On Sunday, January 6, 2013 6:37:00 AM UTC-8, Robert Macy wrote:
how to repaire [and prevent future cracking] WITHOUT adding a big LUMP

to the seam?



The wall run is around 60 feet and 10 feet tall. the junction right in

the middle is wanting to crack. Trying to keep from forming lumps on

the wall, I cut down, used paper tape with a layer of mud under and a

layer on top. [Many may remember the problems I had posted earlier. I

tried to wet the tape first thinking of wall paper and how that

shrinks to fit, but wetting CAUSED the paper to 'slide' as it dried

and thus a crack, so in response I took all that out and did it again

with dry paper tape, which did work better. Only had the tiniest of

hairline crack form all summer long only about four feet of run on the

wall only.]



Well this winter as we isolated that section of the house - meaning

cooler temperatures and probably contracting drywall sheets, the

crack(s) opened up with a vengence! I mean over 3 mil separation!, but

worse the crack is the full floor to ceiling AND even now goes up

along a ceiling section which I never had trouble with before. I

suspect in the heat of the summer the crack will close back up, too.



Yes, I know houses change shape with time, but this seems too much to

be caused by 'settling'. My conjecture is is that this is more caused

by 'flexing'. Oh yeah, the seams are ON a stud(s), so there should be

no reason for movement there.



So, my question is

How do you repair/prevent cracking at drywall seams WITHOUT creating a

huge lump on the surface? I already have built up 1/8 inch thick to ++

on these stupid seams.

I don’t know if this relates to your problem but I’ve been inside thousands of houses and all the ones I’ve seen that were over a slope or hill have constant movement going on all the time; some very little and others a lot but all were sliding.