Watch the video on Preventing Drywall Cracks.
About 75% of what homebuyers see as they walk through a new home prior to closing is the wall finish. Drywall makes up a large part of the home's interior, and flaws are visible immediately. Customers, therefore, will tend to focus closely on the quality of the interior finish. Problems such as edge cracks, nail pops, visible seams, and sloppy or unfinished work contribute to customer dissatisfaction. And many customers judge the construction quality of the entire home by the quality of the interior finish.
The overall finished appearance of a wall or ceiling depends largely on the quality of the framing, mechanicals, insulation, and drywall hanging—the better these components of the home are, the easier it is to have a near-perfect wall. Many drywall flaws are actually caused during the framing stage; they usually result from a lack of attention to detail during the framing stage. There are many different ways that drywall can become flawed. Here are a few examples:
- Drywall problem #1: Corner bead pops
Possible causes: Corner studs moving independently
- Drywall problem #2: Edge cracks
Possible causes: No nailers around drywall cut-outs; protruding headers and sills; no shims around windows and door openings
- Drywall problem #3: Wavy walls and sagging ceilings
Possible causes: Bowed or twisted studs and joists
The best practice for ensuring that a home's drywall looks smooth and even is to make sure the frame is inspected and that problems are solved during the framing stage, before hanging the drywall. As you inspect the framing, look for the following items:
- Check for missing nailers. They can lead to unstable drywall, which causes cracks at inside corners, a frequent homeowner complaint. Be sure nailers are added where drywall joints will fall between studs. Missing nailers can lead to unstable drywall, causing edge cracks, cracked caulking, and misshapen archways. Check for nailers along stairway stringers. Nailers help to support the drywall and trim, reducing the possibility of gaps forming over time and reducing cracks in the caulking between the drywall and the trim along the stairs. Verify that a gap has been left along stairways between the stringers and the framing to accommodate the drywall.
- Be sure that all framing members are aligned. Framing members out of alignment create uneven surfaces for the drywall, paving the way for a costly repair later on. Look carefully for any misaligned joists and beams. They can force the drywall sheets out of alignment, resulting in a wavy ceiling or cracks at the ceiling joints. Check studs that have been ganged together for misalignment. If studs are misaligned, have them shimmed to correct the problem.
- Check the framing for windows and doors. Check windows for square, and be sure they're shimmed as necessary. Squaring the windows can reduce the number of edge cracks that form over time around windows and doors. Confirm that headers, sills, and studs are flush with one another. Drywall hung over protruding headers or sills results in uneven joints, which are often mudded over heavily and are likely to crack.
- Check the wall studs. Check for bowed or twisted studs and joists. Typically, bowed studs can be repaired, but twisted studs need to be replaced. If these damaged sections aren't corrected, they can lead to wavy walls and sagging ceilings. Verify that corner studs are attached to each other securely. If not, each will shift a little differently as the framing expands and shrinks, pulling the drywall in different directions and causing edge cracks and corner bead pops.
- Check for truss clips. Verify that truss clips have been installed between the top plates and trusses on the uppermost level of the home. Truss clips provide separation between the top plate and the trusses. This separation helps to prevent drywall cracks at wall-to-ceiling corners on interior walls caused by truss uplift.
Many common drywall problems are actually caused by problems with the framing. Corner bead pops, edge cracks, ridging, visible seams, and wavy walls may indicate a problem that could have been fixed before the drywall hanging crew ever walked onto the jobsite. By inspecting the framing for issues beforehand, you can prevent costly and time consuming problems later on in the homebuilding process. Finding problems too late can hurt your reputation in the eyes of your customers. It's also expensive to fix drywall problems after closing. If you catch problems early, you can have them repaired sooner, when it's easier and less expensive, rather than later, when it takes longer, is more expensive, and will hurt customer satisfaction.
| 
