Drywall compound cracking on new install

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Smythers

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Hi,

Recently we did a full gut and remodel of our bathroom. Everything went very well. However, the walls are cracking (the drywall compound) at the corners in the shower/tub area in the corners. We used fiberglass mesh tape for our joints and Green board for the bathroom walls.

When we did the work 2 months ago, we noticed the drywall compound took quiet a while to cure - so we gave it some more time - like 1 or 2 days. Humidity in the house seemed fine when we did the work. We kept the bathroom fan on to keep the air flowing. The new bathroom fan was well rated for the size of the room, and we installed one of those switches that senses humidity and turns on automatically (works great). The house was air conditioned the entire time. We painted the undercoat and top coat, everything seemed to go fine.

Just 2-3 months, and many showers later, we're getting these cracks.

Any suggestions on how to fix them?
 

Jadnashua

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Was this the pre-mixed, or dry powder drywall mud? Cracks in the pre-mixed tend to come when the stuff is applied beyond the recommended thickness. It shrinks, cracks, and can peel away from the surface sort of like mud in a puddle after it dries out. Think alligator cracks. The dry stuff, over watered when mixing can cause cracks from shrinkage. It could be from movement...a picture of the problem area might help. If you get close enough, use the macro setting on your phone so it will end up in focus, otherwise, it's really hard to tell anything.

FWIW, in most codes, moisture resistant drywall (often called greenboard) is not recommended. Is there tile over this? Generally, you either have a wet area like in a shower or tub surround, or, it's dry. In the former, a cement board is called for, and in the latter, plain drywall works just fine.
 

Dj2

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"When we did the work 2 months ago, we noticed the drywall compound took quiet a while to cure - so we gave it some more time - like 1 or 2 days."

Drywall mud should be applied by thin layers/coats, completely dried and sanded before the next layers. Sometimes you have to apply 3 layers, sometimes 5 layers. Rushing the job by applying only 1 layer or 2, has these kind of results.

"We used fiberglass mesh tape for our joints and Green board for the bathroom walls."

Next time use cement board, not drywall, for tile application.
 

Jadnashua

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Greenboard also has a coating on it that the drywall mud doesn't like to stick to as well as the regular stuff.
 

LLigetfa

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the walls are cracking (the drywall compound) at the corners in the shower/tub area in the corners.
A shower with drywall and no tile?

Corners can sometimes crack if they are not well blocked and screwed. Also in new construction, the studs themselves can shrink as what they call kiln dried is not really to cabinet grade standards.
 

Cacher_Chick

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Particularly with mesh tape, we only use setting compound as the mesh is not as strong as paper tape and often ends up showing a crack along the joint. The 45 minute compound normally affords us plenty of working time, but the are 90 and 120 minute varieties also.

Your best option at this point is to scrape the effected corners out until you have good substrate to work with, and start over.

Finished drywall which has been primed and painted with acrylic latex or oil based paint will hold up just fine above a composite shower surround or shower ceiling.
 

Bearhunt

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This is an old thread, but putting mesh tape on anything but flats is a no no..paper tape in the corners and butt joints always. Green board doesn't tape much different than regular, shouldn't be an issue there..my two cents
 
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