Expert: Dan Griffin - 9/9/2008

Question
My house has an addition. Where the addition meets the original house there is a wood beam.  They had covered the wall with paneling which I removed.  I used the mudding tape where both wall meet the beam and mudded till it was level.  It's been a few years and the mud is started to crack and break away.  Is there a was to mud over this area to insure no cracking?

Answer
Melissa, I don't quite understand what you mean.  It sounds like you have some very heavy joint compound built up on either some walls or on the beam.  It is so heavy, it breaks away in chuncks.

Remove the heavy compound.  Drwall comes in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4 inch thicknesses.  Plywood and cardboard will give you 1/16 and 1/8.  With this combination of thicknesses you should be able to create a uniform drywall finish surface that is all in the same plane.  Finish the joints and texture with normal thin quantities of compound, you can and should use thermal setting compoiund for the base coatsin areas that need more strength.  Drywall should never have a joint in line with window, door, or opening edge - it must always "L" through the corner -the one exception and recommendation would be install expansion joints at these points.  These are availablein plastic or metal, if you suspect structural movement, this would be the best solution.  Please write back if I've not been clear enough.