Drywall and ceiling repair in Pacifica

Drywall cracks near the San Andreas in Pacifica

The San Andreas Fault cuts across Pacifica's northeastern tip, and the City's planning report says the strongest ground shaking the town can expect would come from it. Walls answer movement at their weak points: the corners above doors and windows, and the seams in ceilings. A hairline crack there is often cosmetic, but paint alone won't keep it closed. It needs tape and compound.

Send us photos of the crack and the wall around it, close up and from across the room, so we can see the texture: smooth, orange peel or knockdown. Compound needs drying time, so plan on a few short visits rather than one long one. If the wall turns out to be plaster, we patch it as plaster instead of forcing drywall into it.

Worth knowing about Pacifica

• The City's neighborhood guide dates Westview's Cape Cod-style homes to the late 1940s, Linda Mar's tract homes to the 1950s and 1960s, and Park Pacifica's large modern homes to the 1970s.
• About 82.3% of Pacifica's 14,665 housing units were built before 1980, and the 1950s were the biggest single decade, with 27.4% of units.
• A City planning report says Pacifica's fog and roughly 30 inches of yearly rain reflect a climate more like the Pacific Northwest, with year-round fog in Sharp Park.