforce the compound can help. A sanding brush for drywall is handy to smooth the surface after the mix is dry.

Conclsuion

Cracks visible all over a house needn’t cause a lot of anxiety. After the source of the issue is discovered, fixing it will begin. As with the previous project, after the house was put back in its place and let to settle, then the process on how to repair gyprock ceiling cracks in the plaster could begin, and the process to repair those cracks is similar like if there was an opening in the wall or a minor inside wall crack. Now you know how to repair gyprock ceiling cracks. If you see a problem with your ceiling, follow our instructions and do it yourself.