New drywall cracks after a renovation
New drywall cracks leave homeowners unsure whether to hire a structural engineer or a general contractor to inspect for shifted joists. These cracks, particularly at inside corners, make it difficult to figure out the root cause and the best way to fix them permanently.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Keeping an eye on the crack to see if it changes with the weatherDid this help you?
- 2Considering hiring a structural engineer or general contractor for inspectionDid this help you?
- 3Using flexible, paintable caulkDid this help you?
- 4Removing old caulking, re-taping, and re-mudding with heavy-duty or metal-reinforced corner tapeDid this help you?
- 5Scrape and caulk, then paintDid this help you?
- 6Redo the drywall tape and mudDid this help you?
- 7Monitor crack width and check if doors and windows start stickingDid this help you?
- 8scrapping the loose stuff and retaping itDid this help you?
- 9keeping an eye on it for a few monthsDid this help you?
- 10Checking the attic and roofing for water leaksDid this help you?
- 11Searching online for potential causes like weak flooring near a chimney or rain exposureDid this help you?
- 12Considering patching the cracksDid this help you?
- 13Getting an inspection from a structural engineer or inspectorDid this help you?
- 14Patching the cracks with mesh and mudDid this help you?
- 15Notching and caulking or taping and muddingDid this help you?
- 16Leaving the cracks aloneDid this help you?
- 17Pull off the failed drywall tape and redo itDid this help you?
- 18Ignore the crack and live with itDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“What do you think is causing this? I’m not sure is this is from house settling or drywall tape coming undone. Who can I call to fix something like this or how would I take care of it?”source ↗
“Noticed some dry wall cracking in my basement. Currently going through the cold and heat cycles this Time of year. Something I should be worried about or no.”source ↗
“Anywho fast forward and now we see this brand spanking new crack.”source ↗
“Should I hire a structural engineer to come check? Or do I just hire a general contractor to inspect the joists and see if the joists shifted?”source ↗
“just today noticed these little cracks in a corner—i looked at older pictures and i can’t be positive but i think they are newer. any idea what the cause might be/how serious this is? i know cracks are typically cosmetic but i’ve never seen them like this. no water damage/leak as far as i can tell”source ↗
“I have the same thing in my place and hoping to fix it soon enough when I redo the room.”source ↗
“I've got these cracks all over my condo scpecifically at inside corners. I'm not sure what caused this but it's soft so im guessing maybe the drywaller put too much plaster? What's the best way to fix this and make sure it doesnt hapoen again?”source ↗
“First time home owner had me in a panic.”source ↗
“I have cracks similar to this but it's plaster not drywall. I've had foundation repair people look at mine and sent photos to a structural engineer. They have all said it doesn't appear concerning at this time and monitor.”source ↗
“We noticed some separation in the drywall in One corner of the house and wanted to know what could be happening?”source ↗
“What are our best options here? Should we call a structural engineer or someone who does inspections?”source ↗
“Have these in my house. Caused me ton of anxiety and freaked me out.”source ↗
“This house drives me nuts honestly. It was flipped so badly.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Are drywall cracks in an older house normal settling or structural damage?
- 30How to fix a botched drywall patch with uneven edges and gaps
- 5How to match wall texture when fixing drywall patches
- 4Crack along ceiling and wall joint
- 5Why is my basement wall paint peeling and turning white?
- 13How to clean mold on drywall or know when to cut it out