After painting sometimes drywall seams are open up due to any impact, vibrations, movement in drywall, or any structural issues, and at that time we think over it that “how to fix drywall seams after painting”.
You can fix it at the time of installation, by doing a proper inspection and resolve the issues whatever you got at the time of inspection.
It may also happen at the time of contraction and expansion of the wooden structure in humid weather.
Can I avoid this?
Yes, you can avoid this by using a dry wooden structure and by applying a primer over the dry wooden structure.
Drywall is basically a porous material board or panel made up of gypsum and it is the most common indoor material in the united states. Want to know more visit Wikipedia.
1 | Gyptool Drywall Lift Panel |  | ||
2 | Idealchoice Drywall Lift |  | ||
3 | Telpro Drywall Lift Panel |  |
Shouldn’t we know what is drywall seams?
The name “drywall seams” came from an installation process when two drywall sheets come to each other then a joint is created due to the two pieces of drywall are placed next to each other this joint is called drywall joints or drywall seams.
Purpose of drywall tape
Drywall tape is used for mainly two purposes which are as follows,
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Now we see how to fix drywall seams after painting in brief,
How To Fix Drywall Seams After Painting
You can disappear the drywall seams by applying drywall tape with the help of a drywall joint compound.
But sometimes it has been seen that the drywall seams damaged or crack due to applying insufficient joint compound when taping, or insufficient drying time to the mud,
Or moving too slow, or you are taking too much of the mud out by wiping over and over and over again and that’s pulling all the adhesive out, and here the mud is your adhesive,
Or getting voids underneath the tape, or spreads it unevenly, or due to the movement of drywall, or if there is any source of vibrations nearby.
If the drywall seams are damaged due to any one of the reasons as we saw above then you have to follow the following few easiest steps for how to fix drywall seams after painting.
- Tools required
- Figure out how much materials do you require
- Cover up all appliances
- Safety first
- Drywall damaged area scraping
- Drywall damaged area sanding
- Inspection
- Apply primer to the damaged area
- Apply mud on the damaged area
- Lay a new tape on the damaged area of drywall seams
- Spread another coat of mud on the new tape of the damaged area
- Sand the repaired area
Let us see the above steps one by one
Step 1. Tools Required 🔧
For repairing the drywall seams you need some tools, so the list of the tools which we required are as below,
1 | Drywall Mud Pan |  | ||
2 | Drywall Mud Knife |  | ||
3 | Level Gauge |  | ||
4 | Joint Compound Mixer |  | ||
5 | Measurement Tape |  | ||
6 | Sponge |  | ||
7 | Drywall Pole Sander |  | ||
8 | Drop Cloth |  | ||
9 | Drywall Hand Sander |  | ||
10 | Variable Speed Drywall Sander |  |
Step 2. Figure Out How Much Materials Do You Require
First of all, you list out the materials that you will require. Essential material list as given below,
1 | All Purpose Joint Compound (OR) |  | ||
2 | Easy Sand (optional) |  | ||
3 | Zinsser Bulls Eye Primer (OR) |  | ||
4 | Rustoleum Primer Spray |  | ||
5 | Drywall Joint Tape |  |
Figure out how much area you have to be fixed. First, measure the damaged area with measurement tape and take out the quantities of joint compound and drywall tape do you require for that specified area.
[Recently asked Q]: How to texture drywall with a roller and mud.
Step 3. Cover Up All Appliances
Now cover up all the home equipment presented in your work area or you can put a drop cloth over it by doing this you can protect your home equipment from dust because dust can harm your home equipment.
Step 4. Safety First
Remember before starting work you should wear a safety apron, safety goggles, safety shoes, dust mask, hand gloves, and hair headcover net. Safety devices are very essential for protecting ourselves from any hazard.
For example, if you have a dust allergy and you start work without a dust mask then it makes you sick so always wear safety devices and protect yourself. Here we are providing some essential safety equipment list so let’s look,
1 | Respirator (OR) |  | ||
2 | Dust Mask |  | ||
3 | Safety Goggle |  | ||
4 | Safety Hand Gloves |  | ||
5 | Safety Shoes |  | ||
6 | Safety Ladder |  |
Step 5. Drywall Seams Damaged Area Scraping
Scrape out the damaged area with the help of a drywall mud knife. If there are voids underneath of existing drywall tape then puncture it with the help of the knife.
