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I am getting to repaint. I have stress crack at doorways and windows. The cracks range in fine lines to 1/8 inch. what is the best way to repair these so they won’t come back. It seems that taping them would creat too wide of an area to feather out. Can anyone point me to another alternative?
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gotta tape 'em. Even then, if they are over doors and windows (at the corners?) they might recrack. Drywall joints are supposed to be over the middle of the opening, not at the corners. You might be fighting a losing battle, the cracks might be the result of poor hanging practices. - jb
*I wasn't aware that drywall would get "stress cracks," as you call them. Guess so. If it were plaster, I'd check to see how deep the cracks go. They can sometimes be through only the paint layer or the first skim coat layer, in which case, filling them with setting plaster or a caulk (for hairline) is okay. For drywall, I suppose that taping makes sense for a wide or deep crack, particularly if the paper has been torn or punctured.
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The first order of business would be to determine what is the cause of your "stress cracks". Is this due to movement of the home, heavy railway traffic nearby, or other circumstances. Either way this should be resolved first. Next, if indeed your wall is sheetrock and not plaster you may be able to sink additional sheetrock screws adjacent to the cracks to stabilize this area and then finish by taping and recoating. As mentioned in one of the other responses it is ideal practice to have drywall seams centered above your opening. When purchasing drywall compound you may want to seek out a harder form of compound that will resist the cracking that has occured. I have utilized Durabound 30 for such applications with mixed results- you need to be neat because it does tend to set quickly and is not as easy to sand as topping compound. I hope this helps-good luck, Jim.
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I am getting to repaint. I have stress crack at doorways and windows. The cracks range in fine lines to 1/8 inch. what is the best way to repair these so they won't come back. It seems that taping them would creat too wide of an area to feather out. Can anyone point me to another alternative?
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If these cracks do not go through the paper, there is no need to tape. Just refinish with some compound or caulk as Steve suggests.
The reason joints do not go over corners has little to do with drywall cracking, But it to eliminate a high spot under the mitered joint of a casing. It is very hard to make a good tight miter over a high spot. For openings that get wrapped in drywall I pay little attention to keeping joints off the corners and have never had a problem.