[pa337]

I spackled a 7ft. Vertical hairline type crack on a plaster wall over 24 hours ago. After sanding and while applying primer, some of the spackle came off on the paint roller. Now it's a gooey mess.

How do I fix the problem?

Thanks a million,
Cynthia

[hkstroud]

What did you use to repair the crack, spackle or drywall joint compound? Did you use tape over the crack? What kind of paint did you use for the primer, latex or oil based?

[pa337]

Hi Harold, I used Muralo brand spackle that was recommended by the sales person at the paint store. I did not use tape. The cracks are hairline so I took a cork screw and "scored" them so to speak to make a little room for the spackle. I used Kilz water based primer. Thanks

[hkstroud]

I don't know the brand and I gave up on spackle a long tnme ago. It requires too much work to sand.
Having not used spackle that much I don't know is this same phenomena occurs with spackle as it does with drywall joint compound but I suspect it does.

When painting (with a roller) the primer coat over joint compound, if you roll it once then roll it again feew minutes later, the second roll will sometimes lift some of the joint compound. This occurs because the joint compound is water soluble, the paint is latex (water based). The first coat softens the top surface of the joint compound. Rolling over a second time lifts the soften material. Rolling a minute sooner and the joint compound would not have been softened, rolling a minute later and the paint would have dried (and sealed) the joint compound and the lifting would not have occurred.

This happens with joint compound, I suspect it also happens with spackle.

Recommend that you sand away all the flaws and start over. Not easy now that you have painted but can be done.

Purchase some drywall joint compound and tape. You can use paper tape or the fiberglass tape. I prefer the fiberglass tape for patches. With paper tape you put a thin coat of joint compound on the wall then put your tape in it and smooth with your knife. Let dry then put another coat on top. Usually requires a third coat to finish. With the fiberglass tape you put in on the wall and smooth with your knife. It is sticky enough to stick to the wall. Then cover with a thin coat of joint compound. The fiberglass tape is a mesh type and the joint compound passes through to the wall. Let dry and then apply a finish coat. That is one less coat joint compound. Since you are patching a flat surface there will be a certain amount of bulge in the wall. The less you have to build up the bulge the better.

Joint compound sand considerably easier than spackling. You need to use the tape because both spackle and joint compound are granular, neither product has any fiber to hold things together. Think of them as wet sand, which will easily crack if the surface to which they are applied moves or vibrates. In other words the crack will come back unless you use tape.