How to Repair Thin Cracks in a Popcorn Ceiling

Thin, "hairline" cracks in your popcorn ceiling could signal a number of structural issues in your home, including drought-caused soil shrinkage around your foundation, or humidity and heat could be causing your attic's lumber supports to expand and contract. Whatever the root of your cracked ceiling problem, you'll want to repair the cracks in the ceiling to inexpensively restore your popcorn ceilings to their former condition and to avoid replacing or repainting the whole ceiling.

Ladder
Putty knife
Paintable latex caulk
Scissors
Latex primer
Texture repair kit
Touch-up latex paint

Instructions

- 1
  Set up a ladder beneath the crack. Check it for stability before climbing onto it to begin your repairs.
- 2
  Scrape off 3 inches of ceiling texture on each side of the crack, using a putty knife. Keep scraping until all the popcorn texture is removed and you've reached the drywall's papery surface.
- 3
  Cut open your caulking tube so that its tip is ¼ inch wide, using scissors. Fill the crack with your caulk, and then use your putty knife to smooth out your work. Once the caulk is dry, cover the scraped area with one coat of latex primer, using a paintbrush. Allow the primer to dry.
- 4
  Spray the primed, repaired area with the aerosol spray or pump tool included in your texture repair kit. Follow the instructions included with your kit. Allow your newly retextured ceiling to dry completely.
- 5
  Paint over the area with touch-up paint, using a paintbrush.
- 6
  Repeat the process for any remaining cracks.

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