How to remove cracks in glued or otherwise fixed ceiling skirtings?

Repair in the house is usually a significant waste, so many people try, whenever possible, to do the work on their own to save money. But for those who carry out any type of decoration for the first time in their life, it is not always possible to achieve good quality. So, for example, after such a repair, immediately or after some time, you can notice cracks in the ceiling plinths formed at the places of their joining with each other or with the wall. Of course, you can always tear everything down and redo it with the help of a professional, but then trying to save money will be in vain. It’s better to make an effort to fix everything, starting from what is already there.

Methods for sealing gaps in the upper skirting board in normal situations

There are several effective ways to close the gap in the baseboard, among which:

• fill the formed space with acrylic sealant;
• coat the hole with putty;
• make an insert from a piece of skirting.

Although the actions listed in the above list seem quite simple, it is important to consider that their reasonableness will depend on the nature of the problem, the degree of neglect and the type of technology that was used to complete the finishing work.

When deciding which of the methods to choose in order to correct the defects that have arisen, one should start from the size of the cracks that need to be repaired. For example, pasting an insert cut out of a skirting board implies that the gap is quite large. But it is unlikely that it will be possible to produce a fragment that exactly matches the filling space in form. Therefore, the edges of the hole may have to be cleaned with a knife so that the created part fits tightly there.

It is advisable to expand the crack even if you intend to use sealant or putty. In order for the repair material not to fall off over time, it is necessary to increase the surface area with which it will come into contact. To do this, it is best to clean the gap between the wall and the baseboard, to give it a v-shape. Filling the prepared space with putty is carried out using a rubber spatula, which can easily remove excess material and beautifully design the surface of the joint to be sealed. The use of sealant to eliminate defects will consist in gently squeezing it out of the bottle, distributing it in the space to be filled, and then using a plastic spatula or finger to form a smooth and even seam.

Tip

The sealant should be formed some time after it is extruded. Therefore, in order to carry out this procedure qualitatively, it is better to do a little training in advance to close up cracks in any unnecessary objects.

Non-standard cases and solutions to the problem

Sometimes during the installation of the upper skirting board use a special adhesive composition for joints. In the frozen state, this glue will be difficult to crack with a knife to expand the crack and give it the necessary shape. Typically, such cracks do not form large cracks. Therefore, in this situation it will be enough to apply a layer of glue “Installation Moment” to the problem area.

Not always the reason for the formation of a gap between the wall and the baseboard is a violation of technological requirements during installation. The fact is that to create a decorative edging in the upper part of the walls, plinths can be used:

• from polyvinyl chloride, included in the set of parts for creating a plastic ceiling;
• polystyrene foam - for walls made of drywall or pasted with wallpaper;
• from wood - for finishing the room with lining.

When the surface of the wall and ceiling is perfectly flat, then usually there are no problems when installing skirting boards and there can’t be any talk about any slits or holes, especially if the work is done by a specialist. But in old houses you can find walls whose surface curvature defies any mathematical descriptions. Nobody is usually going to spend money on their alignment. Therefore, when covering the ceiling with plastic, between the skirtings and the wall used as the starting profile, gaps of different sizes will surely remain. You can’t remove them in any way, you can only fix them with sealant.

A wooden baseboard also sometimes needs to be adjusted. It is known that a tree has the ability to change its original shape under the influence of environmental factors. Therefore, even subject to all installation rules, no one can insure themselves against crevices that may appear between such a baseboard and a wall. In this situation, to solve the problem, it is better to use gypsum putty. A special putty on wood is also suitable, the color of which can be selected so that it matches the appearance of the material. If after applying one of the methods mentioned above it turned out that after hardening, the substance used for the repair acquired a color shade different from the plinth, then you can correct the situation using staining. In any case, to eliminate defects that damage the appearance of the room, it is not necessary to start a new repair.