How To Properly Putty Drywall Joints Without Cracking

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Work order
• Related materials
• The procedure for sealing drywall seams
• Stage I
• Stage II
• Stage III
• Cooking putty mixture
• Stage IV
• Stage V
• The final stage
• Conclusions:

The gypsum plasterboard is deservedly popular among finishing materials. It is not only quickly assembled, but also does not require a "wet" process, allows you to create structures and shapes of any complexity.

The only drawback that arises during installation is the sealing of drywall joints.

If the sealing of drywall seams is made with violations of technology, cracks appear at the joints over time. And the question arises, how to properly seal the seams in drywall, which tool and related materials to use.

Work order

Plastering of drywall seams is carried out on structures, partitions, walls already assembled from drywall sheets.

But without a properly selected tool and accompanying materials, quality work will not be possible.

Remember! It is recommended to putty the joints of gypsum plasterboards at a room temperature above + 10ºC and an air humidity of at least 60%.

For mixing the solution, it is better to use a container and in small volumes.

Remember! It is recommended to mix the putty mortar with a mixer at the lowest speed. At high speeds, a large amount of air enters the solution, which increases the porosity of the resulting solution, and therefore reduces its strength characteristics. When mixing by hand, the quality of the mixture is better, but the use of a power tool increases the efficiency and productivity of the work.

You can use any container to mix the solution, but it is best to use a plastic bucket or a special trough. The main thing is that the container is convenient to wash after using the mixture.

Filling of drywall joints is performed with spatulas of various widths. The minimum trowel width is 100 mm. For large areas, it is advisable to use a 350 mm wide trowel.

For cleaning the putty joints, it is recommended to use fine-grained emery paper and a sanding mesh. It is more convenient to use a sanding mesh, but its cost is much higher than sandpaper. You also need a construction knife.

Related materials

You need to stock up on a deep penetration primer, plasterboard filler, reinforced with tape.

We have pointed out more than once that you should not save on quality materials. The best auxiliary materials for sealing gypsum plasterboard joints are related products by Knauf, which has developed a technology for using plasterboard sheets.

For sealing drywall seams, we recommend a dry putty mixture Knauf-Uniflot, which is based on a gypsum binder with polymer additives or Fügenfüle.

There are other equally high-quality materials for joints, for example, a putty mixture for sealing joints: Knauf, Uniflot, Fugen, Volma. You just need to always remember that all auxiliary materials must be from the manufacturer whose drywall you bought.

You should not skimp on high-quality finishing materials. The proverb: "The miser pays twice" is true in full. Details on choosing the correct filler mortar for sealing joints in gypsum board.

The procedure for sealing drywall seams

Surface preparation for putty

Stage I

Work should begin with cleaning the surface of the docking stations.

Clean the slad of the solution with a wide spatula, remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner. Holding the trowel at a 30 ° angle, work your way through the joints of the sheets, removing any unevenness.

Screw in the protruding caps of the self-tapping screws, drowning them by 1 mm.

Remove dust from the surface with a damp cloth.

Plasterboard sheets have factory and cut edges. The factory edge does not require preparation, but the bevel must be removed from the cut edge at the ends.

Stage II

A special tool called an edge planer is used to chamfer a cut edge. It provides a bevel at the ends of the cut edge at an angle of 22.5º.

Do not try to chamfer with a construction knife.

The presence of a chamfer greatly facilitates the laying of a layer of putty, which increases the strength of the structure.

Stage III

The docking point must be primed. The primer is applied with a roller or a wide flute brush. The use of a roller improves the process of rubbing in the primer than using a brush for this purpose.

Allow time for the primer to dry completely. It is better if you start filling in a day.

Cooking putty mixture

And how to cover the seams of drywall?

A special putty mixture is prepared strictly according to the attached instructions, without various improvisations and deviations. For sealing the seams of plasterboard sheets, special mixtures are produced. They are available in gray or beige. The color does not affect the quality of the solution.

So what kind of putty to seal drywall joints?

It is preferable to use Knauf mixtures specially developed for this technology. We recommend using dry mixes Uniflot or Fügen Füler.

But there are other high quality analogs produced by various manufacturers.

The consistency of the solution should resemble the thickness of non-liquid sour cream.

Remember! You need to prepare as much solution as you can develop during the life of the solution, this is 20 minutes.

Stage IV

Using a spatula, the mixture is evenly applied to the seams, leveled with a wide spatula. At the same time, the caps of the screws are putty.

The layer of putty at the joints with the cut edge is thinner than the layer at the joints with the factory edge.

Stage V

While the putty is wet, a special reinforcing tape is applied to the seams and smoothed with a wide spatula. Gluing of the reinforcing tape increases the strength of the seam and prevents cracks from forming later.

It is recommended to use Kurt reinforcing paper tape or equivalent. The tape is highly durable and protects against cracking.

Reinforcing tape Kurt is highly breathable, does not stretch and easily absorbs moisture. After drying, the tape does not bubble, does not cause cracks.

We recommend Kurt tape analogs. It is not recommended to use paper tape when sealing drywall seams. The paper tape does not allow air to pass through, does not absorb moisture. After drying, the paper tape bubbles up, lifting the filler layer.

Well, the self-adhesive mesh tape, so beloved by Russian painters, is completely useless. It stretches easily and is not strong.

At the finish line, the drywall seams are finished with a putty.

The final stage

After drying, the joint seam is smoothed with a spatula, if necessary, smoothed with sandpaper. The entire surface is covered with a layer of soil.

You have noticed that sealing drywall seams with your own hands is not difficult and can be done independently at home even by a novice master.

But in order to answer the question of how to patch up the joints between drywall, it is recommended to watch a training video.

Video:

Conclusions:

• to obtain a high-quality docking unit of drywall sheets, the abutting edges must have chamfers, factory or using a planer;
• the chamfers must be smeared with deep permeability soil;
• it is recommended to use Kurt reinforcing paper tape or its analogues as reinforcement;
• as a putty, it is recommended to use special mixtures for sealing gypsum plasterboard joints.

A video on sealing joints in drywall will help you understand the intricacies of the work.

Video: