Won't stop cracking.

[kellyf]

Hi. I 'm hoping I can get a little advice. I have a place on the wall of a bedroom where the drywall constantly cracks. It starts by the window frame and splits down the corner of the room (sse pic).

I've spackled and painted it a number of times, but eventually (after a month or two) the crack reappears. I think the biggest culprit causing the recrack, is when large trucks rumble down a nearby street and make the house tremble a bit.

Any tips on a permanent fix? -outside of replacing a whole big chunk of the the drywall (I don't have the skill or the money for that right now.) Thanks for any help.
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/2617/wall8.jpg

[Gary Swart]

No promises, but I have had some success in stopping cracks by using a piece of panty hose under the mud. Use a fairly wide piece so as to get a good bridge over the crack. It may or may not work, but it won't cost much to try it.

[kellyf]

That's an interesting idea. I'm certainly willing to give it a shot. Thanks.

[patsfan78]

In the drywall section of a home improvement store there are different patching options. I use a mesh like tape. It comes in a roll and is self adhesive.

Cut a length(s) to fit the crack and apply.

Pick up some lightweight joint compound.

Apply the compound over the tape, the wider the stroke the better.

dry, sand, repeat as necessary.

try to run a vacuum hose as you sand. it keeps the mess down.

If you did want to replace a small bit of the wall. They do sell 2 foot squares of Sheetrock for small jobs such as this.

[jimbo]

I'm sure some PhD or a hated "engineer" can tell WHY this is true, but anyone who works the trade can tell you THAT this is true: Any joint in drywall, including a crack, will tend to crack. Put a piece of lowly PAPER tape over it....strong as an ox, no cracks!

[kellyf]

Great. I was hoping a fix would be that simple. Thanks for the tips.