Drywall Industry Issues and Solutions

The construction industry has faced significant drywall installation problems since the 1970s, with repair costs sometimes reaching $75,000 for new homes that haven't even been occupied. Common failures stem from poor workmanship, requiring constant repairs.

Common Drywall Installation Failures:

• Wrong board used, resulting in wavy ceiling and walls

• Boards not properly screwed down

• Over sheeted, under sheeted

• Large gaps left unfilled

• Seams not matched properly

• Damaged board not trimmed out

• Insufficient compound in seam centers

• Corner bead barely glued on

• Large gaps in corners

• Corner bead barely covering drywall board

• Wavy walls, ceilings and corners out of plumb and square

Heritage Plaster Work

Types of Plaster Systems:

• Wood lath and plaster

• Gypsum lath and plaster

• Wire lath and plaster

Plaster Restoration Process:

1. Cover floors and trim

2. Clean and sand work areas

3. Prefill large cracks

4. Remove loose plaster that has lost keys

5. Bond all surfaces to be refinished and exposed lath

6. Base coat areas where basecoat was removed

7. Mesh cracked or damaged areas

8. Skim over mesh with plaster basecoat

9. Apply plaster topcoat

10. Prepare for paint and precoat all areas

Pre-Filling Guidelines:

• Complete pre-filling before taping

• Fill all gaps that show as black lines

• Pre-fill damaged areas and trim out

• Level cut edges to factory bevels

• Fill corners square for bead work

• Inspect pre-filling before proceeding with tape or bead work

Important note: For heritage plaster restoration, drywall compounds should not be used as they are incompatible with traditional plaster systems.