# How to tape/repair textured drywall cuts??



## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

Hey guys,

We opened up the wall to install some new plumbing. No problem there. Just trying to figure out the best way to patch the drywall cuts.












The texture is a good 1/16th thick, and it doesn't come off easily. To tape the joint, I would have to sand it down to the drywall paper, then tape and mud it, right? I do have a belt sander and that would be about the right width and it would make quick work of the sanding. But is this the right way to go for this repair?

This is inside a laundry closet so it it not a high-visibility issue. But I've still like it to look half-way decent and more importantly, strong.

Thanks.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

If those are nails, I'd screw the sheetrock to the studs.
You just apply compound to the cut and tape it. No reason to sand anything to start. Apply 3 coats total to the tape.


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## titanoman (Nov 27, 2011)

Take your utility knife and "v' a shallow groove along the cuts. Sink your nails or screws to a small" bowl" divot to hold mud. 
Fill the "v' groove with mud and tape your first coat.wipe away all excessive mud. 
Dry, and, and apply at least one more" skim" coat. Sand and texture or paint.


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

Never ever take a belt sander to any kind of drywall.This is one of the quickest ways to go thru the paint and paper and gypsum and screw your wall up in a heartbeat.
Looks like you have an orange peal with a gloss paint.Not easy to do but will work if you take your time.
I do this stuff all the time but I will tell you how I would DIY it.Hand sand it to get all of the texture off without going thru the paper .A couple or three inches at both sides of the joint.Then cut a v groove into the joint with a utility knife and fill it with mud for a better bond with a narrow knife using paper tape.Don't leave any excessive mud .Just enough to wet the tape on both sides.Go to the big box store and get a spray can of orange peel and spray it on in thin coats until you get the build you need .You may need to hit it with a knife to make it match.Let it dry .Prime and paint


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I think your going to have to treat it like a regular butt joint. Sand it down some about a foot on each side, tape and 2 or 3 coats of mud feathering each out farther, then sand and texture,to blend in with the existing.


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

Hmmm,

There doesn't seem to be a consensus as to whether to tape right over the texture, or sand it down first.

Maybe I'll try it both ways over a section of the cut in an inconspicuous location, like behind the washing machine, and see what comes out best.


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

Don't tape over the texture.You will have a mess.How do you expect to get a good repair while adding over the top of what you have.you need to repair the joint and then add texture over the top of that,


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

mako1 said:


> Don't tape over the texture.You will have a mess.How do you expect to get a good repair while adding over the top of what you have.you need to repair the joint and then add texture over the top of that,


If I tape over the texture, I would re-texture the entire wall. Not a big deal, it's only 8' wide. And most of it will be behind the washer & dryer, and some upper cabinets.

The entire wall needs to be repainted anyway. That gray semi-gloss is pretty old and ugly.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

To tape over the texture will leave a hump that will be quite visible.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

Your picture wouldn't load on my computer. It could be that I'm on dial-up and it took too long for the picture to load. So, if what I'm suggesting isn't feasible, that's because I don't have a good idea in my head as to what the problem is. But...

I wouldn't use a drywall joint tape in this situation.

Buy a spruce 1X4, mark it down the middle and cut it to lengths to fit between your studs. Now use drywall screws to fasten the spruce pieces to the BACK of the textured wall above the cut line. That is, drive your drywall screws into the textured wall, through the drywall and into the wood. Maybe use a sanding block to clean up the back of the old drywall along the cut line and use a pair of clamps to hold the wood pieces tight to the back of the drywall before you drive in your screws.

Now screw your new drywall to the studs AND the spruce pieces. The wood, being screwed to both the old drywall and new will prevent any relative movement across the cut line, thereby ensuring there won't be any cracking or breaking of any half a$$ed kind of patch to put over that cut line. THAT will be a stronger joint repair than you can get with any drywall joint tape. (You could make it even stronger by using 3/4 inch plywood instead of lumber, but that would be overkill.)

That eliminates the need to remove the existing texture above the cut line. Just texture over the new drywall, over the cut line and the drywall screw locations as best you can to match the existing texture, prime, paint and call it a day.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

PS:

I was going to add that where I live, it's common to use this kind of wood reinforcement of joints when installing cement board around bath tubs or shower stalls in preparation for ceramic tiling. That's because if it turns out that a grout joint in the tiling just happens to fall directly over a joint between panels of cement board, you've got a weak spot where the grout line is going to (or, much more likely to) crack. And, regrouting that line won't do any good because the spot is inherently weak and likely to crack again.

By reinforcing the joints between the cement board panels with wood in advance, you strengthen every joint and prevent grout lines from cracking even if they're directly over a joint in the cement board panels behind. One guy I took a tiling course from also recommends painting a concrete bonding agent (or even just white wood glue) onto the boards before screwing them in place. The glue bonds the boards to the cement panels as it dries. (Concrete bonding agent has the advantage that once it's fully cured, it won't be affected by moisture. White wood glue, on the other hand, will reemulsify if it gets wet. But, if you're getting water behind your tiling, you're needing to redo that tiling anyhow.)

It's just good practice to prevent problems with the grout afterward.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

You're Welcome, Z.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Nester try again to pull up the pic. It has backing and is nailed or screwed but it makes a butt joint where the two pieces come together.


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

Nestor, cut me some slack, Jack. :wink: I've been offline for 4 or 5 days.

Nestor and Seeker, I cut the hole in the drywall to size so that the cut piece could go back in place and screwed to the studs on the ends. And I did insert backer strips behind the horizontal seams to stiffen it up.

The question was how to repair the seam. 

I agree that taping over the seam doesn't make sense. I will sand and do the V-notch. And since I am going to paint the whole wall, I am going to apply a textured skim-coat over the whole shebang to cover up the seams. I'll post some photos in a week or two when I'm done.

Thanks guys.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

I've got the photo now.

It looks like the lower portion of textured drywall has been removed and put back into place.

Z says he did install (wood?) backer strips behind the horizontal seams, so at this point, as long as both the upper and lower portions of textured drywall are fastened to the same backer strips, how he repairs the joint really doesn't matter much. The wood backer strips will prevent any relative movement across the joint, and without any relative movement between the two, the joint won't have any reason to crack. So Z doesn't even need to use joint tape now.


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

Just to put a nail in this thread's coffin, here's the end result of the patch. The cut was about in the middle of this photo.










I decided not to tape the cut, and treat it as if it were just a large crack. I used a putty knife and jammed a couple of layers of mud into the crack. Sanded that down a bit then rolled a texture coat over the whole wall. Used some thinned mud and one of these rollers from Big Orange. Worked pretty well, and easy to use, too. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Linzer-Better-9-in-x-3-8-in-Loop-Texture-Roller-Cover-RC119/100191515


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

Down and dirty and worked out well.Hope it stays that way for you.


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