Can you provide details on repairing long voids along ceiling seams and retexturing to match, knowing I may need professional help?
Asked by Abeer Bansal 
2 months ago
Last Updated: October 13, 2024
Hey Drywall Specialists –
I noticed a few long gaps along the seams of my 20-year-old ceiling, like you can see in this photo.
I’ve done some hanging, taping, and simple texturing in the past, but I think this might be a job best left to a professional.
Could you explain how you would go about fixing the problem seam and matching the texture afterward?
I know I’ll have to repaint the whole ceiling once the repair is done to make everything blend seamlessly.
Thanks a lot for any advice you can give.
Remove the gap, create a V shape, fill in the repair area, apply tape, and then smooth it out. Use a texture brush like the one at Home Depot. Once the mud dries, sand it down to achieve a close texture match, prime, and then paint.
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Hey , can you check out my previous post from a little while ago?
I work full-time as a remodeler with extensive drywall repair experience, and I’d seriously consider before attempting to redo this. Firstly, you won’t be able to match it exactly. It’ll always look like a repair job. Secondly, unless you address the root cause, it’ll recur, and fixing it may be difficult or impossible. Lastly, it’s a messy, unpleasant task.
I had a feeling this could be the right answer.
For sure.
I agree. Someone in my house attempted to do the same and it ended up looking like part of the wall had been removed from that spot. It was not a good look. Ended up replacing the entire ceiling, making it flat with no texture.
As others have mentioned, you should remove the tape and any loose material. It might be helpful to practice on a piece of drywall to perfect the texture. Once the texture is dry, you can use a damp cloth to smooth the edges and blend the patch work. This should help it blend in, but with a keen eye, the patch may still be noticeable.
Are you sure this isn’t some sort of covering? If not, it looks like someone skimped on the drywall screws, tape, and mud. Now there’s a visible line, but like Will mentioned earlier, it will continue to stand out as a patch unless you redo the entire ceiling or opt for a busy paint pattern like rag rolling from the early 2000s.
It seems like a stomp knocked down or crows foot pattern. I would stomp it, allow it to dry, and then use a knock down blade to flatten it.
That appears to be a seam from textured wallpaper!
I noticed the same design on my kitchen ceiling. I faced the same issue. Despite doing it correctly, a year later the same line appeared. I eventually opted for wood planking the ceiling 🥴🤙
Thank you all. I value the feedback.
Easily fixable. Just gotta find the right person!
Double-check for any leaks up there. Moisture is usually the first sign of a problem. If it doesn’t worsen, it’s best to leave it alone. Fixing it might make it look worse. You could consider scraping off the entire ceiling texture, redoing the mud, and sanding it flat.
Wow that sounds crazy- I face the same problem with textured drywall- it stems from a poor installation job 25 years ago and got even worse after getting a new metal roof put in.
I fixed a few of the seams. The whole process was so tedious and took up a lot of time – in some spots the outcome matched perfectly – in others it was just “okay”. I used a 2” wide blade (approximately) to carefully scrape the texture back to the original tape- pushing the raised seam down to make it recessed- if you end up tearing it, don’t worry – just apply a thin layer of drywall mud and put down the tape shown in the picture. The zig-zag edges help conceal it pretty well. After that, I used a can of texture spray- had to test out how long to let it sit before I smoothed it out – sprayed ceiling paint from a can and managed to blend it without having to paint the entire ceiling- tried it out on some scrap drywall first- I believe I got that tip from Sherman Williams.
Best of luck
It seems like an old wallpaper was used, I would suggest removing it first before reaching a repair decision.
Just to clarify, it’s not wallpaper but a textured drywall ceiling.
Does anyone else think that this type of repair is better left to a professional? Even if you manage to fix and match the texture perfectly, you’ll always know that you were the one who put it there.
Can you see it when you’re reading the newspaper? If not, then what’s the issue?🤔
Yes, it can be fixed. Matching the texture might be a bit challenging though.
Try using a putty knife in a hidden area to see if you can remove a small piece. If it’s hard to remove, it’s likely plaster or mud. If it’s easy to remove or tears, it’s probably textured paper. Definitely worth investigating. The crack appears to be more like mud or plaster. A professional plasterer could probably fix that easily.
Drywall with texture, right? I can definitely see what you’re talking about, .
Wow, lots of wrong answers 😄
This might not be the exact solution, but I remember doing something similar in my previous home. I removed any loose material and then sealed the gap with caulk, trying to match the texture. It turned out pretty good after painting.
Grab a sharp straight-blade knife and remove any loose tape. Fill it in with either 45 or 90 mud, sand it smooth, and stomp it with the brush as mentioned in other comments. Then use a flat trowel to knock it down smoothly. Remember to stagger the stomping spots at least a foot beyond each side of the seam to blend it in properly. Ensure the patch is sanded smooth into the old ceiling before stomping. After it’s all dry, paint the ceiling. It’s a good idea to prime the ceiling first before painting, or else the patch will show through darker. Also, check if the ceiling is sagging in that spot. If it is, add drywall screws an inch from the edge in the joists to pull it back up; otherwise, your patch might eventually crack just like the tape did. My hunch is that the installer didn’t mud the back of the tape well enough and the edges were dry and didn’t stick. Good luck with the repair, but it seems manageable without ripping out the drywall. ‘t fall for the folks who recommend tearing it all out. They’re just trying to upsell you. That’s a common tactic among many contractors. Personally, I’d skim coat and retexture the entire thing before opting for a complete teardown. It saves a lot of money for other projects.
There is a special fabric they use to encase asbestos ceilings in. But definitely not a DIY project.