I had logged in, and spent so much time writing this and being distracted that I was auto-logged out and lost it all. Sigh...

I am in the process of replacing trim and repainting a bedroom that a devil-child lived in and abused (prior owner). At some point in the past this room was reconfigured and re-framed, leaving a drywall joint in the ceiling to be poorly covered up by paint, which is now cracked and cardboard-like to the touch (no water damage that I can tell).

What is the best way to cover up this joint prior to priming/repainting without major effort? I have sanding equipment, spackle, and fiberglass tape, but I feel the fiberglass would be pretty obvious even once painted. I don't want to get nice paint up there only to have it crack again in a few months.

Thanks!

 

Is the joint not supported? I'm concerned about this remark:
Assuming no problem there, I would use the mesh tape on the joint followed by a coat of setting compound then additional coats of joint compound to feather out the seam.

 

It looks like the drywall screws are several inches from the edge of each sheet at this particular location. Perhaps the framing of the wall that was originally in-place provided support at the actual joint.

I've never used anything but spackle. Noted, though.

 

Spackle or spackling is just for minor repairs. Joint compound is needed for larger repairs. A lot of us like the setting compounds because they dry faster and we can get done quicker.

pics could be helpful - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html