Adhesive caulk has come a long way. Whenever I have a seam crack that shows up. I clear the seam out completely and even take off the original tape. I have found Loctite powergrab works the best. Apply a bead in the seam and down either side. Press the seam paper into the adhesive using a 2 or 3 puddy knife. Allow to cure and mud as usual. I have never had a crack reappear in ten years using this method. It was a game changer when I decided to give it a try. Ever since this is how I do all my seams from the very start because I HATE rework.
@@KomarProject once the moisture level in the bathroom goes out it goes back to white. I had to kilz it twice then paint with white ceiling paint to stop the issue. Even with the vent fan going, it would change. My wife takes showers as hot as possible, so the vent fan couldn’t really keep up.
Great video thanks for no half hour intro telling life experiences and no crappy music blasting. Also inch and a quarter Fender washers work well as drywall screws lay flat in them while grabbing more surface area.
I like many here that have commented are grateful for this video and I also have done drywall/taping and finishing for almost 35 years (Damn, did I just type that? WOW) Anyway, the trick with the food coloring is genius. I didn't even think of this. The purple Valspar ceiling white I didn't know about either. That is absolutely brilliant. This video will change some of the ways I've done my repair work for over 3 decades. This is what RU-vid was supposed to be about, helping people. Thank you for this.
I do tell everyone that they can do it themselves. However, I tell them to look at the journeymen drywall and texturing guys. These guys have been doing installations and repairs every day for their employment .They have seen it all and know how to repair the worst cracks, breaks, and other stuff the right way. There are too many short cuts that will not work or last. Thanks for such a great video of a crack repair that will last.
Great video. None of that 60 second intro BS that so many people foist upon us. And no crappy music. Lot of good ideas. I don’t know about all that sanding, though. I wet “sand” with a sponge, towel or rags as much as possible.
Sand is critical for smooth finishes, wet sanding isn’t ideal for smooth walls and ceilings, wet sanding for me works great on areas I’m planning to texture. To each their own though :)
Very helpful info! That purple-to-white ceiling paint is great! Beware of drywall dust, though. Please use plastic draping! No matter how careful you try to be, sanded compound dust floats and gets EVERYWHERE! I noticed your unprotected TV and furniture in the background and cringed. Drywall dust can damage both, either right away or over time, as it settles deeper into the components & fabrics. The way you explain things is clear & in depth. I'll check out a few more of your videos. I've been at this for years, and it's nice to learn new techniques & tips!
Either that or use a dustless sander. Although those generally aren't cheap and probably not worth it unless doing drywall for a living. A simple DIY project around the house on the weekend may not be ideal to spend that much money on something you'll use once and never again lol
Very well done, I learned some good tips here. As a painter myself driving paintable caulking in the crack and then spackling on top followed by sanding always has worked well for me. The caulking is flexible and will not crack once in side the cracked ceiling. I think using your methods will provide and even longer lasting fix. Thank you.
@karlwithak. Wow you sound like a nightmare and exploiting a ridiculous system. Houses move, cracks happen. I can't believe you could actually suit the previous home owner for movement in a wooden structure. Once you own it it's yours and you own all the problems. That's how it works over here anyway. If I sold you a house and you found a crack soke years later and tried to get me to pay your excessive bill for an over the top repair I would politely tell you to go f♡ck yourself 🤣
Awesome job of explaining this procedure. I've watched the last 2 guys who did work here and a number of cracks have returned. They definitely didn't do things like you did. Many thnx.
I have repaired a lot of drywall in 40 years of finishing. The paper tape failure is 99% user error and not being shown how to thin the mud prior to use. With this type of repair I would always do my best to get down to the drywall and remove all the old tape from being damaged by the moisture. I totally agree with the bed coat and Durabond whether you use paper or mesh (IMO mesh should only be used with a fast setting compound), but I then use the Easy Sand quick set on the first coat to add another layer of hard setting compund to the joint. Then on to the Plus3 and float out till it's no longer noticable
That’s the exact way to do it….. if you do not remove the damaged tape, then you are just applying mud on a piece of paper tape that is just “ floating their “ and is no longer bonded to the drywall ….. I have a video
@@New-Breed-Drywall-And-Paint Nonsense.I have used every type of mud with all types of tape and 100% no cracks.44 years of drywall experience is all you need to know.
