Cracks are common around windows.
Cracks in the wall often appear by the upper and lower corners of windows because the structural studs in the wall were cut to build the frame for the window, making these areas more prone to shifting and cracking. You may also experience cracks running alongside the window, for the same reason. You can patch the damaged area and repaint the wall, concealing the damage with a fresh, smooth wall surface.
Instructions
1. Remove all loose drywall chunks from a crack with a chisel, scraping them away. Wipe the window trim, or the windowsill, free from dust and apply a piece of painter's tape to the edge nearest the wall damage. Align the edge of the tape with the edge of the wall to protect the window trim.
2. Apply approximately 1/4 cup of prepared drywall compound to the crack with a 6-inch taping knife, pushing the mixture gently into the crack.
3. Cut a section of drywall tape the same length as the crack and lay it on top of the wet drywall compound, smoothing it gently, from the center of the tape outward, with the taping knife.
4. Add a little more drywall compound to the top of the tape, smoothing it over the length of the crack, which will no longer be visible. Cover the entire section of tape thinly.
5. Switch to the 10-inch taping knife and pull the edge of the blade along the length of the crack, leveling the drywall compound and spreading it over a wider area. Repeat the smoothing motion until no lumps of drywall compound remain.
6. Run the edge of the taping knife along the edge of the window trim. It's OK if some of the compound gets on the painter's tape, you'll remove that later. Focus on creating a smooth edge on the wall next to the window. Allow the compound to dry.
7. Add another coat of drywall compound to the crack. As drywall compound dries, it shrinks slightly, so it's better to apply three or more very thin coats of compound instead of one thick coat.
8. Sand the wall with a drywall sander after the final application of drywall compound dries.
9. Hold the flat edge of a taping knife along the edge of the window trim, using it as a guide to cut along the edge of the painter's tape closest to the wall. Cut only in the corner, not on the window trim and not on the wall.
10. Peel away the painter's tape and you'll have a clean edge between your newly patched wall and the window trim.
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