Or if you found the drywall tape damaged or loose or peel off from the wall then pull up this tape completely or cut this tape off till where it is damaged. Once again scrape this area with the help of a drywall mud knife.
Find out the reason why drywall seams are damaged on the ceiling and fix it first on the priority then and then only you move to further steps. Want to know how to fix hairline cracks then visit how to fix hairline cracks in drywall ceiling.
Step 6. Drywall Seams Damaged Area Sanding
Sand the scraped area with the help of 100 to 120 grit sandpaper until there is no peeling paint or loose tape. Clear the drywall seams or joints with the help of a drywall mud knife.
And clear the dust which is over the drywall before priming. Want to know how to clear the dust over the drywall then must read this post best way to clean up drywall dust.
Step 7. Inspection
Check there is no peeling paint or loose tape available. Drywall seams should be clear and visible. There is no movement in the drywall or there are no vibrations nearby. There should always be no water leakages.
Drywall attachments should always be firm or rigid.
Find out the reason why drywall seams are damaged on the ceiling and fix it first on the priority then and then only you move to further steps.
Step 8. Apply Primer To The Damaged Area
Always apply a coat of best primer 2 inches wider than the damaged area with the help of a paintbrush or you can apply a primer spray over it and let that dry. If you want to know more about primer then read this post painting drywall without primer.
Step 9. Apply Mud On The Damaged Area
Use the premixed bucket of drywall mud or you can use a quick setting type compound. Are you curious to know which is the best joint compound then check out this post “best joint compound for skim coating”
Mix it according to the instructions given over the bag until you didn’t get the consistency like peanut buttery. Take the mud in your drywall pan and load your drywall knife with mud and apply it across the drywall seams.
This means if your drywall seams or drywall joints are horizontal then apply mud in the verticle direction and vice versa. Then move your drywall knife along the direction of drywall seams or joints to make sure a thin coat of mud over there.
Frequently asked Q: Can you tile over drywall in shower.
Step 10. Lay A New Tape On The Damaged Area Of Drywall Seams
Lay the new tape on the area from which you removed the tape but before laying you just dunk this tape into the water and then you put this tape to the area from which you just removed the tape
And by doing this it adheres firmly and there are no voids underneath the tape.
Now move your drywall knife over and along the direction of the tape and wipe out the excessive mud and it repeats once again and let that mud dry overnight.
If you want to know how much time it takes to dry then read this post How long does drywall mud take to dry?
Step 11. Spread Another Coat Of Mud On The New Tape Of The Damaged Area
Now spread another thin coat of mud over the drywall tape with the help of a wider drywall knife makes it easier to flatten the edges into the wall and make a flat seam. Let that mud dry and spread another coat, if necessary.
Bonus Tip: For a smoother and good finish always apply topping compound as a final coat.
Step 12. Sand The Repaired Area
Sand the repaired area with the help of 100 to 120 grit sandpaper after the final coat of mud dried completely.
Wipe out the sanded area with a dry cloth and apply two coats of primer over it. Apply a second coat of primer only when the first coat of primer dries completely.
If you want to know more about primer then read this post do I need to prime drywall before tiling.
Now your drywall seams are ready for the color coat. Apply 2 coats of color over there with the help of a roller as well as a brush but you can apply the second coat only when the 1st coat of color is completely dried and apply another coat if necessary.
Bonus Tip: Always use a quick setting type compound for patch repairing work because it dried soon but this compound is not suitable for deep patch repairing.
Final Wording
Now here you learned how to fix drywall seams after painting. So here you can fix drywall seams after painting very easily.
Hope this post “how to fix drywall seams after painting” will guide your renovations project in the right direction. If you have any questions, suggestions or tips then type them in the comment section. We welcome your tips, questions, and suggestions.
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