@@velt7560 your telling me using all purpose mud over mesh tape will not crack ??? Is that what your saying …??? One thing I’ve learned from hiring plenty of guys who were not good enough to wash my pan is never hire the guy who throws in his years of experience .
Excellent instruction! I taught school for 30 years. I know what I’m talking about. Lots of self-help videos give good information, but are still not enough for true novices. Lots of guys who “know what they’re doing” will benefit, too. Adding food coloring to the mud is brilliant! I’ve had a crack in my wall for years. Now I feel like I can fix it. Thank-you!
Those that know DO, those that don't Teach. There is literally no reason to add food coloring to your drywall mud.What you should do when doing your final sanding is check it with a light parallel to the patch work. The shadows will amplify any problems that you probably won't see until you get your paint on.
@@MAGAMANthen why did I see Union tapers adding colorant to the mud for the final coat for the 25 years I was in the trade? Not everything is black and white, maga🙄
as a 47 yr plaster @ drywall vet, I agree with re-screwing the the board, however, I V- out the crack, vacuum , fill the crack with gun foam (not cans), leave it proud till set, then shave down with a fine notched trowel, ( lays flat), then a skim coat of mud (no tape), sand and paint with good paint that has a little flex. I have a 110 old victorian, and I have found that houses have "favorite places to crack do to expansion, etc. these cracks need to be filled and finished with materials that can flex since they will continue to move...foam will do this
Hey folks, Barbie, the Builder from the UK 🇬🇧 here. What a wonderful video, absolutely spiffing. I'm absolutely killing my ceiling cracks, loving my USA 🇺🇸 imported mesh tape, and building thin layers for that perfect finish. You'd never know there was a ceiling crack. I love the idea of lilac paint. Incredibly jealous we can't get it here, nor tinted polyfilla (mud) and certainly no pink spackle, what a shame. Thank you, I'm loving this team USA 🇺🇸 ❤
As a painting contractor, I have seen this method fail all too many times. In my area there is a massive temperature differences from 15 degrees in the winter to 120 degrees in the summer. Because of this almost every house around here has a crack on the living room celling. I have tried repairing them the way showed in the video but they generally come back. The only way I have got them to stop once and for all is to add backing behind the cracking area. Sometimes you can access it in the attic, if not you may have to cut a whole and replace the drywall with more wood behind it. It really sucks having to cut a whole in perfectly good drywall but its really the only way i have found to permanently fix the problem.
So when you backboard, what adhesive do you use. I have a garage cieling that has cracked. I plan to remove tape and all mud that I can. Add expansion joint every twenty feet. I will back board entire ceiling with board from attic side. Prefill with durabond and tape using paper and durabond. Finish joints with lightweight compound. I hope that will last.
@@jimw6991 Adhesives can be good, personally I rarely use them. If its attached well with good blocking behind it, you generally don't need it. Make sure you have the right length fasteners though. A lot of times garages have two layers of sheetrock. If so, be sure you account for it in the screw length. I have had luck with back blocking the joint areas of the sheet rock. Don't necessarily need the entire ceiling blocked. I don't think it would hurt anything, just is a lot more work. In the past I have used "green Glue" Its generally used for acoustic noise suppression but it did seem to stick well. Liquid nails also makes a glue, maid for drywall that would work well if you want to use glue. If you do what your talking about id be shocked if it cracks.
@@MAGAMANI've been in the business for 22 years. I rarely work on new houses, I do repaints 99% of the time. My repairs last. So if that isn't "knowing what you are doing" I don't know what is.
I agree and fortunately I had access to my attic and toe-screwed a 2x6 16” to the ceiling joist. The 2x6 was centered on the ceiling crack from the attic side. I then screwed the ceiling’s drywall from the second story hallway. My walls and ceiling are skim coated and 5 years later the crack has not returned.
I've been DIY drywalling for years. I've hired contractors before and I would say I've gotten as good as them. The trick with ending the crack by cutting a circle is new to me. Gonna def try that. Great tip!
