I have a cathederal ceiling that is cracking at and near the peak even after I repaired it a couple years ago appyling new tape and joint compound. Is there a better way to fix this? I was thing about building a faux beam and installing it to cover the imperfections. Thanks.

 

Fishiin, you could try a nocoat vinyl corner, or maybe a metal reinforced paper tape.

 

To add to what X said, using fiberglass drywall tape often helps keep cracks from reappearing.

 

IMO it is more likely for cracks to appear thru fiberglass tape, but maybe thats just me.

 

If the crack is in the peak, then the faux beam may even add more character to the room AND cover the booger at the same time.

 

My experience as well .

 

I don't disagree with Nash often but this is one time I do, paper tape is stronger than the mesh stuff.

 

Wow. Three members whose opinions I have learned to trust disagree with me on something! This might be a time to really listen!

Here's my experience: After we stripped all of the old paper off the walls in an old house we renovated for ourselves, and dug out the patches that had been put in the cracks that had opened as the poorly framed house had shifted and settled over the years, and lifted and leveled the framing, we filled in the remaining small cracks with a brown coat, set fiberglass mesh tape in/over that, and then applied a finish coat. We had plenty of paper tape on hand, but no one, ever, suggested using that. In fact, it was the pros working with me who suggested the mesh.

I do not recall that the tape I/we used had any adhesive on it, but it may have. Two things I do recall are that 1> the walls, once stripped, turned out to have never had a finish coat applied; the surface was the second application of brown coat, the one applied over the lath-hooking coat and floated to a flat surface. 2> After we made the tape-reinforced repair and floated a smooth finish with sponge-swiped drywall mud, we painted the walls, Then we lived in the house for another 12 or 13 years. For all that time, through the day we sold that house, we never had to deal with, or even look at, so much as a hairline crack in any of the walls we had "restored." So I swear by the stuff. So far.

Now. I talked. I'm ready to hear.

 

You note my suggestion was for neither, right? The crack in the peak will not cease to move and crack, I don't care if you run steel tape down it. The paper will pucker and the mesh will spread, but the crack will return. Slightly different from a flat wall or plaster.

Of course I am a naildriver, so putting a wood faux beam would solve the problem and look good, too.

 

Nash - plaster is a bit different that drywall. Whenever mesh tape is used it is recommended that a setting compound be used instead of regular j/c. I always use a setting compound when repairing plaster because it's similar.... and I know how to use it Your mesh tape was embedded in the plaster which is why it held up and was likely the best choice.

 

Paper tape with joint compound but mesh is ok with plaster - as you've seen.