Why Drywall Corners Crack, and How the Cracks Get Fixed

Drywall corners crack because corners are where two surfaces, and the framing behind them, meet. Inside corners crack when a house settles or the roof framing moves. Outside corners crack and dent when they get hit. Each kind of corner crack has its own repair, and done right, the corner looks like nothing happened.

Inside corner cracks

Inside corners, where two walls meet, are finished with paper tape folded into the corner and bedded in joint compound. When framing shifts as a house settles, or the tape wasn't bedded in enough compound, the tape cracks or pulls loose along the corner. The repair is to cut out the loose tape, bed new tape, finish with thin coats of compound, then texture and paint. See why drywall tape peels.

Cracks where the wall meets the ceiling

A crack along the top of a wall that opens and closes over the year is usually the roof trusses moving. Trusses flex as the attic heats and cools, lifting the ceiling slightly away from interior walls. Because that movement keeps happening, the repair has to allow for it, using flexible corner tape or a flexible joint instead of rigid compound alone.

Outside corner damage

Outside corners are protected by corner bead, a metal or plastic angle under the joint compound. Furniture, vacuums, kids and pets hit outside corners, leaving a crack along the bead, a dent, or bead that's bent and exposed. Small cracks and dents can be skimmed with compound. Bent or loose bead is cut out and replaced, then finished, textured and painted.

Cracks at the corners of doors and windows

Diagonal cracks running from the corners of doors and windows are common as a house settles, because stress concentrates at those corners. They're repaired by opening the crack, taping it and finishing over it. A crack that keeps growing, or a door that starts to stick, is worth having looked at. See types of drywall cracks and their causes.

Corner crack repair in Orlando

New Ceilings repairs cracked inside corners, damaged corner bead and wall-to-ceiling cracks across Orlando and Central Florida, then matches the texture and paint so the corner looks new. Every job starts with a free written quote. See drywall and ceiling repair.