Thursday, October 1, 2026
A plastic product, called a reglet, can be installed at the corner, to absorb the slight movements of the corner joint. You have to select the right one, and these reglets are available at professional builders' suppliers, not your average home center. They are plastic or vinyl corner pieces that have continuous indented lines in shapes such as a "U" or "V" that show a slight shadow line, but will hold a more appealing line in the corner than a crack. They also allow for movement, since they maintain the space needed for the wall materials to shift.
If you have severe movement, however - more than one-eighth of an inch - the problem should be addressed by methods mentioned in last week's column. To determine the amount of movement, look for horizontal lines or patterns that are interrupted by the crack and measure the upward shift space between the lines. If the shift is more than an eighth-inch, you may want to consider calling a professional to look at the problem, since it's no doubt caused by one of the issues mentioned in last week's column. Now, I know that professional tapers and spacklers will want to tell you about various fiberglass, metal and plastic inserts they use for this problem, and you can try them. They all work for small amounts of movement. The problem is that even the most flexible drywall compound will still crack with enough movement. If the movement you describe is enough to cause repeated damage, then you need a better solution. Good Luck!