I'm a DIY guy. Picked up a couple of tricks I didn't know about...like tinting with food color....your first coat of really hard drywall mud...great video. Thanks for sharing tricks
Great video! Wanted to add a comment that a little sprinkle of chalk from a Chalk Reel works great for coloring mud as well. I would assume most are more likely to have that around a job site vs food coloring.
Ross, does the color of the chalk become a concern with regards to the number of coats it takes to cover certain colors. I seem to recall a lighter color Redguarded wall I had to plaster/texture over and paint. That Redguard showed itself through a skim coat of plaster, the knock down texture layer, and two coats of paint (the paint was a cheap variety with supposed mixed in primer, so that may be my explanation there).
Never had that issue, but I don’t use a ton. Just enough to see the color difference. Even when using paint that’s advertised as a paint + primer, you should always use a standalone primer on bare drywall or joint compound.
This will work great for most cracks, but if you have a significant fault line under the drywall, the screws alone won't keep it secure. I had a long crack between the living room and dining area, and when I was looking at similar condos in the same complex, most of them had a similar crack. In this case, it's that the ceiling joists are 22 foot 2X12s and they flex just a little too much for the drywall to flex with them. The drywall needed a flexible reinforcement, and I added that by drilling a hole every 6" and injecting enough expanding foam to see it coming out of the next hole. Once it cured, I mudded and taped it with fiberglass; it has resisted cracking for 15 years, so I think it's fixed for good.
This is great information. Problem is people think drywall repairs and workers shouldn’t get paid well. I told someone 500 bucks to do a 3 x 4 repair on a textured ceiling I was going to have to match texture to and the laughed. Fine do it yourself.
A great video. I wish my painter, who has painted for 30 years had done this. Two days after crack repair and painting, the cracks were back not repaired. He thought I was being irrational about it
Nicely done! Good production and content. I've been painting/repairing cracks for over 30 years. Stopped in to see your vid just to verify I wasn't missing anything. Nope, I'm good. I'm curious about your sanding process though. It seems to be way messy, especially in a finished house. I discovered a 5 gallon pale water filter that that attaches to a shop vac and use that for all my patch jobs. The water filter catches almost all of the dust so it doesn't clog up the shop vac filter and reduces the dust in the room by probably 90%.
I'm shocked! A youtube video where someone actually did everything 100% right! And I love the food coloring idea too. I'll have to try that as well. Nice job.
Great video mate. The only thing I didn't agree with was using the fibreglass mesh tape. I would use fibre fuse everytime before that tape. That mesh tape is too prone to re cracking. Nice job all the same though 👍
This will really help me because my mother-in-law's ceiling fell in because of one of these little cracks turned into a good 4ft x 8ft hole in the ceiling. And there are many more like it not that far off.
Ya that dye tip is great, as is the purple paint. My team has a vacuum attached to the orbital with a ten foot hose, it's quite the rig and saves so much time on cleanup.
Try adding chalkbox chaulk thru a sifter to get rid of clumps, into a pan with a little water and stir it very well to get rid of clumps. Then add that to your mud. Never use dyes. They will potentially bleed thru your latex paints afterwards and you'll have to oil prime to get rid of them.
I thought I knew everything I needed to know about taping and patching, and I was incorrect. Great video, rescrewing the sheetrock to the joists is a great idea... thanks.
For a plaster wall (skim coat and size dependent) I'll set my small router to remove just the plaster skim coat. I rout the area wide enough to accept and completely enbed the tape. I typically use standard joint compound to finish. This method dramatically cuts down on the area needed to hide the repair and does not create a raised area....if that's a consideration. You can also use a chisel to cut down on the dust. I'll put a vac to my router for some dust management.
Wow, I’m so glad I watched this. I’ve done a lot of crack repair (in my case on plaster walls) over the years, and the techniques I’ve used are pretty much the same as what you showed. Expect that I’ve always applied the mesh tape directly to the crack and then applied the first coat of mud (Durabond). I’ve never tried embedding the mesh in the wet mud, I always thought that was a paper tape thing. It’s been a number of years since the last time I’ve done this work but I have to do some crack repair again soon and now I have learned some new tricks from you! I’d never heard of the food coloring trick - or the tinted joint compound. In the past there have been times when I have mixed PlasterWeld with the JC, which does turn it a little pink. But now I’m going to try that tinted JC. I also did not know about cutting the circles at the end of the cracks. But the absolute best thing I learned from you today is that color changing ceiling paint exists! Hallelujah. I have painted a lot of plaster ceilings, which can be maddening because of all the waves and dips and valleys, and even with the right lighting I could still end up with uneven coverage.. leading to extra coats🥵. I am so glad to find out that product exists. Thanks for your video!
