Why You Should Stay away from Fiberglass Drywall Tape Like The Plague!
De BISAWiki
The truth is, it has its location, but - please! not on your drywall
seams.
Yes, my view of this is controversial. And I have my (good) factors.
Really, men and women who use fiberglass tape rather of paper tape for drywall taping are helping me make a living.
As a drywall finisher and a plaster repair specialist, I have created look into home inspections miami thousands of dollars over the years repairing drywall seams taped with fiberglass. Thanks, people.
What takes place? Drywall seams require a RIGID tape to keep closed. Especially more than butt joints, the fiberglass taped seam will wiggle ever so slightly some time down the road following finishing, and presto! a hairline crack develops correct down the middle of the joint.
The tape is not broken. It is just that the drywall mud overcoat is not rigid sufficient - hard sufficient - to add the strength necessary to permanently secure the joint.
How do I know this? Effectively, for 1 point, I have noticed that the lengthy, recessed drywall seams have a tendency to remain taped greater. With those seams, the mud overcoat is thicker because it is filling the valley where the tapered edges of the drywall come together. You get some additional toughness.
I comprehend the allure of fiberglass tape. Slap it down on that crack and mud 'er up. No blisters, and so on. So easy and comfy, specially for the novice taper. And each do-it-oneself site and magazine article promotes it.
Yes, it is tougher to understand to use paper tape appropriately. For the newcomer to drywall taping, there are issues of laying the mud on evenly, wiping the tape down appropriately, avoiding humps on the butt joints, and so on.
These are learnable capabilities, and they pay large dividends after the job is completed and painted. Absolutely nothing is much more irritating to the customer or homeowner living in his new home/addition than to see cracks creating in his new walls or ceilings.
As I stated in the starting, there IS a location for fiberglass tape. 1st of all, it the tape of selection for plasterboard seams under veneer plaster. This is what it was created for in the 1st place. It works very effectively in this setting, since veneer plaster is far tougher and tougher than drywall compound.
But, there is a location exactly where fiberglass tape can assist in the drywall trade, and that is in the repair finish of the organization. About doors and windows, cracks in the drywall are frequent. A small further movement in the framing there and you get these unsightly defects.
When I repair such cracks, I want some further insurance coverage. What I will do is use brief pieces of fiberglass tape - possibly three inches extended or so - and spot them in a bed of mud ACROSS the crack and parallel to each other. I wipe out the excess mud, just as I would with paper tape.
When this first layer of tape is hard, then I lay down a line of paper tape correct across the fiberglass and centered on the underlying crack. Now I have double insurance coverage: the glass for lateral strength and the paper to maintain it tight to the surface. This generally requires care of such cracks, or any cracks you are especially concerned about. (Do not overlook two or more topping coats.)
I do the identical operation or a variant of it on undesirable plaster cracks.
A single last point. I've emphasized toughness of the compound you use. For that cause, I like "hot mud", a setting kind joint compound far more like plaster for strength. If you are unsure of yourself and your speed, it would be excellent to use hot mud with a longer setting time, like an hour or 90 minutes. Mix little batches and do not overlook to wash your tools and pans properly between batches.
