Got a call to fix a ceiling seam that popped after a cold snap

I was finishing a basement in Grand Rapids last winter, and we had a sudden drop to like 10 degrees. The next day, the homeowner called me back in a panic because a 6-foot seam on the main floor ceiling had a huge crack right down the middle. The house was old and the framing had shifted with the cold. I told them not to worry, this happens. I went back, cut out a thin strip of the tape over the crack, and feathered in a new layer of mud. The key was I mixed in a bit of plaster of paris with the all-purpose joint compound to make it set faster and harder, since I couldn't control the house temp. Let it dry, sanded it smooth, and it's been solid ever since. What's your go-to fix for temperature-related cracks in finished work?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey_torres604d ago

My buddy had a similar thing with a new drywall patch in an unheated garage. The cold made the mud pull away before it could cure. He ended up using a setting-type compound, the 90-minute kind, and made sure to heat the space with a salamander just while it dried. Said the key was warming the wall surface first.

wendyk634d ago

Remembered a job where a cold snap made a whole wall of fresh paint craze like a spiderweb. The client was freaking out about the weird texture. Had to explain it was just the top layer shrinking too fast, and a light sanding with a fresh coat fixed it. Honestly, moisture in the air messes with everything.