Home Improvement Interior Remodel Walls & Ceilings Drywall

Solutions to Common Drywall Problems

Fix gaps between drywall sheets, hanging edges, and tight joints

A person putting joint compound in between two peices of drywall.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Installing drywall yourself can save you money, accelerate the remodeling schedule, and put control of the project back in your hands. Drywall installers are often in short supply, and if you do get a good installer to come to your house, the cost of labor may shock you. Drywall work is a job that you can do yourself, yet it's often more of an art than a craft. Steer clear or fix some of the common drywall problems and fails with this handy guide.

Gaps Between Drywall Sheets

Most gaps between drywall sheets can be taped and mudded over like usual. But gaps of up to 1/2-inch between drywall sheets are significant. Paper drywall tape itself is only 2 inches wide, so that type of gap is a quarter of the tape's width.

Taped-over gaps with voids behind them are not structurally strong enough to last. Bubbles and warps can develop, plus sharp objects will easily piece the tape.

A person applying joint compound between two sheets of drywall.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Fix Gaps Between Drywall Sheets

Whenever possible, shift the sheets closer together. When the gap is between the wall and the ceiling, this is the best solution. The wall-to-floor junction can tolerate more of a gap since it will be covered up with baseboards.

When the drywall cannot be shifted, though, drywall professionals recommend forcing drywall compound into gaps up to 1/2-inch wide. Scoop the drywall compound off of the hawk or pan with a 12-inch drywall knife. Hold the knife sideways to push the compound into the gap. Progressively work along the gap until it is completely filled. Then, mud and tape over as usual.

Drywall Is Hanging Off of a Stud

All edges of all sheets of drywall must land on a solid surface such as a stud. A hanging drywall edge may work in the short-term, but in the long-term it can result in cracks and other serious wall issues. Sometimes, the drywall does not horizontally reach a stud. Less often, drywall does not vertically reach a solid attachment point.

A person using a utility knife to cut a piece of mounted dry wall.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Fix Hanging Drywall Edges

When drywall extends a few inches beyond a stud, it should be cut vertically so that it hits the center point of the stud.

If the drywall is an inch too short to reach a stud, a second stud can be sistered (or nailed alongside) the first stud to provide an attachment point for the drywall.

If the drywall does not vertically reach a solid section, a short piece of two-by-four can be cut to the width of the stud bay. It can then be nailed horizontally on each side to fit within the bay.

Drywall Paper Is Oversanded

In an effort to achieve a smooth surface, many do-it-yourself drywallers vigorously sand the dried mud compound and joints.

But when you sand too far, you risk the chance of sanding into the paper or fiberglass tape covering the seams, or even into the surface of the surrounding drywall, compromising the integrity of the installation. Many homeowners end up retaping seams because they've been too aggressive in their sanding.

A person applying joint compound onto dry wall.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Fix Oversanded Drywall

Check the sanding progress by installing a light at a low angle to the wall. This will highlight any rises or bumps. For fuzzy or oversanded drywall, apply a thin skim coat of drywall compound with a wide drywall knife.

Drywall Screws Are Driven Too Far

The screws or nails are driven too deep so that they break the surface of the paper face of the wallboard. This is a bigger problem than you think because once the paper face is broken, much of the holding power of the screw or nail is lost.

A person driving a screw into a sheet of drywall.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Fix Deep Drywall Screws

Drive the screw head exactly to the surface of the paper cover. Give it just a quarter-turn or half-turn extra to push it just a bit below the surface.

Special drill attachments are available, and these regulate the depth of the screw. If you're using a screwgun, the tool has a clutch that allows you to set the depth of the drive. If you do puncture the paper, don't bother with removing it; just drive another screw near the failed one.

Misaligned Holes for Electrical Boxes

It's exceedingly difficult to cut a hole in a sheet of drywall and expect for it to perfectly line up with an electrical receptacle that has already been nailed onto the stud. Professionals are good at making the correct measurements; they do this every day. What about for the do-it-yourselfer?

A person tracing around a yellow box onto dry wall.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Fix Misaligned Holes on Boxes

There are many ways around this, but here are three. One easy solution is to apply lipstick on the edge of the receptacle, pressing the sheet of drywall against it, and cutting along the lipstick impression. This is not the best solution, but it will work if you have no other options available.

A second way is to run the electrical cables first and twist the ends together, but don't install the receptacle yet. Mark the location of the receptacle with a square of painter's tape on the floor. Then, install the drywall. Only after it has been installed do you cut a hole. Doing it this way requires that you use retrofit (old work) electrical boxes, rather than the kind that attaches directly to studs.

The third method is best, but it does involve purchasing a special tool called a Blindmark. A magnetic insert goes into the receptacle, and then drywall is installed. With another magnetic piece—which happens to be the same size as a receptacle face—you locate the insert. Draw an outline around the second magnetic piece with a pencil and cut around the outline. Perfect holes usually result.

Drywall Joints Are Too Tight

Close drywall joints are desirable, but not too close as to cause problems. If you have two adjoining sheets of drywall that fit snugly side-by-side, you risk breaking off the drywall in ways that you didn't imagine. Not only that, but you have to allow for the expansion and contraction of the underlying framing members. Natural seasonal expansion of the wood framing can crack drywall joints that are too tight.

A person pointing to a gap between two pieces of dry wall.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Fix Tight Drywall Joints

Unfortunately, there is no retroactive fix. However, during installation, be diligent about keeping that 1/8 inch space between sheets by using a guide. The blade of a drywall square is about 1/8-inch-thick and does the trick. Thin strips of wood can also be used as spacing guides.

Tip

An inexpensive tool called a drywall rasp can be used to square up cut edges or remove excess material, allowing the sheet to fit.

Failed Drywall Joints

Ideally, all joints between drywall panels would fall over framing members, where both edges can be screwed down securely—top, bottom, and on both sides. This isn't always possible, though, and in situations where a seam between panels falls over the air—known as a hanging joint—failure of the joint is likely.

The temptation is to just lay down the tape and mud it over and hope for the best. But this ad hoc fix rarely works. In a matter of months, such joints will fail and create visible cracks.

A person using a drill to drive a screw through a piece of drywall and into a stud.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

How to Fix Failed Drywall Joints

Avoid hanging joints wherever you can. Also, the longer the hanging joint, is, the more likely it is to fail.

So for situations such as very tall walls, cover the wall with long panels installed horizontally, so that the hanging joints are supported by studs every 16 inches. Any hanging joint more than 16 inches in span is likely to fail though, so another alternative is to nail in an extra stud or sleeper blocking to provide a surface to nail the joint.