Addressing gaps between drywall sheets, hanging edges, and tight joints
Undertaking your own drywall installation can save you money, expedite your remodeling project, and provide you with greater control over the process. Skilled drywall installers can be hard to come by, and their labor costs can be surprisingly high. While drywall work can be a DIY job, it often requires more artistry than craftsmanship. This helpful guide can help you avoid or rectify common drywall issues and pitfalls.
Gaps Between Drywall Sheets
Dealing with gaps between drywall sheets is a common challenge. Most gaps can be effectively addressed by taping and mudding as usual. However, when gaps reach up to 1/2-inch in width, they become more significant. Since standard paper drywall tape is only 2 inches wide, such a gap accounts for a quarter of the tape’s width.
Gaps that are taped over but contain voids behind them lack the necessary structural strength and are prone to issues such as bubbling, warping, and vulnerability to punctures.
How to Rectify Gaps Between Drywall Sheets
Whenever possible, try to close the gap by shifting the drywall sheets closer together. This approach works best when the gap is between the wall and the ceiling. For the wall-to-floor junction, you can tolerate a slightly larger gap, as it will be concealed by baseboards.
If shifting the drywall is not an option, professionals recommend using drywall compound to fill gaps up to 1/2-inch wide. To do this, scoop drywall compound from a hawk or pan using a 12-inch drywall knife. Hold the knife horizontally to push the compound into the gap. Continue working along the gap until it’s completely filled, then proceed to mud and tape over it as usual.
Drywall is Hanging Off of a Stud
Ensuring that all edges of drywall sheets are properly secured to a solid surface, such as a stud, is essential. While a hanging drywall edge may seem stable temporarily, it can lead to long-term issues, including cracks and structural problems. In some cases, drywall may not reach a stud horizontally or vertically.
How to Fix Hanging Drywall Edges
If a sheet of drywall extends a few inches beyond a stud, it should be vertically cut so that it aligns with the stud’s center point.
If the drywall falls an inch short of reaching a stud, you can sister a second stud next to the first one to provide an attachment point for the drywall.
If the drywall does not vertically reach a solid section, you can cut a short piece of two-by-four to match the width of the stud bay and nail it horizontally on each side to fit within the bay.
Drywall Paper is Oversanded
Many DIY drywallers tend to sand drywall joints and mud compound vigorously in pursuit of a perfectly smooth surface. However, excessive sanding can lead to unintentional damage to the paper or fiberglass tape covering the seams or even the surrounding drywall surface. This can compromise the integrity of the installation, often necessitating retaping of the seams.
How to Correct Oversanded Drywall
Inspect the sanding progress by positioning a light at a low angle against the wall. This will highlight any unevenness or excess sanding. If the drywall appears fuzzy or oversanded, apply a thin skim coat of drywall compound using a broad drywall knife.
Drywall Screws Are Driven Too Far
Driving screws or nails too deeply so that they break through the paper surface of the wallboard can be a more significant issue than it might seem. Once the paper face is pierced, much of the screw or nail’s holding power is lost.
How to Resolve Deep Drywall Screws
Ensure that the screw head is driven precisely flush with the paper cover’s surface. Give it a slight quarter or half-turn to set it just below the surface.
Special drill attachments are available to regulate the screw’s depth. If using a screwgun, it often includes a clutch for adjusting the drive depth. If the paper is accidentally punctured, it’s usually best to drive another screw near the affected area rather than attempting to remove the damaged screw.
Misaligned Holes for Electrical Boxes
Cutting a hole in drywall and aligning it perfectly with an already installed electrical receptacle can be a challenge for DIYers. Professionals excel at making accurate measurements, but for those tackling it themselves, it can be a bit tricky.
How to Fix Misaligned Holes for Electrical Boxes
There are several approaches to address this issue. One simple solution is to apply lipstick to the edge of the receptacle, press the drywall sheet against it, and then cut along the lipstick mark. While not ideal, this method can work if no other options are available.
Another approach involves running the electrical cables first, twisting the ends together, and marking the receptacle’s location with painter’s tape on the floor. After installing the drywall, cut the hole only once it’s in place. This method requires using retrofit (old work) electrical boxes rather than those attaching directly to studs.
The most precise method involves purchasing a specialized tool called a Blindmark. A magnetic insert is placed in the receptacle, and drywall is installed. Using another magnetic piece, the same size as a receptacle face, you locate the insert, draw an outline around it with a pencil, and cut along the outline to create perfectly aligned holes.
Drywall Joints are Too Tight
While close drywall joints are desirable, they should not be so tight that they cause problems. Sheets of drywall that fit tightly side by side can risk breaking and are less capable of accommodating the expansion and contraction of the underlying framing members. Natural seasonal changes in wood framing can lead to cracked joints that are too tight.
How to Address Tight Drywall Joints
Unfortunately, there is no retrospective fix for excessively tight joints. During installation, be diligent about maintaining a 1/8-inch space between sheets by using a guide. The thickness of a drywall square’s blade is about 1/8-inch and serves as an effective spacer. Alternatively, thin strips of wood can be used as guides to ensure the appropriate gap.
Tip
An affordable tool called a drywall rasp can be used to square up cut edges or remove excess material, enabling the sheet to fit more accurately.
Failed Drywall Joints
In an ideal scenario, all joints between drywall panels would be positioned over framing members, allowing for secure screwing along the top, bottom, and both sides of the joints. However, this is not always feasible, and when seams between panels fall over the open space, known as a hanging joint, joint failure is likely.
The temptation may be to hastily apply tape and mud over these joints in hopes of a quick fix. But this makeshift solution often falls short. Over time, such joints are likely to fail and result in visible cracks.
How to Remedy Failed Drywall Joints
Avoid hanging joints wherever possible. The longer the hanging joint, the more prone it is to failure.
For situations involving very tall walls, consider covering the wall with long panels installed horizontally. This ensures that the hanging joints are supported by studs every 16 inches. Any hanging joint spanning more than 16 inches is at risk of failure, so an alternative option is to nail an additional stud or sleeper blocking to provide a surface for securing the joint.
tag: # Solutions to Common Drywall Problems
