Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My "little" project is snowballing but I guess it needs to be done.
I have some cracks in the ceiling along some drywall seems but they don't really concern me because of our climate. But what I am noticing I actually have to laugh and am wondering if this is normal or was this house really built by morons?
The seems longways, all have nails right near the seems on both pieces of drywall going into the joists. any cracks in those are not bad as the drywall is even and I can easily tape and patch it.
However most cracks on the short side of the drywall are there because the drywall is sagging down a bit. No problem as all I have to do is screw it back up to the joist. Correct? Wrong in this case as they kept the drywall at 8ft so wherever the edge came they butted up the next piece and continued on? So there may be 10 to 15 inches of unsupported drywall just hanging there as there is no place to attach it. That section then sags down making a cracks which are being a PITA.
Shouldn't the drywall be measured and cut to length to make sure the end could be nailed to a joist? Or perhaps an 8 ft sheet of drywall should have both ends lining up at the joists as it looks like the 16" centers allow for it to fit perfect so both ends can be nailed?
Or perhaps the joists (as I have noticed on some walls) are not all spaced evenly?
Weird and driving me crazy. This rancher was not built in the 1800's. It was built in 1995!
And also, along the short edge of a couple closets, a 2x4 is attached randomly, extending a few inches past the wall and mounted to a point lower then the joists that the drywall is attached to. Needless to say, the drywall in those spots cant butt up evenly as the 2x4 is stopping in. Again, pushing the drywall down, making even more ugly cracks. Dang near looks like the ceiling is coming down in a few corners. Really?
If the framers did their job right the drywall installation shouldn't be all that problematic. But, yes, the joints that parallel the joists should all be nailed into and supported by the joists.
as an aside -- I once saw a redo on a garage that had poorly installed ceiling sheetrock where the contractor just re-installed a second coat of drywall over the first installation.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the drywall was not properly installed! All drywall should be attached with the specific drywall screws and ceilings should be screwed every 8 inches at the two butt ends and 10-12 inches in the field. All fasteners should end up being in the center of the ceiling joist or framing member.
The tapered drywall edges run perpendicular to the ceiling joists when installing Sheetrock for a ceiling.
Drywall on the walls could be run horizontally or vertically depending on the length of the drywall, however all edges should line up on the center of wood and be properly fastened along all of the seams. If there’s not a sufficient amount of wood to fasten to, the drywall joint probably won’t hold thus explaining why you are getting cracking at the seams.
As an aside -- I once saw a redo on a garage that had poorly installed ceiling sheetrock where the contractor just re-installed a second coat of drywall over the first installation.
And that's why there's 1/4" drywall - to cover up ugly previously installed drywall.
LOL! That's what I thought. Whenever I do something on this house I tell my wife this place was constructed by morons. And this is not at all what I do. It's the first time doing things and some are surprisingly coming out alright. Some will require a bit more work.
But when I come across this kind of stuff, it seems pretty obvious it was not done right. You get what you pay for and that includes labor as well as supplies.
A good framer will hold back 3/4" when laying out....that allows sheet goods to end up in the center of the stud/joist.....
Sounds like your guys might not have been very good...?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
