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How to
Fix a Cracked Drywall Seam
How
to Repair Cracked Drywall Seams like the Pros
By Mark J. Donovan
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Cracked drywall seams are a common
problem in both old and new homes. Fortunately fixing a cracked drywall seam is
easy to do. Drywall seams can crack for a number of reasons. They can occur
because of a settling foundation. Or, if you live in a region where there are
extreme temperatures changes throughout the year, expansion and contraction of
the house framing can cause cracked drywall seams. They can also form if the
drywall taping and mudding was done improperly or if there were insufficient
drywall screws or nails used when installing the drywall panels.
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Regardless of the reason it is fairly
easy to repair a cracked drywall seam.
To fix a cracked drywall seam use a utility knife to score a line over each end
of the drywall tape in the affected area. Make sure the lines extend just beyond
the cracked drywall seam. Then use your utility knife to lift up and remove the
old drywall tape.
Cut a length of new drywall tape to replace the old drywall tape you just
removed.
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Using a drywall taping knife, apply
all purpose joint compound (mud) over the cracked drywall seam area.
Next, again using your drywall taping knife, imbed the new piece of drywall tape
into the joint compound so that you cover the seam. Use your drywall taping
knife to fully work the tape into the joint compound, however be careful to not
press all of the joint compound out from behind the tape. Otherwise the drywall
tape will peel off of the seam in short order.
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Apply a thin coat of joint compound over the drywall tape
and then let the seam dry. You do not have to be perfect at this point, as
you will be sanding the seam and applying additional skim coats of joint
compound later on.
After applying the first coat of mud, you’ve completed the first stage in
fixing a cracked drywall seam.
After the seam has dried, use sand paper or a drywall screen and lightly
sand over the edges and surface of the repaired drywall seam. Basically you
want to remove any high ridges on the seam. |
 Photo By Mark Donovan |
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Next, apply another coat of mud over
the drywall taped seam, however this time flare it out a few inches on either
side of the seam. You want to begin blending in the repaired drywall seam into
the surrounding wall area. Again, let this second coat of mud dry.
After the second coat of mud has dried, again lightly sand over the edges and
any ridges, and then apply one final coat of mud. Again, this time spread the
seam out another couple of inches wider. Let this coat fully dry and then
lightly sand one last time.
For the final stage of fixing a cracked drywall seam apply a primer and then
paint over the seam.
How to Repair a Large Drywall Hole Ebook
- If you have a large hole in your drywall and need to repair it,
you can
either call in a drywall contractor and pay an arm and a leg, or you can fix
it yourself. The "How
to Repair a Large Drywall Hole Ebook" will show you how to
repair your damaged wall so that it looks as good as new.
See HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Drywall Calculator
For more help on new home construction, see
HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
Home Construction Contractor Bid Sheets.
Home
Construction Contractor Bid Sheets
will
help ensure that you find and hire the right home building contractor
for your next home improvement, remodeling, or building project. In addition,
they will help to ensure that your home improvement project is completed on time and on budget.
Additional Drywall Resources from Amazon.com
Tools for Repairing Cracked Drywall Tape From Amazon.com
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