Hey all you drywall gurus out there....

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
For mobile home parts, click here.

Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD

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oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

All right all you drywall gurus I need ta pick yer brains. I've already asked 2 local contractors and got 2 answers so help me out. Now ya'll remember a few years back I drywalled this whole 12X65 trailer right? And due to condensation in the attic I hadda bunch'a cracks in the ceiling drywall...right? Well, I fixed that problem...ohhhh...a coupl'a years ago and now I figger the drywall has settled enough that some repairs fer them ++++ cracks is due. I don't know how long it'll last on account of these homes expand and contract so much but I'm gonn'a take a stab at it. Anyways, along with the cracks there's some discoloration and some of the paper is a bit loose....right at the crack. Now mind ya I ain't sayin' the ceiling is falling in...just a coupl'a areas where the edges came loose right at the crack. The cracks being...of course..right on the joints. One contractor says take a knife and trim away the loose paper before doing any mud work. Another says trimming away the paper will make it worse...the joint compound won't stick to the exposed gypsum. So, what's the general opinion here? I figger trim it, tape it and re-mud it. And just for giggles I'm going "old school" this time and trying the paper joint tape. Yup...I know..thin layer of mud...tape..thin layer of mud and let it dry. Then spread 5 gal. of joint compound on it! :) I jest...I jest! Thanks! Audie!!
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

If it is a textured ceiling and they are just cracks, try some paintable caulk. It will allow for some flex without cracking, PLUS NO SANDING!!

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Greg wrote:If it is a textured ceiling and they are just cracks, try some paintable caulk. It will allow for some flex without cracking, PLUS NO SANDING!!

Greg
Thanks for the quick reply Greg but not a textured ceiling...just flat drywall. I thought about putting some paintable caulk in the cracks before re-taping and muddin' but I'm afraid the mud won't stick to the caulk. Hmmmm...mebbe caulk and paint with no tape&mud? Still have the loose paper to deal with. Keep em coming! :) Audie...the puzzled Oldfart..
HouseMedic
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:14 am
Location: Delaware
Contact:

When you put up the drywall did you screw or nail it? If screws did you put the screws on the edges of the sheet at 8" intervals? If nails then on ceilings you are suppose to double nail it every 8". Also I would use the tape that Lowes now carries that is a mesh type that is reel thin. Do not get the thick type mesh tape, that is harder to cover. The only reason that you should be getting cracks is movement and if the drywall is firmly attached it should not crack. If after you repair and the crack comes back, They used to make a spay on paint like stuff that was red and you cover the crack with it just like you are painting (it's like a rubber membrane)and then you prime and paint over the spayed area.

Ron
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Thanks for the reply Housemedic! Now as far as how I fastened the drywall up. Everywhere there is a seam/joint on the drywall I sistered a 2X4 layed flat. So it's attached to a 3 1/2in. wide surface...not the usual 1 1/2in. edge like normal. I glued AND screwed it in place every 6 to 8 inches. I used the mesh tape and that stuff is a p.i.t.a to cover like you said. A lot of the cracks you'd have to put yer nose to the drywall to see but some (in the area where condensation in the attic caused a problem) are quite noticable. The condensation problem has been fixed. I don't doubt the problem is movement. The expansion & contraction in these homes is incredible! It seems everything has settled now, the cracks have stopped and no new ones. I did the work a few years back so I'm hoping this will not happen again after the fix. Again, thanks for the tip on the spray. Any idea of the name or manufacturer? Audie...the Oldfart. :)
HouseMedic
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:14 am
Location: Delaware
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Hi Audie,
I searched for it and found the spray. It is made by Goof Off and is called "Good Bye Cracks" Suppose to be available in Lowe's and other big box stores.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_215414-78-FG695 ... Id=3218927

The patch that I used it on about five years ago has not come back and it is on plaster walls and after fixing the cracks they came back three times before using this product.

Ron
Mark440
Posts: 279
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:33 am
Location: Anna, Tx

Ah! The perils of drywall!

Paper tape bubbles up when there isn't enough mud behind it when it is/was put down and/or the mud was too dry. The only way to patch it without removing the whole strip is to cut out the bubble. Bear in mind, the tape is doing nothing but providing a surface to hide the gap between the sheets of drywall. It provides a miniscule amount of "strength" to the structure - basically none at all.

The flexible product being mentioned might well work. But! Consider that a whole bunch of mobile home ceilings and walls have trim pieces - OVER DRYWALL SEAMS. Of course there is the initial transport that shakes the living daylights out of the home - and then there is "Mother Nature" and her friend "Gravity". Heat, cold, humidity, and gravity that take over once the wheels stop turning. :)
Opportunity has a shelf life.
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