I have been living in rented top floor flat for 8+ years (block of 40-50 rented flats in total). Approximately 50 year old building but was renovated 10 years ago. Landlords agency have never caused any problems and they let everyone get on with living peacefully. On each floor while climbing the communal stairs I notice 3-4 meter long hairline cracks running parallel to the stairs. It's one of those cracks that no one will notice unless they are really looking for it. The crack has not broken the wall paper but must have shifted the plaster/cement/concrete behind it to cause the ridge on the wallpaper.

Does not look dangerous to a novice like me and my guess would be minor tremors of past might be the cause or maybe general growing up pain of the building? I spoke to my neighbour about it and if we should contact the agency. She shrugged it off as no biggie and said that it had been there for many years.

I have 2-3 similar cracks inside my flat so I decided to fix them to a cosmetic level as I will be spending few more years here. Please look at attached image as it shows how the overall crack looked originally (img1). I gently hit the crack area with the hammer to hear the sound. It felt hollow on the surface so I decided to take off all the hollow sounding parts. Result was img2 (img3 is close up of area A). I think I have taken all the hollow sounding parts away. I think I still see a kind of crack on the concrete area so technically I could keep hammering away till I end up in my neighbours bedroom or till the ceiling falls on me

Tapping on the area with hammer does not sound hollow any more.


So that is the background now my 2 questions-

1- What is a good quality wall filler I should be asking for at the DIY store to patch it up before I repaint he wall? What would it be called in German?

2- I am going to install some IKEA wall cabinets in that general area. The wall cabinet screws won't fall on the crack but the closest would fall 6 inches away and furthest around 2 feet away. You reckon I will be ok with it? Only light items would be placed inside it.

Thanks for reading.

DIY experts I could really do with advice as I need to get a move on. I could ask at coop but some of the salespeople are clueless and might give me some wrong filler.

i used some polyfiller. not the greatest, but seemed to work.

Before you repair it, check its not getting worse. Put a piece of sellotape across the crack and mark with a pen where the two edges of the crack are. Check in 4 weeks, if its moved forget the repair. If it hasnt, buy polyfilla ready made and a tool to smooth out the filler in the crack. good luck

Wait 4 weeks? I need to be done this week. Don't think the crack is moving and definitely not at a speed that will show in 4 weeks. It has been there for a long time. Even if it was moving I can't leave the hole that I dug. My girlfriend is on holiday and she would kill me if she sees what I did to the crack. She is expecting a nicely painted room when she gets back

well if you don`t want your girlfriend to see your crack, i suggest you cover it up.....

Nice My crack will take a cement mixer truck to fill up and not some Pollyfilla tub.

Thanks I am off to get Pollyfilla now that I am armed with all your advice and some good how to videos.

If you are renting a property the walls, floors, windows, doors are the responsibility of the owner, you should not have started work on the crack!

Before you start to fill in with Polyfilla, you should wet the existing plaster. Hope you do a good enough job that he won't notice. If you need professional help, most painting & decorating firms do plaster repairs.

I know but I have lot of things going on with new job and I don't have time to wait around, move my things, get rid of furniture, deal with new furniture etc etc. So no I won't be waiting around while landlord's agency gets around to doing things.

Few squirts of water spray like at the barber's place? I think I will make it look nice.

Who? Landlord? I have never seen him He does not even live in this country. People have changed kitchens, painted walls, redone flooring in this block all on their own.

When it is time to move I would have been here for more than 10 years and it would all come under wear and tear. What is the worst that would happen? They won't give me my deposit back? I don't care.

Guys I went to Coop DIY place and they did not have any Polyfiller. Before I stumble from one place to the next do you know which DIY place has it?

It's this then?

http://www.molto.de/produkte/spachte...moltofill.html