If it's about seeing what you need to sand ... shining a light across it does a better job. But ya tinting the mud is almost a must if you have a lot of small patches that need a quick sand and spot prime.
you are correct, the mesh is made to stick directly to the surface, and then have the mud spread over the top. This is designed to save mud as well as time. Adding a base/bed coat and then placing mesh on top is one of the main reasons mesh taps fails and cracks. Too many people don't take a few minutes and research new/newer or new to them, products before using them in order to install the product properly. Mesh and paper will last just as long as the other when applies properly.
@@jmackinjersey1 you said "Adding a base/bed coat and then placing mesh on top is one of the main reasons mesh taps fails and cracks." But what about a hot mud pre-fill for big cracks ? Keeping it inside the surface plane for sure. Then lay fiber tape on that before the larger first coat. But I guess should also use a hot mud to set the tape ?
Fantastic video. We have issues in our ceiling that look like this. I was a pro painter for a while, did my fair share of ceilings but not experience with cracks like this. Thank you for sharing.
I would suggest heavy duty mesh tape. Looks like gauze. As long as you can feather out far. Being it is thick. I have had regular mesh crack. Great idea about the food color. I have noticed drywall is starting to come very white. They tried this back in the late 90s.Not successful
Art work in the form of a trade, you must have such job satisfaction too. You could make a tv show out of what you do and you'd be first choice as a pro presenter. Well done, you save a lot of people a lot of money. Bravo.
Hello there I just stumbled on this video w/o even searching and saw exactly what I needed to do with my ceiling. I’m not a handyman but I’m hoping I can learn from your guidance. New sub here thank you!
I've been using Durabond for years on the first coat with great success. I get cloase to a finish coat with my knife. I saw this video where you used the sponge for the finish. How in the heck I never though of that is beyond me. much better clean edges. Good tip, thanks
I prefer paper tape for reparing cracks. Mesh tape often results in the crack reappearing in many cases. I also prefer to remove the old tape first, so that you can bury the new paper tape. You will get better results for both smooth wall and texture finishes.
The mesh tape is for amateurs that have problems with the paper tape. The paper tape is far superior than the mesh but both will work. When using the paper tape you can't have any voids of mud under the tape or it will leave a blister.
@@YAWN.... I have had to fix a bunch of cracks from people using mesh for sure, especially in mobile homes after they have been moved. I have been in the drywall business over 30 years and all I ever use is paper tape. I'm an old timer hand finisher.
yes, the durabond! 36 grit has done a lot for me with it over the years. Watching somebody else with my issue of my addition ceiling that has been taped since Octoberish and just saw as I was getting ready to finish coat ceiling when discovered the dreaded crack - doh! Always good to concur with another doctor to remind us of what we know! 🤠🇨🇱
This was really, REALLY well done: clear, thorough, and loaded with good advice. I am facing After an episode of storm-related water damage, I'm facing EXACTLY this ceiling repair job. Thanks to you, I now know how to do it properly-and have become a subscriber, as well. Best, Chris (in Maine)
An issues some have is not with cracks. Their issues is the tape is coming loose and or off their vaulted / cathedral ceiling due to the framing expanding and contracting at the framing joints. When wood expands in a hot attic, something has to give,
If you can master paper joint tape, I think you'll get longer lasting results. Imbed the tape with Dura Bond, and if you can handle it, do a smooth thin coat of the same thing over it. Better shear strength than mesh tape. Then use the easy sand stuff over that.
Sheer strength and will allow small movement without cracking as easy because a crack can exist under the paper tape where mesh tape shows it instantaneously.
@@larrypilgrim12 I had that mesh tape crap break on a wall by putting a little pressure on it. It has absolutely no strength. I found for the paper tape, just dip it in water before applying it and it will eliminate the majority of our problems. It doesn't matter how long of a piece you need, just fold it into a manageable length and dip it in your rinse water bucket. This also makes it really easy to put on because you have it nice and folded.
