Paper strips under filler that come loose... how to fix easily?

[anders07]

I had a construction company that fixed some drop ceilings (lowering for spotlights). They were supposed to plaster and sand the ceilings ("ready for painting").

Now that I’ve painted, it turns out that the paper strips they used are peeling in certain places under the plaster, and when the paint dried, they did not tighten again...

Bringing them back is not an option since I already kicked them out and haven't paid for the jobs that were done incorrectly (including the ceilings).

Now it concerns two ceilings, one about 12 sqm and one about 24 sqm. Both have some areas where the strip has come loose. In some places, there are just short "waves," while others are about a meter.

The question then is whether it's enough to cut open and apply a new strip (fiberglass in plaster) where it has come loose. It should stay put where it hasn't already come loose after two layers of paint, right? I assume I’ll then have to paint once more over everything to avoid patches...

I don't understand the nuisance of gluing paper strips with wallpaper paste... I pointed this out to the builder who was here that I thought he should use fiberglass wet-on-wet, but he almost laughed and said that "professionals" certainly glue paper strips... I can now see how professional it turned out...

Best regards,
Anders

 

[BiFuel]

Paper strips should be glued according to the paint stores I've spoken with. You can use wet room glue if you want to be extra careful. I guess they've skimped on the glue.

 

[Stefan N]

Cardboard is the way to go, but you have to do it right. Fiberglass cracks. A thin layer of joint compound that you attach the cardboard to, then let it dry properly so it adheres and no cracks. Then you skim coat over it with a wide putty knife. In your case, it might be best to remove the strips and sand down the compound and redo the job.

 

[vectrex]

Gluing the cardboard with wallpaper paste will definitely work, but it’s not something painters do (it probably takes too long). I have several painters in my family, and when they've been at my place to plaster, they first apply the plaster, then press the strip in place and then apply more plaster on top. Then everything is left to dry, after which they plaster twice more. In all the spots in the house where they've applied the strips, it looks absolutely perfect. In the two places where I've done it, it has come loose; applying plaster strips is an art!

 

[BiFuel]

If you are going to put the paper strip in filler, you should have "combo filler" or something like that, according to the last paint store. I don't have the competence to assess the accuracy of that.

 

[anders07]

I have always used fiberglass mesh myself and have never gotten cracks in it...

I cut through a couple of the "ridges" with a utility knife and then just continued to poke under the paper strip so both putty and paint fell off. After a while, the strip sticks like a rock, so I think I'll leave those places and only cut where it has already come off...

Thanks for the suggestions!

Best regards,
Anders

 

[AndersS]

It should be placed inside the first layer of putty, it works just like reinforcement. If it is glued first, the layer of putty will not be strengthened and the risk of cracking increases.

 

[Snailman]

In 'arga snickaren' they usually use paper strips, which they spackle in, they often say it should be a special spackle, I would like to know more about spackle suitable for paper strips..

 

[slacker]

One uses so-called "skivspackel" for the strips - at least according to the two painters I spoke with last week! Those who ask, certainly find out!

http://www.nyfargbutik.se/se/art/skivspackel-10liter.php

 

[AndersS]

But it also works with regular filler, but I usually avoid the finest and choose a slightly coarser one for the first round, and have never failed with real paper tape.
First, you apply a layer that is narrower than the chamfer in the joint between the boards and smooth it in the middle with a putty knife that is wider than the tape but narrower than the chamfer, i.e., you must not fill the entire chamfer in this step. Here you place the paper tape and make sure to press it down with a putty knife.
It's important to place the paper tape on a smooth surface with no air bubbles underneath.
Immediately after, apply additional filler to cover the entire chamfer and smooth the surface so it becomes even with the plasterboards. You should do the filling in "determined" steps and not fuss around trying to make it perfect, as you can fix that in the second filling.

I had a problem once when I bought a budget model paper tape that lacked the small but crucial holes in the tape. If you hold the tape up to a light, you should see the small pin holes.
Good luck.

 

[Mikael_L]

In 'arga snickaren' they usually use paper strips, which they embed in putty, they usually say it should be a special kind of putty, I would like to know more about putty suitable for paper strips..

I have used a special putty, Byggmax Lätt hand.
But from what I've heard, Beckers LH might work as well.

The strip is a paper strip bought at Bauhaus. I haven't seen any holes in it. But I haven't examined it closely looking for such.

I always work with two putty knives, one a bit wider than the recess and another one even wider.
No problems "sinking" the putty into the recess, you just hold the knife at a 30-45° angle with moderate pressure.

And then I do as described in posts #8-#10
http://www.byggahus.se/forum/farg-mala-tapetsera/202392-pappremsor-slapper-och-bubblar-sig.html

 

[anders07]

Well, there you have it... Do it over and do it right... Now I have the issue that it's certain parts only, some shorter, others longer where the strip has come loose, so the indentation in the plasterboard is partially already filled. The parts coming loose are exactly as wide as the strip (sometimes a bit more), but getting the paper strip in place now will probably be very tricky...

I still think I'll go according to my old method; I'll cut away as much as possible, put in some filler, pin the fiberglass strip into the wet filler and add another layer wet-on-wet...
Then I'll smooth it out with a second filling and then sand, paint...

I tested painting a spot yesterday and now there's no spot visible there, so it looks like I can avoid repainting the whole ceiling after all!

Next time it will be (maybe) a paper strip then...

Best regards,
Anders

 

[MathiasS]

this has been discussed many times on the forum and a conclusion from it is that

1. Gluing the paper strips with wet room adhesive is an established method that is easy to perform for us amateurs and impossible to fail with.
2. Glued strips in this way do not seem to create more cracks than other alternatives, so there is no reason to try to embed the strips wet-on-wet in putty.

But of course, everyone does as they please.

 

[AndersS]

this has been discussed many times on the forum and a conclusion from that is that

1. Gluing the paper strips with våtrumsklister is an established method that is easy for us amateurs to perform and impossible to fail with.
2. Glued strips in this way do not seem to create more cracks than other alternatives, so there is no reason to try to embed the strips wet-in-wet in filler.

But of course, everyone does as they wish.

It works well in most cases when it comes to walls if one finds it complicated to embed.
What is missed is that you lose the reinforcing effect in case of any shear and in older houses where you don't want to change the frame. In houses with a stable frame and usually double board layers, OSB+gypsum, these problems hardly exist even if only painted. And if you wallpaper, it is non-existent.
However, on ceilings, I would recommend going through the effort of embedding the strip, especially if you have an upper floor.

 

[MathiasS]

I feel hesitant about losing so much "reinforcement effect." My gut feeling says that the joint becomes approximately as strong as the rest of the drywall.

I live in an old house that has also been supplemented with a lot of new timber. That is, the worst possible conditions. I don't see any problems with these strips anywhere. It has worked 100%.