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Thread: vaguely woodworking - wallboard repair

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Milwaukee
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    907

    vaguely woodworking - wallboard repair

    Part of the mission assigned to me by SWMBO is to repair a crack in some wallboard in my living room. This crack happens to be on the ceiling and appears to be at the joint between sheets of drywall.

    My house was built in 1941 and it appears that it happened at the change from plaster/lathe to wallboard. There's a good 3/8 to 1/2 inch coat of coarse plaster on top of drywall.

    But to my question - I'm going to use fiberglass tape over the crack. But it's the plaster I'll use. Patching plaster seems coarse, would using plaster of paris be a better idea? Plaster of paris is very smooth, it seems like a good thing for a repair like this.

    What say you?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Vero Beach FL
    Posts
    594
    John

    You're right to use the fiberglass tape. I've used joint compound in instances like this in the past.

    But then I was introduced to an autobody repair compound call HalfTime. I found it at a store that sold materials to the local auto repair/finishing shops -- I don't know if the AutoZone type stores will carry it.

    I made some tall cabinets that used MDF for the sides (they were 12' tall in some instances) where I had to but the MDF together. A local professional cabinet maker suggested this stuff to hid the seams where I had to butt the panels together.

    It worked great, it kicked in about 10 min and was hard to sand in 30min.) A year and a half later (and three hurricanes beating up the house) and none of the joints have opened up.

    Jay

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Grand Marais, MN. A transplant from Minneapolis
    Posts
    5,513
    Plaster of paris produces a fine fininsh buttttttt, plane old taping compound is very easy to to work with both wet and dry.
    TJH
    Live Like You Mean It.



    http://www.northhouse.org/

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Milwaukee
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    907
    taping compound - is this the same stuff I see others call drywall compound? Also, is it sold in small quantities? I don't want to have to buy a 5 gallon bucket for one little crack. Well, it's probably about 10 feet long, but still, that'd be a lot of compound.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Benton Falls, Maine
    Posts
    5,480
    Same stuff. Also called joint compound, mud, and "I hate this stuff".

    And it's what I'd use here. Will stick to anything whereas plaster (paris or otherwise) won't.

    Suggest you gouge out the crack a bit wider to expose fresh surfaces and them schlop the stuff in there. Plan on mutliple coatings/layers/schloppings.
    Only the Blue Roads

  6. #6
    john, go to you`re local drywall supplier (not the box stores) and ask for a product called durabond, it comes in 15-30-90 min. formulas that can be accelerated with warm water. this stuff won`t shrink or come loose without pulling down the surrounding surfaces......02 tod

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    1,050
    The big box stores in my area carry durabond. John if you have a Menard's close by they carry it. I'll warn you better clean all your tools really good when your done because it dosn't come off easily. But it's the best way to fix recuring cracks.
    Last edited by Russ Massery; 01-20-2006 at 5:03 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Milwaukee
    Posts
    907
    Got it - durabond is the preferred product. Otherwise drywall compound.

    Good note that plaster doesn't adhere to somethings. That'd be a big disappointment to have to do this over. I don't like doing things over, and SWMBO won't like messing the living room anymore than necessary.

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