What Causes Cracks In Drywall Seams

Drywall cracks in ceilings or walls.

What causes cracks in drywall seams.

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. We have a crack at the long edge seam of the drywall in the ceiling. This occurs because there is a joint which gets drywall taped and then layered with two or three coats of drywall mud.

Cracks in the ceiling can be cosmetic or indicative of a serious structural problem. The shrinkage of the header causes a crack from the corner of the opening to near the ceiling. 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. Usually the crack will be very straight because it is at the edge of the tape.

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. 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. These joint areas are weaker than in the center or field area of the drywall therefore some cracks may occur at these joints. 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.

The back to front dimension is 30 which means there are over 7 sheets of drywall. The long edge is 19 long. 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. Causes of drywall cracks.

Usually the seams are invisible due to the use of drywall mud and tape. Vertical cracks above the corners of a window or door indicate the builder placed a drywall seam at these corners. Some drywall mud products are intended only for second or third coats. Most drywall cracks occur on the seams where two pieces of drywall meet.

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. Here s how to determine the cause of your ceiling cracks and fix them. I installed the drywall in 2007 and the crack first appeared about 4 years ago.

The mud fills in the seam and the tape covers it up.