23
Finally figured out why my butt joints kept cracking
For years I had this one spot in my garage that would crack every winter, no matter how careful I was. My buddy Rick came over last week to help me move a fridge and just pointed at it, saying 'Your tape's too tight, man. You're pulling it like a guitar string.' I always thought tighter was better for a smooth finish. He showed me how to lay it with just enough tension to stick, then leave it alone. I redid a small section his way, and after a week with the heat on, it's still perfect. Anyone else have a simple fix they learned way later than they should have?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
kim19117d ago
That makes so much sense. Read something similar in an old woodworking magazine about letting materials move. They said a joint sealed too tight has no room to breathe when the wood or drywall shifts with the seasons. It's like you're setting up a tiny fault line. Your buddy Rick is spot on. A little slack in the tape lets the whole thing flex as a unit instead of fighting itself.
6
spencer36217d ago
My old foreman used to say you should have just enough mud under the tape to float it, like it's on a little cushion. He called it the "credit card rule" - if you can slide a credit card under the tape before you bed it, you're golden. That tiny gap lets everything move without stressing the joint.
6