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Inside corner cracks in your drywall are surprisingly easy to fix. All you need are some basic supplies and a little patience. Here’s what you’ll need to make your repair:
TOOLS & MATERIALS
- Utility Knife
- Mud Pan
- Drywall Joint Knife
- Drywall Compound
- Drywall Paper Tape
- Sanding Block
- Paint
- Paint Brush or Roller
When taking on this DIY task, be sure to equip yourself with the proper safety gear.
For hairline corner cracks, apply a thin bead of paintable latex or paintable silicone caulk over the crack. Then use your finger to smooth the caulk into the corner.
For cracks larger than a hairline at corners or ceilings, first cut through the existing seam and trim away any loose drywall or tape. Cut a piece of paper tape to size and hold it along the middle crease. Apply joint compound to the corner.
Then apply the new piece of tape to the area, using your joint knife to smooth it into place. Allow the area to dry. Then apply compound to one side of the corner. Once the first side is dry, apply compound to the other side of the corner.
Let dry per manufacturer instructions and sand and paint as needed.
Alternative Repair for Cracks in Drywall or Sheetrock
If you have made a repair to cracked drywall only to hav =e it open up again, Krack Kote by Abatron is an excellent option for a permanent repair. It makes invisible, permanent repairs to cracked walls and ceilings quickly and easily! It requires no sanding, and it can be applied and painted in under an hour.
Here’s How Krack Kote Works
The specially formulated acrylic emulsion retains its flexibility as it dries, without shrinking. This allows Krack Kote to move as the walls move, leaving a seamless repair that will not reopen like other fillers or putties.
More Drywall Repair Tips & Videos
- How to Repair Drywall Dings and Dents | Video
- Easy Repair For Loose Drywall Tape?
- How to Repair Drywall Outside Corners | Video
- How to Repair Wall Cracks in Drywall
- How to Repair Large Holes in Drywall or Sheetrock | Video
Looking for great tools to help get your project done? Shop Stanley, Black & Decker and DeWALT for everything you need!
Would this procedure work for “crumbling” drywall – house built in 1972. One inside corner of our l/r on an exterior wall is crumbling floor to ceiling. We can see bubbling and/or cracks along the entire height of the corner – in some spots the crack bubble is 1/2″ from the corner in others it is 1″ from the corner. I used a knife to cut away some of the crack and found the drywall in the corner is crumbling. The drywall paper appears to be mostly intact, but the drywall material is crumbling & flaking. We recently dealt with some settling issues and repair work done in our crawl space and are now working to fix the interior effects of that. There were moisture issues and those are believed to have been taken care of. The corner is not wet/soft/moldy. It also appears as though no tape was used on this inside corner or if there was, it no longer exists. If I simply cut the paint off floor to ceiling in the corner – it peels off easily once scored – is this the procedure you would recommend or should I use a different procedure.
Thank you for the video. Are you applying a length of tape to the crack, applying joint compound and then applying a second strip of tape?
You say to fold the tape into the corner but you don’t say whether to try to leave it there or remove it and then apply the compound. If i you do spread compound over the crack before applying the tape, what keeps the material from just getting pushed back behind the wall?
Yes, get a bit of joint compound in the wall where the tape goes, then add the tape, press it in place and apply more joint compound over the paper tape. Keep the coats thin and do 2 or 3. Sand in between each one.