How to fix Crack/separation in drywall between wall and ceiling?

Renee Devries
by Renee Devries

How do you fix crack/separation in drywall between wall and ceiling? I’ve tried joint compound, keeps cracking. Some places are almost 1/2 inch separation. This is on 2nd floor. House is 25 yrs old. No problems on 1st floor.

  4 answers
  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Apr 22, 2019

    It sounds like you have some serious settling issues. You might need to tape as well as mud. To properly finish drywall, we always did 3 rounds. I damp sponge finish instead of sanding. It will take 6 days to properly correct the issue: 1 day to mud, next day to finish, then start the cycle again feathering a bit further out each time.

  • William William on Apr 22, 2019

    You need to apply drywall mesh tape in the corner then the drywall patching compound. The mesh tape prevents the cracking.


    May I ask, is the crack permanent or does it come and go? Is it recent or is it old? Do you know if you have a truss roof or not?

    • Renee Devries Renee Devries on Apr 23, 2019

      Cracks appeared about 10 yrs ago. They are only on the inside walls on the 2nd story. I do have a truss roof. Some of them I have hidden with molding, but in the bathroom, they are rather large.

  • Pat Pat on Apr 22, 2019

    If you decide house is okay could you put in crown .molding?

  • William William on Apr 23, 2019

    That is a problem with truss roofs. The trusses tend to flex with weather changes and house settling. This causes the roof to "separate" from the walls causing the gaps. There are hurricane brackets that connect the trusses to the walls permanently preventing the gaps.