# Ceiling drywall meets uneven walls



## AddItToTheList (May 25, 2018)

First time poster here, so please forgive if I've made any missteps with this post. I've been looking around for quite a while, and can't seem to find a post similar enough to help.
My issue is that I've installed my ceiling drywall on an un-square house. This caused gaps here and there between the block wall and the drywall ceiling (and around some difficult obstacles). I'm certain someone has dealt with this before, but googling has left me dry (heh). I'm most likely considering a caulking of some sort. Would many layers of compound and precision sanding be better? Are there schools of thought on this? 
Again, Sorry if this has been posted, but it's difficult to search for 'How to fill drywall gaps' without a myriad of unhelpful results. Cheers!


----------



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

If the gaps aren't too big, try paintable caulking. Molding might be a second choice.


----------



## AddItToTheList (May 25, 2018)

Thanks for your reply! The problem with molding would be the uneven walls that the builders used. There are some areas where it would work, but (if possible) I'd like to keep the same solution around all of the walls.


----------



## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Duct will expand and contract. so not much will stay there. I would have built drops to hide them, or lowered them for dry wall to go above them.
Against the block a molding of some sort might be easier to deal with.


----------



## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Add it to.....

yes... that's a difficult application... ya scribed and cut that pretty darn well.

I would use a good acrylic paintable caulk.

You may need backer rod on some of that, and several layers/coats of caulk.

Some of it, you might foam, go back and cut the foam, and use foam as a backer in the larger gaps.

I've had to do it in some pecular circumstances similar to yours, and it held up fine.


----------



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Then try caulking first.


----------



## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

I think you will get by fine with caulk on that duck work, and I know you want to keep everything similar, but if you have any problem, they make a flexable plastic with adhesive backing cove cut moulding for around a tub/showeer..... might woek on the sheet metal and let it ride free on the drywall....

but, I don't think you'll get that much expansion on that duct that caulk can't handle.


----------



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Where the drywall meets the wall and the gap is too wide for caulk - flat tape/finish those areas. Then caulk the whole perimeter.


----------



## siffleur (Aug 19, 2013)

AddItToTheList said:


> First time poster here, so please forgive if I've made any missteps with this post. I've been looking around for quite a while, and can't seem to find a post similar enough to help.
> My issue is that I've installed my ceiling drywall on an un-square house. This caused gaps here and there between the block wall and the drywall ceiling (and around some difficult obstacles). I'm certain someone has dealt with this before, but googling has left me dry (heh). I'm most likely considering a caulking of some sort. Would many layers of compound and precision sanding be better? Are there schools of thought on this?
> Again, Sorry if this has been posted, but it's difficult to search for 'How to fill drywall gaps' without a myriad of unhelpful results. Cheers!


AITTL, I take it this is all in a basement, so my first question is how perfect do you want a basement to end up looking? I am currently working on a finished basement that is leaking rainwater over a low section near the foundation. The whole front yard needs to be graded down lower than the top of the foundation and the carpeting in the finished room in the basement is taking on water and getting moldy, so I have removed a section of that and will talk with the owner today about trying to keep a gold ring in the snout of this pig. What I am saying is, is your basement flood free and worth all this effort at finish work? Or am I wrong about it being a basement?

All that being said, here is what I would do with the cracks between the drywall and the cinder block walls.

1. First I wouild cut in the cinder block walls with Gardz sealer using a 4" mini roller (I like Arroworthy microfiber). The reason for sealing the cinder block is so you can more easily scrape away Durabond. 

2. Next I would squish some Durabond 20, 45 or 90 (depends on how fast you can work as 20 sets up fastest and 90 slowest) up into the cracks, then use the spackle knife to scrape the excess DB even with the walls. I would mix the DB a little on the thick side so that while it is hardening inside the cracks it doesn't bulge down because it is too thin. I would keep an eye on both the DB and the time as I would want to scrape any excess DB off the walls after the DB has hardened, but before it is dry. After it is dry you will not be able to cut or shave it with your spackle knife. Use a narrow spackle knife for delicate scraping on the walls. 

3. You will probably need a 2nd coat of DB to make everthing smooth and blend in with the ceiling drywall. After the Durabond is very dry and the corner between the ceiling and cinder block walls has a solid corner you are happy with, you should be done. 

4. If you have DB on the cinder block walls that you can't scrape off, you might carefully brush a coat of Gardz onto the DB that is part of the ceiling, taking care not to get any on the DB that is on the walls. After the Gardz sealer has thoroughly dried, you can take a nylon brush and/or a sponge with a green or blue scrub pad and try to clean away any excess DB that is still on the walls. When everything is looking good to you, take the 4" mini roller out of the ziplock baggy you are storing it in and roll a coat over the DB before painting.

I would not use corner tape on this unless you are thinking of skimming the cinder block walls flat as it would look somewhat strange to have a cinder block wall with a smooth area coming down only 6" or so.

I have done the above a number of times over the years and it seems to work pretty well.

For filling in the gap between the heating ducts and the ceiling, you might get corner bead that has notches for curved corners. I would make sure that the corner bead can fit all along the way between the ceiling and the ducts before I mud it in. When you have done that, you can use either Durabond or Easy Sand. Squish it into the crack, then slide the corner bead up into place. I would let the DB or ES dry and harden before I applied more of it to the ceiling side of the corner bead so that it doesn't get pushed around while you are knifing the hot mud on. After the hot mud hardens, but before it is dry, wipe off any excess that is on the heating ducts. I have never done this with heating ducts and ceilings, but this is probably what i would do if I were going to do it. I would also probably run into some problems doing it this way and I suspect that you would as well. 

The rest of the cracks I would use caulking on, probably with a foam backing rod. Good luck!

siffleur


----------



## AddItToTheList (May 25, 2018)

Thank you for your replies! I ended up using backer rod, and paintable caulking. The paint has cracked on the caulking in places, but that was expected.


----------

