We built a house for a client that was finished & CO’d some 4 mos. ago.
Within the past 4 mos., the drywall seams began to show…..both butt and bevel joints….ceilings and walls.
The main problem area is the central cathedral great room…..max ceiling height approx 12′.
At first the joints were indented along the seams, as if there was not enough mud in the initial coat.
Let me say, at this point, that this was a new sub for us and he used one of the new extended-reach mud-tape combination dispensers. He did a house on the same street that appears to be fine, but I’m not really sure that the finishers were the same crew, or whether they used the tape/mud tool. Cocoon cellulose insulation was installed.
The sub was called back to fix the problem, but now we have discernable humps at each joint visible at different times of the day.
The homeowner, while not blaming us (too much), as the problem didn’t really arise until after they occupied, would like the situation corrected with the minimum disturbance ( and, needless to say, drywall dust) to their daily routine.
Thoughts???…Exorcisms???….Incantations???
This is the first time in 20+ years of business that we have had this problem.
Central VA area…..torpedo heat during drywall install & finish.
First time we used blown-in wall insulation.
First time a drywall sub has used the tape/mud tool.
Anyone with experience wet-sanding visible humps down?
No……stippling is NOT an option. :o)
TIA
Some other Joe
Replies
Cocoon insulation.... torpedo heat.... ARGH!!!!
IMHO you just experienced major shrinkage. Personally I'd have let this house sit for weeks before finishing the drywall trying to get out as much moisture as possible.
But all thats water under the bridge (or in the framing). Sorry, but I don't have the dustless easy fixes you desire. Best suggestion is work with the customer, when they go away for a weeks vacation hit it hard.
Good luck.
>IMHO you just experienced major shrinkage.
Don't get personal.....you think I don't hear that enough??!!!....
>Personally I'd have let this house sit for weeks before finishing the drywall trying to get out as much moisture as possible.
Yep....me too, but NO customer feels the way we do.You mentioned Cocoon insulation....Problems???...What are your experiences w/ cocoon insulation?????.....We are ready to do another.
Thanks,
Joe
I do not know of any specific problems but am leary of the amount of water they use to apply it. With the indoor air polution lawsuits popping up, who knows what grows in the walls. Those lethal indoor buggies live on the cellulose in the drywall paper.Sealing all that water in, IMO can't be a good thing.
Near dustless solution is the Porter Cable drywall sander and vac combination. I don't know the cause of the problem, but the PC sander is your best bet for remedial sanding. I have one I use for all my dw work in remodeling. I think they are in most good rental centers now.
Dave
Joe,
I agree with the others citing shrinking lumber as the cause of your problems. As for solutions, your in a fix with this one.
In similar situations where the homeowner needs to be in the house and we don`t have enough time to allow for drying lumber before taping, I try to prepare the homeowner for this likely occurance. I usually ask them to be as patient as possible and promise to return towards the end of a year to make right any wrongs. I try to wait as long as possible to allow the framing to reach a consistant moisture level. Returning before the humid summer sets in (depending on location, heating and cooling systems, etc.) may get you another phone call once the overly dried timbers begin to swell once more.
Most clients I`ve dealt with have been fine with this aproach and they apreciate when I finally do return as promised. Theres nothing people apreciate more than honesty, both in preparing for possible problems as well as attention to such mishaps.
Good luck with the dustless repair, but I`d wait for a vacation as well.
Dear Jay,
I can't believe it's shrinking lumber. Drywall compound has to be watered down for use in a bazooka. I think the joints just had excessive shrink from that. Then, they came back and overloaded the joints with regular mud.
After a good sanding, all will be right. The unvented heater and insulation don't seem like worthy culprits in this problem.
Regards, Fred
[email protected]
When drywall mud shrinks, it alligators. That hasn't been reported here. Besides it was ok at first. Mud dries in days while lumber takes months.
Excellence is its own reward!
Fred- The problem took months to appear. It doesn't matter how much water you add to mud once it's dry it's dry. Unfortunatly the drying process increases the humidity.
Cocoon insulation is applied with water and is sprayed directly onto the framing. Unvented heaters put out incredible amounts of water, added to the drywall finishing process, it all goes somewhere. Nature abhors a vacuum therefore the dry lumber will suck up this moisture trying to reach an equilibrium.
The Porter Cable vacuum sander is as dust free as you can get. My drywall sub has one, and he used it to sand off a textured ceiling on a remodel job. The amount of dust generated was negligable, and he sanded the living room, kitchen, foyer, family room and hallway!
BTW-when my drywall guy does smooth ceilings, he feathers out the joints to at least 18", butt joints 24". Keep that in mind next time. He also charges more for smooth ceilings.
John Svenson, Builder, Remodeler, NE Ohio (Formerly posted as JRS)
Edited 4/8/2002 9:32:40 PM ET by Svenny
You never mentioned the thickness of drywall, joist and stud spacing,tyveck,venting,or any of the specifics. You were a little unclear as how the job was done in what weather and such.........................
Cocoon insulation has to be dried the same way a wet job has to be dried for drywall finishing. So heres the deal;
Once the insulation has been sprayed or a troublesome finishing job is to open up the house. Meaning every window and door. The house is kept open all day and all night. No exceptions. Torpedo heaters are only used if the temperature in the day time doesnt exceed 30 degress, and thats only with drywall and only for working conditions. I have never had a bucket of water in the floor freeze in a house. I dont know the reason why. Im talking about temps down to zero. Where I live the dew doesnt fall untill about two in the morning. That means you have drying time till then. When the temps are expected to be 20 degrees or below its a good thing to shut the house up at bed time till morning. Fans are are a really good thing to dry out a house , or a big one set in a door acting like an attic fan. The taper has nothing to do with this problem. Its moisture all the way . Mostly trapped for a long period of time it sounds like.
I just read my thread and I guess I was unclear about one thing . Torpedo heaters are only for workers when sweatshirts and gloves dont do the job dealing with taping or cocoon insulation. They are then hauled off the job unless the temps are to be under zero. If that happens, you have lost a day and a night of drying. Since torpedos always produce moisture and lots of it.
I owned a drywall and painting company for 22 years. I wish someone would have told me those things in the beginning. It cost me a lot of money and jobs being done over at moisture's expense.
I hope this helped you,
Tim Mooney