Use a light to shine across the joint to see if there is anything you need to work on. I worked in construction for 34 years and 18 of that was commercial drywall
My garage ceiling has some crazy design, I'll have to practice to mimic it enough to try that. Maybe this winter I'll tackle that when I have downtime.
I repaired cracks over the shower and on the bathroom ceiling last year. I went into the attic and glued a 1x4 over the crack, then put drywall screws from both sides of the crack into the board. Applied hot mud, taped with Fiberfuse and got a great finish. Well, the crack over the shower is back and it’s even bigger than it was before! I’m afraid that corner of my house (on a slab) may be separating & sinking as I also noticed a long crack in the exterior bricks on that wall. It’s got me real concerned.
@@larrypilgrim12 I had a structural repair company dig down with an excavator & install 10 helical piers under one corner of my foundation (not cheap) to level the slab. The drywall cracks have all nicely closed up. They told me to wait until spring to repair the drywall to see if there is any more settlement. There’s been a lot of cracked foundations in our area recently because of the summer drought. All the recent rains may be helping some of those by swelling the parched soil.
@@JT_70 that is a bummer and yes waiting for settlement to finish repairs are wise. Something else that can help is to run stiffners from outside wall to outside wall on the bottom cord of your trusses. It will help with what we call motion. I was in Vegas and when they started adding the glass at Mandalay bay hotel the middle of the building started to sink. A underground stream was very far down but they had to reroute the water and pump in a ridiculous amount of cement. At least you got it taken care of
There is a good chance of failure with doing it this way first of all after 40 years of drywalling I have to tell you you must press the durabond deeply into the crack, making a dozen passes, making sure it is packed into the thickness of the drywall. for maximum protection of crack not coming back.I would do the second coat with a durabond again putting it on very smoothly. No edges. Then this final coat would be the bucket mud. If you have framing issues loose lumber in the ceiling, the crack will most likely come back. if you do not heat the house in the winter time, the crack will come back due to expansion and movement houses must be kept 50° and warmer in the winter months in the north.
Best crack repair video ever! Now I am interested in trying that durabond in casting some smaller outdoor sculpture, like for fountains? Have you ever tried that, anyone?
We had cracks and when we checked the previous owners had removed a support beam to make a half wall. We had to jack up the overhead beam 3/4 of an inch over a 2 week time frame. Support beam put back in. My husband and I are old now but DIY’d out whole house.
Instead of a knife to clean the crack joint, I use an old triangle tipped can opener to clean it out. It works great and gives a little more space on the surface of the drywall to hold more Durabond...
Great video man, I drywall on occasion for my job so it is great to see how other people do this stuff to see if I can pick up some tips I never thought of before. That food colouring is brilliant. I've used one of those electric sanding polls before and they are really nice, unless the ceiling is over 8ft in those cases they tire your arms out like crazy. Keep up the amazing work.
@@KomarProject a When you go to purchase one, I recommend the Porter Cable. I have been doing drywall for a living for over 30 years and it's the best that I have run across so far. It's light weight and they will last you a long time. Cheers.
This is great information for a DIY guy. But my question is, what to do when every ceiling in the house is heavily textured. And all my cracks appear at tape joints Or corner joints. Thanks for reading and any extra info. ** removing the texture is not an option for us**
This was very informative I really appreciate it I was looking for something to help me with my ceiling problem.I'm taking down my popcorn and I have a nice long crack where my ceilings is sagging. This will work for my problem.😉
Dudes got a very smooth touch. That comes after thousands of repairs 🤣 for the do it yourselfer. We use a Festool 10 inch radial off the vacuum works really well no dust.
The problem with patching cracks is that they are usually caused by something going on in the houses Foundation. Settlement, sagging floors, and rot are likely causes of drywall cracks. You may want to fix the route cause before you patch.
In old houses it can be the glue and nails used to secure the drywall to the ceiling. If your drywall is installed with nails and is sagging, put some drywall screws in asap. The drywall can literally fall off the ceilings that were installed this way and if you have blown in insulation it will make a massive mess, on top of the possibility of injuring someone.
