Hello.
We built a new house about 1.5 years ago. Already at move-in, there were cracks between ALL the gypsum joints, both horizontally and vertically. These cracks grew up to 2 mm wide when winter came. Not acceptable according to the inspector. We have just opened up an interior wall and found that an 11 mm chipboard is screwed between the studs (sometimes it ends between 2 studs?!?!). An 11 mm gypsum board is screwed into this chipboard, not into the studs. There is a fiberglass tape spackled on all the joints. Is this how interior walls are built? Shouldn't the gypsum boards also be screwed into the studs? It should be added that it was very humid during the period when the interior walls were built. Is there an appropriate way to fix the cracks? Or should I redo it to address the problem?
We built a new house about 1.5 years ago. Already at move-in, there were cracks between ALL the gypsum joints, both horizontally and vertically. These cracks grew up to 2 mm wide when winter came. Not acceptable according to the inspector. We have just opened up an interior wall and found that an 11 mm chipboard is screwed between the studs (sometimes it ends between 2 studs?!?!). An 11 mm gypsum board is screwed into this chipboard, not into the studs. There is a fiberglass tape spackled on all the joints. Is this how interior walls are built? Shouldn't the gypsum boards also be screwed into the studs? It should be added that it was very humid during the period when the interior walls were built. Is there an appropriate way to fix the cracks? Or should I redo it to address the problem?
Know-It-All
· Stockholms län
· 822 posts
I believe the plasterboards should be screwed into the studs with, for example, screws for double plasterboard. The board joints should also be staggered so that you don't have a joint in the plasterboard directly opposite a joint in the chipboard.
I think you need to screw the plasterboards into the underlying studs so that they can't move. There also probably needs to be a stud behind the joint in the plasterboard. Then you apply tape to the joints and fill with putty.
I think you need to screw the plasterboards into the underlying studs so that they can't move. There also probably needs to be a stud behind the joint in the plasterboard. Then you apply tape to the joints and fill with putty.
The bottom sheet, in your case an 11 mm chipboard (can also be gypsum, OSB, plywood, etc.) should be attached to the studs. The sheet joint should be placed over a stud, NOT in the air between 2 studs.
The sheet that is then mounted on top is attached to the underlying sheet with staggered joints (I guess if you have gypsum as the bottom sheet, you should attach the outer sheet to the studs with longer screws, but I am unsure about this).
At the joints, joint tape is applied with spackle. I prefer paper joint tape, not fiberglass. I believe that paper tape better absorbs shear forces between the sheets.
I want to add that I am a hobby carpenter and not professionally active in the industry, so someone who works in the industry might comment/correct if I've written anything incorrect above!
In your case, can you mount an extra stud at places where the joints in the chipboard do NOT lie over a stud to stabilize the construction?
Then, you should fill in the gaps in the joints and spackle a new strip in these places, I assume. Before you spackle, you should probably bevel the edges in the joints with a knife, in the same way you should do when you have installed new gypsum boards on the sides that do not have a factory-beveled edge!
The sheet that is then mounted on top is attached to the underlying sheet with staggered joints (I guess if you have gypsum as the bottom sheet, you should attach the outer sheet to the studs with longer screws, but I am unsure about this).
At the joints, joint tape is applied with spackle. I prefer paper joint tape, not fiberglass. I believe that paper tape better absorbs shear forces between the sheets.
I want to add that I am a hobby carpenter and not professionally active in the industry, so someone who works in the industry might comment/correct if I've written anything incorrect above!
In your case, can you mount an extra stud at places where the joints in the chipboard do NOT lie over a stud to stabilize the construction?
Then, you should fill in the gaps in the joints and spackle a new strip in these places, I assume. Before you spackle, you should probably bevel the edges in the joints with a knife, in the same way you should do when you have installed new gypsum boards on the sides that do not have a factory-beveled edge!
Last edited: