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Sun 19 Dec, 2004 08:28 pm
I just noticed that a vertical "crack" is running down the length of one of my walls where a window is installed. From what I can see, it looks like it is just the paint that is "cracked". Basically, you have:
ceiling
-------
|
|
WINDOW
|
|
--------
floor
The crack isn't perfectly straight, but sort of does little zig-zags down. The part that concerns me is why it would start above the window, then after a 3 foot tall window, continue at the same spot below the window until it reached the floor.
Any ideas on what would cause this? The paint is Benjamin Moore latex. I just moved into the place about half a year ago and it was freshly painted 2-3 months prior to that.
The crack isn't centered on the window, but shiftly slightly to the right.
Guess: Could the crack be in the seal between dry wall sheets?
I don't suppose you live in California....
I get the same thing but I live in a 55 floor highrise, and the wind does actually move the building so something has to give, I think your problem is the drywall seam that Noddy suggested.
Well, something seems to be shifting, whether from the foundation up, some lack of support against shear forces in the wall, or a tall building buffetted by wind. It is not due, or let's say I'd be surprised if it was, to that good brand of paint. Do you have lath & plastered walls or drywall?
The crack isn't just in the paint. It's all the way through but the wallboard just hasn't seperated enough for you to be able to see into the crack.
It's there because it's easier for teh people that put teh sheetrock up to use teh edge of the window as as a seam between sheets than it is to cut around the window and as the house shifts that seam is the weakest point so it's the first to crack.
It's not a real big deal. It doesn't effect the structural integrity of the house or anything but getting it patched up correctly so that it doesn't continue to crack through your patches is important.
I'd suggest using a fiberglass mesh wallboard tape on the crack. After that is applied you can coat it with thin layers of joint compound. Once the compound dries you can use a damp sponge and then light sanding to smooth it out. After that just primer and repaint.
(fishin', you mispelt "the" 3 times in a row in your 2nd paragraph -- wazzup with that??)
Region Philbis wrote:(fishin', you mispelt "the" 3 times in a row in your 2nd paragraph -- wazzup with that??)
Just a freaky (bad) habit I have. I should have payed attention in typing class.
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