DIY Repairing Cracked Drywall Texture
Also see:If you are dealing with a popcorn ceiling finish, check to see if it contains asbestos before repairing cracks using this process.
Cracks in textured drywall ceilings and walls are harder to deal with than water damage because the texturing isn't loose and in most cases, must be forced off to repair the crack. You may be able to caulk some texture cracks and that should be tried first, to avoid unnecessary work. But for cracks that can't be repaired with caulking, use the repair method on this page.
Scrape Off Texturing
Begin by removing a couple inches of textured finish along both sides of the crack. Use a putty knife or a razor blade glass scraper, if necessary, to get all the texturing off. Sanding may also work to remove the last bits of material.
Prime and Tape the Crack
Run the point of the putty knife through the crack a few times to remove any loose wall material and brush or vacuum the dust away. If cracking is a chronic problem, fill the crack with spray foam insulation before doing repairs.
Prime along the crack to be sure the repair and new texturing bond well. Overlap the primer onto the surrounding wall if you will be repainting. Let the primer dry and tape the crack with fiberglass mesh tape. Cut small strips of tape to follow the crack as it zigs and zags.
Skim with Joint Compound
Use a small putty knife to spread mud about ¼inch thick over the tape. Immediately go back over the mud and skim off the excess to leave a thin film over the tape. Let the mud dry and lightly sand with 120 sandpaper.
Skim the tape with a couple more coats of mud, letting each coat dry. Make sure to skim the edges of the tape to avoid a build up of mud. Lightly sand the final coat and feather the edges into the surrounding wall.
Some drywall textures such as popcorn or stippling will cover minor wall imperfections, so the edges of the repair don't have to be perfectly smooth. Others, such as textured paint, knockdown or orange peel will tend to show an uneven finish.
Restore the Textured Finish
Starting along the center of the crack, restore the textured finish. Work out to the edges to blend the new texturing into the surrounding wall. See Matching a Drywall Texture for help with simulating an existing drywall texture finish.
