How to Fix Cracked Painted Walls

Cracking in painted walls typically starts off as small spider cracks, which later grow into larger cracks if left untreated. Eventually, the paint on the wall begins bubbling, flaking and separating, unless you take the necessary steps to repair the paint. Reasons for cracking paint include damage to the wall itself, low quality paint that has poor adhesion with the wall and poor preparation of the wall surface. If the repair cracks again, consult with a professional paint supplier in your area for help.

Things You'll Need

Flat head screwdriver
Putty knife
100 grit sandpaper

Wall patch
Paint brushes
Paint

Instructions

- 1
  Remove any portions of the wall material, whether it is drywall or plaster, that are loose or crumbling. Insert a small flathead screwdriver into any loose areas to pry them out of the wall.
- 2
  Scrape away any loose paint around the cracks using a putty knife’s blade. Brush away loose flecks of paint using a wire brush.
- 3
  Sand the area where you removed the paint, including the edge of where the paint remains, using 100 grit sandpaper. Feather the edges of the remaining paint and sand down any hard or raised edges of the paint.
- 4
  Apply wall patch to deep holes in the wall, or areas where multiple layers of paint came off. Wait at least 24 hours for the wall patch to dry completely.
- 5
  Brush primer, then matching paint onto the damaged areas of the wall. Stop applying paint after you have overlapped the border of the paint that has remained. Apply multiple coats of paint until the damaged areas match the rest of the wall.

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