Drywall Scratches - Level 5 Smoothwall

HUNG BY FOOT

We are working on a small commercial job in the Las Vegas area. My laborers were not thinking and cut some insulation on some drywall that was hung. The result was a scar caused by a razor knife blade that cut through the top layer of paper covering the drywall, but not much deeper than that. You can feel the scar as you run your finger across.

This job is supposedly going to have a level 5 drywall finish. The contractor is claiming all the drywall that has scars is too damaged for the level 5 application and all the damaged boards need to be replaced - at my expense. The drywall contractor on the job is backing the claim of the contractor. Ironically the drywall contractor referred us to the general contractor and that is why we are on the job in the first place.

I have spoken to 3 different friends who own or run drywall and paint companies. They all tell me that the knife scars are not a problem - - especially because the level 5 process requires a "skim coat of joint compound, or material manufactured especially for this purpose...applied to the entire surface."

I don't want to have a problem down the road after mud and paint have been applied and cost even more money. Can any of you drywall experts please help me know how firm to stand on this issue? PLEASE HELP!

Brocktologist

Sounds like you need to replace the drywall to me. Some DUMBASS insulators come and cut up my hung drywall for a level 5 finish are going to replace it at their cost. Sure they have to skim it but you put cut's into the paper that will have to be fixed, taped, floated, sanded, touched up and skimmed out. Just tell them you talked to some fella's on the intronut and they said just to have them charge you T&M to fix without replacing. It'll be much cheaper that way.GFR!

HUNG BY FOOT

They are my crews and it is my insulation company. Careful who you call Dumbass. You never know when someone will sneak up on you.

The drywall does not need to be taped, floated, etc.

Mike Finley

Say what?

I'll kick a hole in that drywall the size of the ego of that GC and still fix the hole and finish it to a level 5 finish without replacing the drywall. (if the sheet rock is regular drywall)

Now if they are using one of those newer types of drywall that come pre-skim coated and use a matched mud to create level 5 finishes quickly then it's a different story.

Find out what the sheet rock is.

HUNG BY FOOT

Mike - Thanks for the reply. It is standard drywall.

Brocktologist

Many times when the drywall installers put cut's into the paper and then we come along and try a shortcut by pushing in the cut line with the back of our knives and fill the groove we also fracture the rock causing it to "bubble" as it dries. It suck's and we feel your pain but it was your guy's who made this mess.
Question, why did they use the wall's to cut the insulation? Were the floors that dirty and crowded that they just had to use the wall's? And don't tell me you did not call them dumbasses for doing something so fricken stupid.

Kiwiman

You'll need to tape and coat the cuts and skim the lot, no need to replace the drywall unless it's so bad it looks like a london street map, at the end of the day if it comes out to level 5 standard then it's up to you how you get it there....Lock the doors so the whinging B#stards don't see how you fix it.

__________________
How much mud could a mud chucker chuck if a mud chucker could chuck mud.

Mellison

Replace the drywall?
Absolutely not. Finish the wall the same way as if another tradesman nicked the wall with a tool cart, tool box, or material delivery, or was damaged by a stray bullet, meteorite, or cannon ball. The request to replace the drywall is silly and completely counter intuitive.
Mike

Adam in BC

If the paper is cut through you need to tape it,
brock is bang on the money there.

did your boys cut there insul on the stacks of drywall before it was hung?

if so why the hell did they hang it?

in the past I have made the insulater come pay for the damaged board and take it to the dump themselves ! (dump fees here are enourmous)
that insulater never did that again.

if your guys cut there bats on board that was on the walls, well then, they are indeed dumbasses, although i cant see why they would be insulating a drywalled project.

Muddauber

How many cuts? 2, 20, 200?
Each cut will need to be taped & split coated just like a butt joint if you want to salvage the board.
We could be talking a lot of additional labor here that you should be backcharged for.

mexican insulators I assume?

Halo

I'm in the middle of a level 5 finish job right now. Anyone working in my environment is made aware of the job scope up front. On my job the affected product would be fixed by the appropiate sub and back charged, period. I would not expect it any other way even if the shoe was on the other foot.

It is certainly correct that knife cuts can be correctly fixed with tape, but that is not the point. I would have a problem with knife cuts on the subflooring as well. Where's the pride grab some plywood or a scrap stud.

4x 20 ga.

or maybee make fire them

Brocktologist

....................

kaitlin

Usually in the level 5 final coat when coating by hand yu are making things that much flatter. wouldn't spraying the final coat just be like painting it, but filling in imperfections a little? It also seems like if you had a scratch in a wall it would fill the scratch, but there would also be more material on the rest of the wall, so then the scratch would ultimately not be filled.....Right?

__________________
Builders Streatham

Brocktologist

I can get a flatter surface using my tools but I'm sure a good hand finisher can do it just as well by hand.

Spraying your skim coat is just a much faster method than doing it by hand. It's purpose has more to do with having a solid mudd surface for the prime and paint coat than it is to fill the imperfections.

bwalley

It is not up to the guru's on the internet how this is handled, it is up to the GC, he is the one running the job and is the one who is responsible for getting the job done correctly.

There is more than one way to skin a cat, this GC and his drywall sub have told you how they want it skinned.