How to seal gaps and cracks in walls and ceilings?

[weekendwally]

Hi All,

Seeking some advice on how to seal cracks/gaps in walls and ceilings?

I have a few gaps in wall corners and in the ceilings between the skirting.

Wall corner and ceiling crack/gap

Gap in ceiling and skirting

Gap in corner of wall        Gap in corner of wall

Gap between ceiling and skirting

Thank you for your time,

Wally

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @weekendwally 

Looks like you have some settling in your house, and possibly you have an older place as I love that style of wall paneling and it reminds me of my Grandmas fibro house.

Id be cautious as fibro contains asbestos if removing but is perfectly ok as a solid.

Id actually be tempted to replace the corner trim and ceiling trim and installing fresh pieces as the ones that are there look like they have a few layers of paint over them. You could gently pry them off the walls and corners so you have an exact copy or even strip them back if you wanted to reuse. 

Once you have removed the pieces of trim you could also access if they need to be replaced with slightly wider pieces.

I dont think I would sand the timber in situ purely because of the fibro next to it.

Dave

[MitchellMc]

Hi @weekendwally,

@Dave-1 has already shared some excellent tips. Considering the possibility of asbestos in older cement sheets, it’s best to avoid disturbing them unless you’re planning more extensive renovations.

A flexible, paintable sealant would be a good solution for the gaps you've mentioned. Something like Selleys 480g White 3-in-1 Silicone Sealant should work well for filling gaps between walls, ceilings, and skirting boards. This type of sealant is ideal because it can flex with any slight movements and can be painted over to match the surrounding surfaces, giving a neat finish.

Make sure to clean the areas thoroughly before applying the sealant, and smooth it out with a damp cloth or your finger for a professional look.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Mitchell

[weekendwally]

Thank you Dave and Mitchell for your advice. I will give it a shot and see how I go.