Yeah, honestly, a few cracks in old plaster is nothing to stress over—those walls have probably seen way worse over the years. I’ve patched up more hairlines than I can count, especially around windows and doors. Sometimes I think those old houses are stubborn as hell and just refuse to quit. You did the hard part getting it earthquake-proofed, and if that’s all the damage you got, I’d call that a win. Beats chasing chunks of ceiling around the living room any day.
I hear you, but I gotta say, sometimes those “just cracks” can be a headache if you let ’em go too long. I left a few in my dining room thinking it was no big deal, then one winter the cold just made them spread like spiderwebs. Had to redo the whole wall. Guess it depends how much you care about perfect walls, but I’d rather patch early than end up with a bigger mess. Old houses definitely have their quirks...
EARTHQUAKE-PROOFED MY FIRST BUILDING AND IT ACTUALLY WORKED
You’re not wrong about those cracks. I used to think a little line here and there was just “character” until I had a similar thing happen in my kitchen. One winter, the old plaster just gave up and the crack widened almost overnight. I tried to ignore it, but the draft coming through finally convinced me to do something about it. Ended up patching it myself with some mesh tape and joint compound, which wasn’t too bad on the wallet, but I kept thinking if I’d just done it sooner, it would’ve been a five-minute job instead of a weekend project.
I get wanting to save time and money—I’m always looking for ways to stretch a dollar—but sometimes the “wait and see” approach just bites you later. That said, I do wonder if there’s a line between necessary repairs and just chasing perfection. Like, I’ve got a few hairline cracks in the bedroom that haven’t moved in years. At what point do you decide it’s worth fixing versus just living with it?
Also, since we’re talking about old houses and quirks, has anyone here actually seen structural cracks get worse after an earthquake? I keep hearing stories about minor damage turning into big problems, but in my place, even after that last tremor, nothing seemed to change much. Maybe it depends on the house or how you patched things up before? Curious what others have run into—sometimes I feel like my house is held together by luck and caulk...
Honestly, I wouldn’t stress too much over every hairline crack, especially if they haven’t changed in years. Sometimes old plaster just does its thing and settles. But I’d push back a bit on the “wait and see” approach always being a bad idea—if you keep an eye on things and snap a photo every few months, you’ll know if it’s getting worse. Not every crack needs a weekend’s worth of patching, especially in older homes where a little movement is normal. After earthquakes, though, I always recommend checking for new or widening cracks near doors and windows—those spots can tell you if something shifted. Sometimes it’s just cosmetic, sometimes it’s not... but you don’t have to chase perfection to keep your place safe.
EARTHQUAKE-PROOFED MY FIRST BUILDING AND IT ACTUALLY WORKED
Couldn’t agree more about not sweating every tiny crack—old houses just have character, and sometimes that means a few lines on the wall. One thing I’ve found helpful is to use a pencil to mark the ends of a crack and jot down the date. Makes it way easier to tell if it’s moving, especially after a tremor. Photos are great too, but a quick pencil mark is hard to beat when you’re just passing by.
I do get a little more cautious if I see cracks that are diagonal or running through brickwork, especially near corners or doorways. Had a friend ignore one of those and ended up with a sticky door that wouldn’t open after a quake. Most of the time, though, it's just the house settling in. If the cracks stay the same size, I usually just patch them up when I’m painting anyway. No need to chase every little imperfection unless you see real movement or other issues like doors sticking or floors getting uneven.
