# bathroom drywall question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782 "2010-08-19T19:51:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dukette71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@dukette71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dukette71)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/1 "2010-08-19T19:51:36Z")
The seams show through the paint on my bathroom drywall. You can see where someone tried to join the panels with drywall tape. Does the drywall need to be redone completely, or is there a fix for this? thanks! ---
**Author:** ![robsam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@robsam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robsam)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/2 "2010-08-20T17:11:11Z")
I think you can use some prime. If this doesn’t work you will have to repaint it because if bathroom drywall is damaged completely then it can’t be fixed. If you can post the picture of that place then it would be really easy to understand clearly that what can be done to fix the wall. I was having the same problem, I tried applying some patching but it did not worked for me because damage was heavy. You may repair it but I can’t tell you what to do until I don’t see the place. :rolleyes: * * * “Going High” ---
**Author:** ![freddymac85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@freddymac85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freddymac85)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/3 "2010-11-16T02:45:19Z")
Is your wall plaster or drywall? We had an older house that I thought was drywall. It turned out to be plaster and it really makes a big difference. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/4 "2010-11-18T06:31:55Z")
probably not that big of a deal. May need to sand and re-mud the seam, then re-texture that part of the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/5 "2010-11-18T12:38:19Z")
Not that big of a deal? Have you ever mudded and sanded drywall? First time can be frustrating. More on point, if it is _just_ that the tape is showing through the paint and not actual damage it may be whoever installed the drywall skipped the “mud” part of the exercise. In which case proper mudding could solve the problem. You will, of course, need to repaint after doing that. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/6 "2010-11-18T17:35:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Not that big of a deal? Have you ever mudded and sanded drywall? First time can be frustrating. > > More on point, if it is _just_ that the tape is showing through the paint and not actual damage it may be whoever installed the drywall skipped the “mud” part of the exercise. In which case proper mudding could solve the problem. You will, of course, need to repaint after doing that. Yeah, quite a bit of it…I kind of enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/7 "2010-11-19T01:49:37Z")
You are a sick and twisted individual, that’s all I’m gonna say… ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/8 "2010-11-20T05:11:43Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > You are a sick and twisted individual, that’s all I’m gonna say… lol ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/9 "2010-11-22T17:43:11Z")
It depends on the taping job. Got any pics and we might be able to evaluate it. Otherwise, it’s not the tape but the mudding. Some people use too narrow a trowel and don’t feather out their seams wide enough. The secret is that you’re not trying to plaster and sand the seams, patches, corners, etc. perfectly flat, you are trying create the illusion that they are flat. Mudding must be done in 3 coats. The first is the skim coat with a 6" putty knife to set the tape and to fill in any imperfections, screwholes, etc. For the second coat, again with a 6" trowel, flare out the seams and patches by aprox. 4-5 inches. When applying the third coat, or finish coat, use a 8-10 inch trowel and feather it out over 8-10 inches. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/10 "2010-12-03T19:30:26Z")
Of course, the quick and dirty answer is to hide the bad taping with either wallpaper or texture paint. The proper way, naturally, would be to first determine if the tape is actually bonded to the drywall. Poke at it, and it if moves at all, then it was never bonded properly. If it’s not, then it needs to be scraped off and you start fresh. If it is secure, then whoever patched the wall probably just didn’t feather the edges thin or wide enough, in which case, a couple coats and sanding will probably make it look wonderful. (Or worse, depending on how good you are at this, and how aggravated you get while trying to smooth it all out.) ---
**Author:** ![Mekigal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Mekigal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekigal)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/11 "2011-01-02T05:09:21Z")
> [@dukette71](#): > > The seams show through the paint on my bathroom drywall. You can see where someone tried to join the panels with drywall tape. Does the drywall need to be redone completely, or is there a fix for this? > thanks! You have some pretty good answers here already , but here goes my 2 cents. Knock off the bumps as best you can as to eliminate exacerbation of imperfections . You want to make the build up of mud as small as you can so as to eliminate the amount of floating that has to be done. If you end up with lets say a 1/2 inch bump you will have to float the mud out several feet if you want it to look good and flat. So it is like the one person said " you are creating an illusion that the wall is flat, but the flatter you start the less illusion you will have to create. As far as sanding , painted walls don’t sand very well , so the scraping technique works wonders. Keep in mind the age of the house and the health effects of lead paint. Follow protocol of lead paint containment , buy a lead paint test kit and check to see if there is lead paint first. ---
**Author:** ![Mekigal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Mekigal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekigal)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/12 "2011-01-02T05:19:33Z")
> [@Mekigal](#): > > You have some pretty good answers here already , but here goes my 2 cents. Knock off the bumps as best you can as to eliminate exacerbation of imperfections . You want to make the build up of mud as small as you can so as to eliminate the amount of floating that has to be done. If you end up with lets say a 1/2 inch bump you will have to float the mud out several feet if you want it to look good and flat. So it is like the one person said " you are creating an illusion that the wall is flat, but the flatter you start the less illusion you will have to create. As far as sanding , painted walls don’t sand very well , so the scraping technique works wonders. Keep in mind the age of the house and the health effects of lead paint. Follow protocol of lead paint containment , buy a lead paint test kit and check to see if there is lead paint first. O.K\> I forgot some stuff. Use taping mud or at least All purpose mud so it will adhere better to the painted walls . Make sure to remove loose tape and apply new tape. After you are all finished floating and before you texture (if you are applying texture) sponge the edges with a masons grout sponge using water. This will smooth out the transition from the old to the new. ---
**Author:** ![Harland1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7feea3/32.png) [@Harland1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harland1)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/13 "2011-07-13T18:25:43Z")
> [@bdgr](#): > > probably not that big of a deal. May need to sand and re-mud the seam, then re-texture that part of the wall. Nice answer and idea shared dude,. thanks for the sharing,. ---
**Author:** ![Graham\_66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/edb3f5/32.png) [@Graham\_66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graham_66)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/14 "2011-07-22T06:26:42Z")
> [@dukette71](#): > > The seams show through the paint on my bathroom drywall. You can see where someone tried to join the panels with drywall tape. Does the drywall need to be redone completely, or is there a fix for this? > thanks! I think some expert plumber is really necessary for you. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/15 "2011-07-25T19:55:37Z")
> [@bdgr](#): > > Yeah, quite a bit of it…I kind of enjoy it. So your mother was a mudder? ---
**Author:** ![Rickymouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Rickymouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rickymouse)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-drywall-question/550782/16 "2011-09-25T16:19:05Z")
Most of the posts here are good at repairing the seam. I would like to add that when patching over fresh paint it’s hard to get a good patch. It’s better if the paint has fully cured, about a month and maybe more in a bathroom or kitchen. Over any aged paint the paint should be washed(if old), let dry, and scuffed with a piece of one of those scuff pads because it’s probably a semigloss in the bathroom. This allows the joint compound to be feathered to a fine edge which will be smoothly covered by the primer. I am attempting to put my knowledge into written words here so I may have omited something, I usually show people how to do it. There is a bow in a proper drywall knife also, one way for feathering and one way for building. look at the knife.