Warning: Saw a new build in Austin with the tape joints cut way too deep

I was walking through a neighborhood under construction last week and saw a crew taping a house. They were using a knife to cut the joint compound so deep I could see the paper face of the drywall from ten feet away. They must have been going a good eighth of an inch down. Everyone says you need a deep cut for a good bond, but that's just asking for cracks down the line, right? It looked like they were trying to carve a canyon. Has anyone else seen this method and does it actually hold up over time?

2 comments

2 Comments

garcia.miles7d ago

Read an article a while back where a drywall pro said cutting too deep actually weakens the tape bond. You're basically making the wall flex right at that thin spot. Saw a job where they did that and every seam had a hairline crack after the first winter. The paper face showing is a huge red flag, they've gone past the compound into the board itself. Proper depth is just enough to key in the mud, not to reach the paper.

hugo377d ago

Guess that explains the crack over my bed (I definitely cut too deep).