# fix cracks in finishing cement



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

My wife and I completed our house here on Mactan Island, shortly before the big Bohol quake back in October. The exterior walls of our house are made from six inch hollow blocks, with approx one inch of finishing material on both the interior and exterior surfaces of the wall, making the total wall thickness approx eight inches. 

I have noticed a few recent hairline cracks appearing in my walls, and the cracks tend to run from the floor up to the bottom of our windows. The cracks do not appear to be very deep, and I'm thinking that they are only in the finishing material, and that perhaps the hollow blocks themselves are not cracked. 

I'm guessing that the cracks are most likely due to house settling, the earthquake, or perhaps our workers did a poor job of mixing the cement to be used as a finishing material?

Back in the US I could easily buy thin set mortar, or Fix All, to repair such cracks, but I've visited several building supply stores, and all they seem to carry is Portland Cement, and the people working there have told me that I must mix my own patch material from Portland Cement, and then trowel it on over the cracks. This doesn't sound like good advice to me, as I know that fresh concrete usually will not stick to other concrete that is already hardened. Thus the need for some type of specialized patching material.

Does anyone know of method or product that I can use to patch these cracks, which won't turn it into an eyesore, or tens of thousands of pesos? Any advice appreciated.


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

I assume you will repaint over the cracks? Maybe use some type of epoxy or caulk? If you're not repainting maybe you could dye the caulk to match it. If below the window, curtains/sheers would hide it.

I searched the web with my powerful US internet (;p) and could only find products you probably can't find there but I know they have epoxy.

Those hairline cracks are a part of life there I think.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Same thing happened in our house the construction worker used auto body filler its a two part kit and has a pink color when mixed and it cures just as fast as fiberglass, this stuff bonds to anything and everything, wood, metal, concrete. I think the large can runs about 500 peso's it stretches real well I also used this in patching my metal roof in some spots near the Monkey he keeps pulling out the rubbery filler for holes forgot the name of that stuff, he can't pull this stuff auto body filler out, it hardens like steel.


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Thanks for the advice everyone. Yes, I plan on painting over my patch job, and I think that you're both right, a two part epoxy used is probably the best way to go, as I think that I can get this too match the texture of the already existing finishing material much easier than I can with caulk. I guess one of the reasons I'm worried about these cracks, is due to the possibility of moisture getting into these cracks and causing trouble? (I noticed that the quality of the hollow blocks, and the cement was a little less than standards you might find elsewhere.) Well, I guess I'll get started on it later this week.


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

shall I buy and send some filler from SG ?? 


just kidding

I would put it down to the low quality cement used in PH .. though claimed to be of top class, it is classified as low grade, as per a building architect friend of mine .. who is based in PH .. 

When he built his own house, he imported his own stuff, bribing a lot of people .. that means a lot I guess


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Just a quick follow up in case someone else encounters this problem in the future. I happen to be visiting the local SM shopping mall, when I stumbled across Ace Hardware, where I found a product called RJ London Wall Putty. It costs about 90 Pesos, and it has a consistency similar to spakling compound sold in the US. I took the plastic lid off of an old box of Fita Crakcers, and used a pair of sciccisors to cut out a plastic spreader from the plastic lid. I spread the putty into a larger crack on the exterior of my house and it worked great. After the putty dries a little, I'm going to take a small amound of putty and mix it with a very tiny bit of water to make it thinner and more pliable. I plan on using this thinner putty mixture, along with an old brush, to recreate the texture of wall onto the patch material. Cheap and easy fix, and I didn't have to call anyone else, which is what my in-laws keep telling me to do.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Fixing cracks on exterior finishing*



Maxx62 said:


> Just a quick follow up in case someone else encounters this problem in the future. I happen to be visiting the local SM shopping mall, when I stumbled across Ace Hardware, where I found a product called RJ London Wall Putty. It costs about 90 Pesos, and it has a consistency similar to spakling compound sold in the US. I took the plastic lid off of an old box of Fita Crakcers, and used a pair of sciccisors to cut out a plastic spreader from the plastic lid. I spread the putty into a larger crack on the exterior of my house and it worked great. After the putty dries a little, I'm going to take a small amound of putty and mix it with a very tiny bit of water to make it thinner and more pliable. I plan on using this thinner putty mixture, along with an old brush, to recreate the texture of wall onto the patch material. Cheap and easy fix, and I didn't have to call anyone else, which is what my in-laws keep telling me to do.


I like cheap and every time I need to call someone for help I use that as my learning experience and do it myself next time. Some family members will work for food or low pay for quick fixes and we have a cousin that does this for us all others will over charge or if you hire the real deal it will cost between 300-1000 peso's for one days work ughhh ... I'm not doing that anymore unless it's absolutely necessary.

Bought my own air compressor and brush cutter and these two items have paid for themselves over the years in savings.


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

mcalleyboy said:


> I like cheap and every time I need to call someone for help I use that as my learning experience and do it myself next time. Some family members will work for food or low pay for quick fixes and we have a cousin that does this for us all others will over charge or if you hire the real deal it will cost between 300-1000 peso's for one days work ughhh ... I'm not doing that anymore unless it's absolutely necessary.
> 
> Bought my own air compressor and brush cutter and these two items have paid for themselves over the years in savings.


I've also learned the hard way that you have to be careful who you hire, because the local handyman is willing to claim that he knows how to do anything, but maybe he's spent most of his time doing plumbing, but has never mixed cement before. That's why I always try to do things on my own, but that's just me.


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