If you don't have any Durabond, you can add PVA glue to regular mud to give it strength. There is a "special" Drywall PVA glue or you can just use Elmer's Glue (white stuff) or Titebond. Just mix the glue with water and add that to your mud when watering it down. IMO the biggest reason for cracks is nails were used instead of screws. Nails can work loose. Also 1 1/4" screws are sufficient for up to 5/8" thick drywall. The screw needs to penetrate into the stud at least 5/8".
Nice work. I'd recommend a coat of BIN before any durabond or mud is applied. After screwing it down and cleaning up the crack. It makes the bond even stronger.
It's ideal to do a base coat or 2 of durabond and letting it dry before trying to tape. You need to make sure the sheets of drywall where crack occured are fully bonded prior to taping. Also adding a little blue chalk is better than food coloring
@@1UTUBEUSERNAME with the amount of drywall I have had to repair over 20 years , it is. Granted I am talking about high end customers who care more about it lasting and expect a higher quality..
@@joshuatrott193 if you are using durabond you don't need to do a prefill coat, let alone 2. Hot mud, durabond expands. If you are using joint compound than a single prefill is correct. Paper tape is also a better deterrent from future cracking, but overall drywall mud is not a structural solution. If walls move enough rafters, and joists need to be addressed.
@@joshuatrott193 water damage, mud stuck to tape instead of sheetrock? You do not need to prefill when using a rapid set and in fact you are creating a hump, you are not reinforcing any more with a quick set prefill and then a tape. Spread the mud in the crack and wide enough to apply paper tape. And for best results soak the tape in water for an even stronger bond. If it cracks its too much structural movement. Drywall and drywall mud are not structural products. There are a multitude of reasons why cracking can occur. It is not because of prefill. Prefill is great when using regular compound and the correct way. Quick set is a different beast. As for my credentials I am very over qualified for any drywall topic.
Being from the UK I find the plastering process that you use really odd. A plasterer in the UK never needs to sand anything, their technique and skill is really in advance of what you are showing us.
Like most DIY projects ... you make it look easy. Owning, having the correct tools makes or breaks the deal. Hiring someone isn't cheaper than buying the materials and one-time use tools? Why not do it on textured ceiling? Your ceiling cracks on new non finished dry wall... how's that common?
A few things that I would point out: 1. Mesh tape on the ceiling is a no no. You have to use paper tape with yellow joint compound. It is much stronger because yellow mud compound has glue that reinforces the tape. 2. You have to feather out the joint 2 feet on each side, going parallel with the joint, never perpendicular. You have to use a trowel and a hawk for best results. These drywall knives are absolute garbage and will never provide a proper feather to the mud. 3. Never use a power sander on your joints!! You will oversand and leave terrible scratch marks everywhere! You have to sand it with a pole sander, sanding sponge and a light to achieve best results. It’s hard to tell in the video, but I bet I could find scratch marks and uneven feathering on that ceiling with the naked eye. I get it, this video is for DIY but it won’t pass for a level 5 finish. Just my 2 cents….
Well not everybody can run a hawk and trowel . Especially in a remodel / fixit mode. But I've used mesh tape plenty on ceilings , that held up. However a hot mud prefill or set the tape with is best there . But you better make sure that ceiling is tight enough too ! Washers on screws if need be. But then again if you can pull it off ... That expanding spray foam in attic with T-brace below , does a wonderful job . . . no screws or very minimal ?
I agree with most of what you are saying (except, that I prefer fibreglass tape to paper) but it also requires more tools and more practice. Especially the practice part is hard to reach for a laymen DYIer.
You were right on the first one, but you are off you nut on the second one. While I like using a finishing trowel on large areas, you do not "need" to use one to get a good finish. 99% of the tapers in the US use drywall knives with excellent results. And you absolutely do NOT need to feather out 2 feet on a small repair. A power sander can be useful if you overdo it with the harder setting "hot muds" because they are an absolute pain to sand, but I would not use a small hand sander for a finish job. I have a drywall sander I just bought, but have not used it for final sanding yet, so I don't know if it will leave scratches. One big mistake he made was using torn sandpaper on his pole sander. That will leave gouges in your drywall mud. You should always check your final sanding with a light run horizontally across the surface. You will be surprised at how much you will never see until you put an eggshell paint on it. Then you will never be able to not see it.
