Tips On Technique And Fixing Cracks In Wall

72chevy4x4

When working on fixing imperfections in the drywall of a 5-6 year old house-the cracks that develop due to settling- do you have any tips? I'm fixing the seam at a half-wall/ceiling, and while using my 10" knife, I'm apparently not using even pressure, since it's not 'buttery' smooth after application. Can anyone help with this? Anther problem I've run into is trying to apply a 1/8" layer of compound on the ceiling to hide a highspot in the drywall-while using a plaster trowel, I can't seem to get a nice flat smooth surface. Do you have any tips?
thank you.

Frankawitz

it sounds like you just need to keep practising with the trowel, you might try wetting your trowel when you use it, I tend to use a sweeping movement when doing ceiling work, I also use a 18" knife. I'll try and post some pictures in the gallery of the ceiling I'm working on now.

AtlanticWBConst

One of the things to keep in mind is that when you are dealing with a crack or a 'butt-joint' (no factory indent) ...
You have to coat it WIDE. That helps you build up the layer of compound to cover it without having a noticable 'mound' there.

We usually end up with a good 20" wide cover on Butt-joints. Depending on the crack...it may be even wider than 20" ....

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boman47k

Might try going a little way away from the high spot to build up some first. let that dry/set. then fill in the low spot from the new build up to the high spot. Kind of like making your own factory indent.Try pulling trowel with a more acute ( flatter plane ) angle when laying the mud, more obtuse when taking excess mud off. Try same with the butt joint after bedding the tape. I sometimes like to put a little Dawn detergent in my pan and work it in good. Not much! I like it to work it til it gets a slight shine to it then apply. May not apply to you, but I never just scoop premix out and apply it to the wall/ceiling.

P.S. I sometimes also run my paper through water if I may be putting on a thinner than normal layer of mud such as I might lay on a butt joint for bedding the paper. Don't want dry paper drawing moisture from the thin mud before I put the final finish layer on.

boman47k

I think I was try a 12" for the buildup and flex it so that the corner of the knife farther away from the high point is flat on the ceiling, the other in the direction you are trying to build up toward the high spot just a little off the wall. Of course if it teepeed a long way it is going to be tough to be much with.
You may have more experience with drywall than me, but this has worked pretty good for me in the past.

Disclamer: not a drywaller, but have done some finishing with premix

72chevy4x4

Thank you for the feedback guys. I'll keep practicing...

is there a recommended depth ofcompound for covering a crack?

AtlanticWBConst

1st coat is like a 'thick scratch' coat (about 1/8"). Put that one on thick and wide. That coat is all about covering the seam or crack.....

When it dries, scrape down any rough edges that you can. Then the next 2 coats are all about spreading it out and making it blend in...

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Frankawitz

Chevy I posted two pictures of a ceiling I'm working on and maybe it will help you I don't know but good luck. The other thing when is it that you can place an ad in the photo gallery. I thought you had to pay to advertise on this site.

1KingOfDrywall

I always suggest packing the cracks with a 5 minute duabond compound. Than apply 1 toght bed/skim coat in 1 appliation with some 20 minute durabond.
Right before the product sets up, continue pulling it or "working it" laying your knife down. (Standing up your knife wil pull the mud off. )
(If you are going over paint a regular plus 3 or midweight will take forever to dry). Continue "working"the durabond until the finish is like glass. When it dries, there will be very little sanding if any.
As far as high and low points. Kinds hard to explain......you just gotta have the touch I guess...lol
Good Luck. Hope it all works out.
-Rich

AtlanticWBConst

Isn't that what it is really all about?

People sometimes don't understand that it's a skill that takes years and years to really acquire the 'touch' for - So that when you do it, it's 2nd nature....and you 'just-know' how much to put on, how much to take off, just the right angle of the wrist, just the right pressure....and you are barely even think about it.....and it comes out 'glass-smooth' every time...

We have had guys looking for work. I have aksed them how long they have been 'taping'? They might say 3 years (and they think that's alot) ...Both my biz. partner and I think to ourselves.. (3 years? ...you're still babies, and at the learning phase...)

I am glad and grateful for the oppurtunity that I was able to start out in 'taping/drywall'... as a young kid....rather than trying to acquire it later on (after learning carpentry and GC-ing)...it's a skill that has proven to be so usefull in every aspect of the field.....

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1KingOfDrywall

One of my favorite lines customers use on me is......" well, I was thinking about doing it myself, but I'm kinda busy"....or the "yeah when I was in college I used to do odd jobs like this for a little extra cash"......one time a customer called me for their free estimate, and upon quoting he said "are all you damn drywallers working together or what? you're all priced the same"....so he said he had a relative "in the business". 3 weeks later his wife calls me out and says they will pay me more $$ to get it done. When I show up IT's A DISASTER....the guy starts hollaring about the scammers that did it, and how horrible they were. Well when I started the job& his younger son was around watching me, and I was making small talk with his kid, and I said...."son, did you talk this much to the last drywallers that were here?"....he gave me a puzzled look and said "no, my daddy and his buddy did this"......HAHA. I guess you had to be there......Kids say the Damnest Things.....lol

AtlanticWBConst

Home Owner 'Chip on the Shoulder' .... "PRIDE" ....

...They 'shoot themselves in the foot'... with 'it' everytime......

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jmthouston

Myron R. Ferguson's Drywall :Professional Techniques for Great Results

buy the book I've just added to my multipling library

I bought mine in hd