On Jan 8, 12:23*pm, Robert Macy wrote:
On Jan 6, 11:15*am, DanG wrote:





On 1/6/2013 8:37 AM, 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.

It sure seems like a lot of your posts indicate *pretty marginal
understanding of construction.

No one would expect a 60' wall to not have any relief.

Here is a link to the USG Gypsum Construction Hand Book - pretty much a
bible for the drywall, plaster, and acoustic trades.http://www.usg.com/resource-center/g...handbook.html#

Your current question is covered in Chapter 15 -Building Sciences. *The
bottom line is that drywall should never exceed 30' without some type of
relief. *Your best solution would be to install one or more expansion
joints in the wall. *I prefer using Trim Tex parts, here is a link
showing you how they should be installed:http://www.trim-tex.com/installation-sheets.html
Go down to the one entitled Hide away expansion bead

This will be a nasty remodel to get the extra stud installed in the
wall, but will be the best long term solution. *I suspect that you have
a wall or something on the opposite side of the crack that is pushing or
pulling the wall at this point. and may even involve interior and
exterior conditions. *If it is fracturing the tape joint at the ceiling
and mid wall, there is plenty of movement going on.

One stop gap approach that may last longer than what you've been doing
would be to remove all tape and mudding and replace with thermal setting
type compound and mesh tape.

Hope this helps you some.

--

___________________________________

Keep the whole world singing . . .
Dan G
remove the seven

THANK YOU!!!

Wealth of information there. *Took a few days to get downloaded, [dial
up] but worthwhile.

The expansion joint from Trim-Tex is very interesting. *I actually
have the 'extra' stud inside the wall, so using it should be easy.

Any ideas on how to download Chapter 1? kept getting an error on that
one.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Any ideas on how you finish that product? It's totally unclear from
the datasheet. What are you looking at on the wall