There are a million little things that go into a successful drywall job. From mudding to sanding, there are lots of steps that require precision and a keen eye. One of the most important steps is taping off the joints between drywall sheets. But what happens if you skip this step? Can Drywall crack without tape?
Taping helps with bonding Drywall sheets, which helps with reducing future cracks. It also helps cover joints and reduces movement, leading to cracks. You can also use Drywall mesh tape to fix cracks.
Applying drywall tape is one of the final steps in finishing Drywall. Some DIY’ers choose to skip this step, thinking that it’s not necessary. However, this might actually be the cause of your Drywalls cracking.
Is Taping Necessary For Drywall?
In short, you would tape Drywall mostly to cover joints and help reduce motion or cracks.
Bonding Drywall sheets can be done in several ways, but taping gives you the best result. By bonding, continuity is created, and motion or cracking is lessened.
So, if someone asked you if it’s necessary, the answer would be yes. But let’s just say you don’t have anything at your disposal or simply forgot to tape. What will happen?
First, your joints will be visible and exposed, leading to an unfinished wall, which doesn’t look appealing unless this is what type of finish you’re looking for.
Secondly, if you don’t use tape and only use joint compound, it might eventually become powder and break off.
If you’re anticipating considerable movement, you may even want to use Drywall mesh, but it’s more expensive and harder to smooth, so it’s not beginners friendly and is normalusuallyused for potentially troublesome regions.
Second, as the thick joint compound used to untapped seams dries, it will cause warping, sinking, and cracking. To fix this, you’ll need to apply joint compound multiple times to compensate for that.
Finally, improperly (or not) taped drywall joints will eventually develop cracks. Long cracks will develop in the drywall compound used to cover the drywall joints when temperature variations and aging cause your home to settle and shift. This will ruin your walls’ smooth finish. You can avoid all of these undesirable results by employing drywall tape.
Additionally, since the tape-provided homogeneous surface is no longer present, the objective of mudding will be defeated since there won’t be enough mudding to fill up the gap made at the joint.
You must be cautious when taping to prevent tape bubbles. Paper drywall tape should be used with “mud” that dries by air, while fiberglass tape that sticks to itself works better with setting chemicals (“mud” cured by chemical reaction rather than air-drying).
What About Drywall Corners?
The result is similar to no tapping joints. You’ll end up with cracks or a lot of movement, which you want to avoid as much as possible.
You should always tape and/or Drywall corners, similar to any other space with Drywall. But some homeowners would tell you to skip this step (or caulk Drywall corners) as it’s unnecessary, but let’s see the advantages and disadvantages of taping Drywall corners.
PROS
Durability
The most stable building material is Drywall after it has been taped. Although Drywall is more prone to dents and holes because it is thinner and contains joints, Drywall is simple to fix. Since you’ve already taped it, fixing it won’t be difficult. Thus, the joint compound can be used to fill in the gaps.
Because Drywall is formed of the mineral gypsum and is taped, it gains an additional layer of fire resistance, which is another advantage.
Appearance
The joints between sheets may be visible if the finisher does not tape them properly. Hence when taped properly, drywall appearance is very pleasing to the eye. Taping is also a very convenient and quick way to complete your Drywall.
Easier to work with
Paper drywall tape is significantly easier to use in a room’s corners. The paper tape can be readily crumpled when applied to a corner to create a flat, snug fit. The best drywall tape to use for 90-degree corners is paper drywall tape.
Paper tape can also be applied using any drywall solution or mud. Whether you want prefabricated, quick-setting, or hot mud, paper drywall tape is compatible with all of them.
Will not expand or contract as lack of elasticity.
Paper drywall tape’s lack of flexibility is another advantage. As opposed to fiberglass mesh tape, it doesn’t flex or stretch as much. This is a pro for paper drywall tape, particularly for butt joints.
CONS
Takes a lot of time
When taping the Drywall before applying the compound, the process is very long as it requires attention to detail and precision. If you want a quicker solution, taping will probably not be the best option.
Dries too quickly
If you have applied the tape in the wrong way and it dries out quickly, you will suffer from the problem of an uneven coat. And it will not look nice.
Photographing
Photography may take place when a wall or ceiling is painted with glossy paint. Even when taped and sanded properly, the seams and strips of taped fasteners may still be visible in direct sunlight. This results from the varied textures and porosities between the panel surface and the taped joints.
Can You Skip Taping Drywall?
Even though Drywall is possible without taping, it has disadvantages and is not as easy. So if you’re new to this, it’s definitely recommended to tape and then move on to another alternative.
Now, does this mean you cannot Drywall without tape or Mesh? Not necessarily. If you don’t have any and you still want to Drywall, check out this article. It’ll give you a good idea of how to use alternative methods. Such as caulking Drywall joints, but it may come with disadvantages.
Although it is not necessary, using drywall tape is strongly advised. If you neglect to use drywall tape, you’ll get a sloppy-looking Drywall level 4 or 5 finish. Taping off the drywall joists improves the appearance. The joints will be visible and exposed if you don’t use drywall tape.
FAQs:
Do You Need To Tape Inside Drywall Corners?
If you want a smoother appearance, you must tape it inside the corners of the Drywall. The interior drywall corners can be made to look smooth by using tape and Drywall compound. It’s crucial to do the task properly because, over time, hairline fractures in interior drywall corners might appear.
Can You Mud Drywall Without Tape?
No, it would help if you didn’t tape off Drywall before you mud it. If you do, the compound will squeak through the seams, wasting your effort and money. As it dries, the joint compound used to seal the joints between drywall sheets may shrink and break. Without tape, the joint compound will eventually break and fall apart.