What Causes Cracks In Drywall Seams

Cracks that appear at the side of drywall joint tape used when mudding the joints between two pieces of drywall are often the result of two little joint compound being applied when taping and mudding the joints.

What causes cracks in drywall seams.

Most drywall cracks occur on the seams where two pieces of drywall meet. The back to front dimension is 30 which means there are over 7 sheets of drywall. This occurs because there is a joint which gets drywall taped and then layered with two or three coats of drywall mud. Straight cracks at taping joints.

Illustrations show where cracks are most likely to appear explain why and suggest both repair approaches to drywall cracks and how to prevent cracking in plasterboard or gypsum board. Drywall cracks in ceilings or walls. Some drywall mud products are intended only for second or third coats. I installed the drywall in 2007 and the crack first appeared about 4 years ago.

When a crack appears it is usually on a seam where two drywall sheets meet and it is easily fixed. Cracks in the ceiling can be cosmetic or indicative of a serious structural problem. One reason drywall cracks is because the wrong type of drywall mud was used when taping the seams. Additionally drywall cracks are often found where two pieces of drywall are butted together.

These joint areas are weaker than in the center or field area of the drywall therefore some cracks may occur at these joints. Wall cracks are fairly common in both new and older homes and are often the result of normal house settling that can quickly inexpensively be remedied by re taping the joints the seams. The long edge is 19 long. Here s how to determine the cause of your ceiling cracks and fix them.

Causes of drywall cracks. The mud fills in the seam and the tape covers it up. Most drywall cracks occur on the seams where two pieces of drywall meet. Temperature fluctuations can cause the drywall to expand and contract creating stress that cracks the seams.

Usually the seams are invisible due to the use of drywall mud and tape. Some drywall mud has more adhering ability and should be used when taping drywall whereas other types of drywall mud should only be used in finishing. If the crack is on a vertical or horizontal seam carefully widen the crack with the corner of a paint scraper utility knife or chisel to determine if the crack extends completely through the paper that is covering the seam image 1. This article describes the common causes of all types of cracks that appear in drywall or gypsum board or plasterboard walls ceilings in building interiors.