How can I fix crack in painted plasterboard ceiling??? Ask your questions and find answers on many subjects relating to plastering and dry lining

[Gitta]

Moved in 1965 house and stripped old wallpaper off the livingroom's ceiling. Seemed to be plasterboards. Scraped and sanded and then painted, as found it difficult enough to put up wallpaper on walls... Then it bubbled and cracked across the ceiling, I scraped the paint off and made crack bigger and filled with plyfiller. Primed a little bit of diluted pva and painted over (all tips from a neighbour). Now it is cracked again right across the ceiling... How can I fix it without having to wallpaper the ceiling? Plasterboard tape + filler? Mesh + filler? Will this stick onto the painted surface?

Thank you so much for any tips!!!

[kbrownie]

Firstly we need to know why it is cracking?
See if boards are sagging or loose by pushing up on them, there will always be a little movement but not too springy. If boards are springing they need to be screwed back up tight, this means location timber joist and noggins. If not springing, i'd sand paint around joint about six inch either side apply dilute pva solution(4water-1pva) Then apply self advhesive scrim tape to joint, fill out with Jointing Compond (easyfill is best) apply this three times lightly sanding joint after first two application then sand down so even and smooth after third application.
First application is to bond tape and need only be about four inch wide on joint, second is for filling joint out about eight/ten inch and third again to fill out and keep joint looking even and level about ten/twelve inch wide on joint. This can then be painted good contractors base coat recomended.
KB