My tenant for my single family house, built in 1947 in Northern California, is complaining about cracks in the paint in various places throughout the house. They aren't huge cracks, and the paint isn't falling off, but he finds them unsightly. I'm thinking of simply sanding, using joint compound, sanding again, primer, and paint. Anybody have any other thoughts? Here are a few photos:
Walls – How to repair a wall with cracked paint
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Best Answer
If it was built in 1947, there's a decent chance there's lead paint there. That means you can't sand it. I would buy a lead testing kit to make sure (they're readily available online and in some stores. If it is, you'll need to take some precautions first or call a professional removal company.
Provided there's no lead, you might want to go with a no-shrink vinyl spackle instead of straight joint compound. I've found it cracks less. Sanding and spackling should do the trick. I'd go a primer route as well. Will give you better coating over the old paint.