# Drywall cracking - unheated garage, Thought I did it right...



## dokmand (Jan 25, 2016)

Re-taped and mudded a garage 17 yrs old. Originally it was builder fire-taped only, never painted. Removed all old tape and almost all the compound (wrinkled from the start, and cracked). Tightened existing screws and doubled them up (max 3" spacing) using 3" screws. 5/8" ceiling board, 24" OC truss spacing and 1/2" on the wall, 16" OC. Used paper tape, filled gap with 90 min Durabond, embedded tape with same, 2nd coat also with Durabond, topped with GP premix and in some cases Topping Compound if needed. Re-taped in summer (Mich). 
Garage is 3 1/2 + car with 14 ft ceilings. No expansion joints. Had garages crack before using only GP (green lid) mud so I switched to Durabond for improved adhesion. After I was done, owner primed 1/2 the garage before winter set in. Crack in painted and unpainted board. Developed some ceiling cracks (fine cracks don't appear to have torn the tape, just the mud, from a couple that I checked, but I didn't scrape down many spots (will revisit in spring). Most cracks are perpendicular to the truss direction. I didn't go in the attic to backboard, but may have to if the customer wants to pay for it. Have a couple cracks in the walls (big one 20 ft long on the back wall 8ft off the ground, believe there's a header at that point), and on the small section of wall between the single garage door and the double door (3 ft wall). 
Is this a problem correctable by adding backer boards over all joints (ceiling is accessible only). or is this a no win situation, trying to make an unconditioned space perfect? Could it be insufficient gap between the adjoining drywall boards - some fits were line to line? Don't want to get the scaffolding out if its a no win effort, regardless what the homeowner wants to pay.


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