Cracking in Wall

[jamesgeiger]

Hello Friends!

Everything was fine at my house for a while but the entryway between my back room and kitchen is having some issues. I noticed it was cracking pretty bad, but the wood underneath looks fine. It seems to be some type of extremely thin dry wall or something and I can cut it with a utility knife.

Do you know what it is - is it drywall? It's very thin - like a quarter inch if not thinner. Can it be fixed or should I cut it all away and just paint the wood underneath?

[A. Spruce]

Best case scenario is that this is old paneling that can be removed, then repair or replace the drywall under it. Worst case scenario is that this is a shear wall or engineered support that is clad in plywood, if this is the case, then all you can do is either float the damaged area with drywall compound or overlay it with new drywall.

[jamesgeiger]

How do I know if it is a shear wall or engineer support?

[A. Spruce]

Here is what I'm seeing

1 - What is this thickness, and does it sit on top of the wall or does the mating wall surface butt into it?

2 - This looks like paneling to me, which means it is a topical application, not structural.

3 - Is this drywall or plaster?
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wall1.jpeg (143.07 KiB) Viewed 309 times

[A. Spruce]

Also, this is inside of a door jamb, so it's less likely to be a necessary function of the wall and can be removed. Some minor exploratory surgery will tell you more.

[jamesgeiger]

I removed all of it and just painted the wood! It looks even better lol

[A. Spruce]

How about a pic or two?

[NewStyle]

I see that you have already made decisions and finished your project but in case someone else has a similar situation and is looking for more insight...To me the material that is falling off looks like plaster. It is definitely not drywall unless it has a brown paper like backing on it (at my previous job I sold building materials and I've never seen drywall this thin). With this being the doorway unless there is something else behind this wood it is more than likely structural and shouldn't be removed. If it is real wood and not paneling (it's hard to tell from a picture which it is) it can easily be painted when you get all the "plaster" off. You will want to use a quality primer such as Kilz or Zinsser before you paint, this will seal off the wood grain from bleeding back through your paint. Then you can apply 1-2 coats of paint. On the other hand if it is determined that this is paneling it will be harder to paint and get a lasting finish. A lot of times painted paneling tends to peel if not done correctly. Paneling has to be lightly sanded before the primer so there is a slightly rougher surface to adhere to.