EasyTape sagged in butt joint in ceiling

[davidp]

Hi,

The tape has sagged in a butt joint in a gyprock ceiling I am plastering. Its sticking down about 2 mm below the boards and the plaster.

What has happened is, a guy who was helping me reckoned I should leave a good gap between the sheets at the butt join, to allow the plaster to get into the gap.

This seems to have led the tape to sink under the weight of the plaster. Now it is sagging down probably about 2mm.

Can I recover this by filling either side, making a long, slow "hump" ? Or will this be noticeably bad, in which case is my only option to rip it all out and start again?

Thanks
David
PS the butt join is on a joist.

[rod@plasterbrok]

You are right rip it out and scrape back the plaster level with the sheets and then use paper tape to tape the join.

If you try to fill out either side you will just end up with an unsightly join. the easy tape is not easy to cover when it bubbles down like that.

<b>Never ever use easy tape on butt joins or ceiling joins, it is prone to cracking.</b>

For anyone reading this to prevent tape from acting this way pre fill any gaps and scrape back level with the sheet prior to taping and you won't have this problem.

For information on taping with paper tape go to this link it should help you.
http://www.plasterbrokers.com/tapejoin.html


Cheers Rod

[davidp]

You are right rip it out and scrape back the plaster level with the sheets and then use paper tape to tape the join.

If you try to fill out either side you will just end up with an unsightly join. the easy tape is not easy to cover when it bubbles down like that.

Never ever use easy tape on butt joins or ceiling joins, it is prone to cracking.

Thanks Rod. I think it is easy tape that I was given - it is sticky, made of a net of clear strands, maybe 5mm between strands.

I have done that, just taken me a while to get back to post. Have been getting up at sparrows fart to work on it, then trying to do a full days normal work after that - phew.

[rod@plasterbrok]

yes that is easy tape.

Get some paper tape it is very cheap.

Cheers

[Bluegum]

Thanks Rod for that. I have both tapes at home and eneded up using the easy tap. Seems to have held OK, but the blke who helped me reckoned the paper tape is rubbish. I've got a bit more to do through the house, whats the easiest way to use the paper tape?

[rod@plasterbrok]

Hi Bluegum,

What you have done may be ok now and forever. The problem with easytape is that hairline cracks can develop over time. I have had to repair houses where every ceiling join done with easy tape had a hairline crack.

It just isn't worth the risk using it. Maybe one in 10 jobs has a problem you don't want to be that one!

Paper tape is by far the strongest and most reliable tape on the market for joining. However it is more difficult to use. When it is used properly there is no problem. The main points to know are that any gapes wider than 2mm should be prefilled. A complete coverage of base coat, (with NO DRY SPOTS) should be applied to the join. The paper tape has to be embeded tightly into the base coat. Imagine that the base coat it there as an adhesive for the tape and that adhesive should be totaly continuous and thin.

You get the continuation by applying wet base coat to the join with no dry spots. You get the thin layer of base coat acting as the adhesive by forcing the excess base coat out from under the tape.

That excess should be used to coat over the surface of the tape. It doesn't need to be a thick coat. Just enough to completely wet the surface of the tape.

Now the tape is between 2 thin layers of basecoat with no dry spots on the underside or the surface.

If you have done this right you will have no problems with tape bubbling or showing through the join. It will never crack unless there is some major structual movement. Only do small runs at a time until you get used to it. If you stop and start on a join do not over lap the tape. Also cut the tape back 10mm from the internals and 20mm from the outer edge of externals.

Hope this helps.

Cheers Rod

PS Most people who think it is rubbish are those who don't know how to use it properly or appreciate it's strength.

[Bluegum]

Thanks for that Rod as i wasn't sure about the paper tape. The bloke that helped me reckoned it was rubbish but then you should have seen his work. Hence why he was never paid for his effoerts and i decided to keep going myself with it. Ive got 5 joins in a ceiling that I have to get done one of these days so I will give the paper tape a go instead of the easy tape.

[rod@plasterbrok]

That all makes sense then.

Cheers

[PlasterPro]

hi moose

[DAMOOSE]

G'day PlasterPro
so what do you think about all this butt join buisness ??
Rob overlooked cambering the butt join?!
Apart from that i agree with the paper tape & not to mention a tight butt

[rod@plasterbrok]

Not over looked. The butt join being discussed here is on a joist not between joist.

The method DAMOOSE is refering to is as follows.

1/ Join the board between the joists.
2/ Place 3 straps at right angles to the join nailed temporary to the joists.
3/ Push a 2mm packer between the stap and plasterboard. This causes the ends of the sheet to lift slightly.
4/ Using cornice adhesive or back blocking cement place a back block along the entire length of the butt join, overlapping the sheet on either side.
5/ Remove the temporary straps after adhesive has set, (leave as long as possible)
6/ Tape and trowel join as normal, Make sure you fill out flat.

Here is a diagram that explains the proceedure.

34995Sorry about the rotation on the diagram

Cheers Rod

[Plastered]

Hi Bluegum,

What you have done may be ok now and forever. The problem with easytape is that hairline cracks can develop over time. I have had to repair houses where every ceiling join done with easy tape had a hairline crack.

It just isn't worth the risk using it. Maybe one in 10 jobs has a problem you don't want to be that one!

Paper tape is by far the strongest and most reliable tape on the market for joining. However it is more difficult to use. When it is used properly there is no problem. The main points to know are that any gapes wider than 2mm should be prefilled. A complete coverage of base coat, (with NO DRY SPOTS) should be applied to the join. The paper tape has to be embeded tightly into the base coat. Imagine that the base coat it there as an adhesive for the tape and that adhesive should be totaly continuous and thin.

You get the continuation by applying wet base coat to the join with no dry spots. You get the thin layer of base coat acting as the adhesive by forcing the excess base coat out from under the tape.

That excess should be used to coat over the surface of the tape. It doesn't need to be a thick coat. Just enough to completely wet the surface of the tape.

Now the tape is between 2 thin layers of basecoat with no dry spots on the underside or the surface.

If you have done this right you will have no problems with tape bubbling or showing through the join. It will never crack unless there is some major structual movement. Only do small runs at a time until you get used to it. If you stop and start on a join do not over lap the tape. Also cut the tape back 10mm from the internals and 20mm from the outer edge of externals.

Hope this helps.

Cheers Rod

PS Most people who think it is rubbish are those who don't know how to use it properly or appreciate it's strength.


totally agree with this method...good advice


btw...i never, under any circumstances, ever use ezy tape...hate the stuff