On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 23:03:25 GMT, xyz wrote:

Thanks for your responses above, which may seem trivial or obvious
to you but really help me alot.

BTW, the cracks were caused by the Loma Prieta earthquake
in the Bay Area. I didn't bother fixing until now because I'm
preparing to sell.

I agree with Kyle. But don't skip the tape in the repair. I'd call
it a dirty trick to do so! On my very first repair (pre-10/15/89!),
not knowing any better, I just filled the crack with joint compound.
Within a very short time a hairline crack came through the paint.
Later repairs (for various smaller quakes) which I taped held up fine.

Gee, and here I thought I was the last one around to finally finish up
the drywall repairs after that quake! In my house (15 mi. from the
epicenter) there were cracks opened from every corner of every window
and door frame, diagonally to the ceiling and floor. Plus lots of
other damage, too. Curiously, relatively little corner damage like
that which you've sustained.

But like you, I never completed the repairs until I finally sold the
house two years ago.

Good luck with your sale--my house sold for 14x what I'd paid, 30
years before!

--John W. Wells