LESLIE: Lindell (sp) in Texas, what can we do for you here at The Money Pit?
LINDELL (sp): We have a – probably about a 26-foot vaulted ceiling in our new home. It’s about a couple of years old now. And seems like every seam of the sheetrock has a crack in it now. And I didn’t – I don’t know if it – is that a common problem or is there something that we can do to stop it from, you know, continuing to crack?
LESLIE: And the cracks are only where you have seaming, correct?
LINDELL (sp): Not completely. That’s the majority of them but there are some at the corners of some of the windows that are cracking.
LESLIE: But anyplace where you’ve got pieces that are joined together. You’re not seeing cracks like straight across a piece of drywall.
LINDELL (sp): Not very many. One or two.
TOM: Well, the cracks are fairly normal. You mentioned around corners of windows. That’s like the weakest part of the wall.
LESLIE: Even around door frames, as well, you would see it.
TOM: Yeah, that’s where the walls have the most movement. Also at, you know, corners where you have 90-degree corners that are opposing to each other; you get cracks there.
LESLIE: Even where the wall meets the ceiling.
TOM: Exactly. I would say that minor cracks like that are fairly common because homes are always expanding and contracting. Unless you’re seeing anything more than that, I think it’s probably cosmetic and normal wear and tear. If you wanted to repair them, what you’re going to have to do is tape them; not just spackle them. If you spackle them it will open up again. But if you tape them, I would say, Leslie, probably with a fiberglass tape it would work best.
LESLIE: Yeah, the fiberglass tape is going to be so much easier to work with, Lindell (sp). Because the fiberglass is so open and meshy that when you put the spackle on top of it it really adheres well and it gets into all the nooks and crannies, whereas with the paper tape, you’re going to be spackle, tape, spackle, tape; you know, all these different layers to sort of make sure that it does its job. And you know the fiberglass really just is user friendly, I think.
LINDELL (sp): Real good. Well I appreciate your help.
TOM: You’re welcome, Lindell (sp). Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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