# can you mudd drywall without tape?



## taylorjacob (Apr 10, 2006)

a friend of mine is helping me mudd new drywall in my kitchen. he claims that there is no reason to mudd the seams with tape that the mudd will harden in the seems that the drywall isnt going to move. is this true or untrue? thanks STEVE


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## Bonus (Aug 25, 2005)

Untrue, the seam will crack without tape due to expansion/contraction of the underlying studs.


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## MinConst (Nov 23, 2004)

Everything moves. Send your friend to the store for some beer while you tape the joints.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

Agreed with all of the above. After re-drywalling an entire room, I know for a fact that not taping seams WILL ABSOLUTELY result in cracking. No, I didn't learn it the hard way, I just look at the poor job they did on the rest of the drywall in my house and realize wow, they didn't use tape. 

P.S. sanding seams is monotonous work


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## THEBIGPUNN (Sep 11, 2005)

the drywallers are mudding my house now, i stopped by a few hours ago to look at the work and they certainly taped and mudded over all the seams. i concur with the other replies.


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## athomeguy (Jul 21, 2006)

*elastomerit is the way to go*

ive done 3 walls in my bathroom with almost a 1 inch gap, using elastomerit it goes on easier than traditional mud and because its flexible,will not crack or shrink. its been over 4 months with no cracks. good to use tape but use the elasto with elasto paint very moisture resistent.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

We have a drywall division in our Corp. 
We have been taping since ealy 80's. My biz. partner is 3rd gen. in construction. He is considered one of the best in the area and frequently get s called in to fix problems others cannot.
Our drywall and taping jobs have ranged from hospitals to schools to homes, mansions and offices and more.....
during that time...

Now with those facts aside.

You HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF TAPE on a seam...whether it's paper or fiberglass mesh tape. You have to have tape on a seam or it WILL CRACK!!!.

If anyone, and I mean ANYONE is selling themself as a drywall or 'taping' person and is not taping a seam....get rid of them ASAP.
They DO NOT know what they are doing.....


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## DaveH (Jun 5, 2006)

Atlantic is absolutely correct. Never NEVER mud without tape on joints...


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

One point no one has brought up yet, but I'm sure most have thought..... I would also think twice about letting your friend do work like this in your house. Not taping joints, rather filling them with compound is one of the most bizare ways to save a few dollars and a few minutes I've heard of. Perhaps your buddy doesn't know as much as it may seem. It just doesn't make sense to avoid taping.


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

Tape and mud proven for years and more years. Not the best idea To go with the new and unproven approach.


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## XSleeper (Sep 23, 2007)

Thread is 15 freaking years old!


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## XSleeper (Sep 23, 2007)

Always someone out to spam their product.


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## Octane (Feb 13, 2021)

This thread is 15 yo.Maybe drywall went out of style because of climate change...?


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

XSleeper said:


> Thread is 15 freaking years old!


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## Octane (Feb 13, 2021)

Wonder if they used tape after all? Lol


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

Not sure about my comment. The thread cam up on my computer as having “new responses”


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## XSleeper (Sep 23, 2007)

A spammer revived it. His post is gone.


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