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Vent: Leaving drywall corners untaped in basements starts arguments
I've hung drywall for twelve years now. In finished basements, I sometimes skip taping the inside corners to save on mud and hours. My buddies on jobs say this is a bad habit that will lead to cracks. But in my view, it holds up fine and cuts costs. Do you all tape every single corner, or am I not totally off base here?
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susansingh3mo ago
My uncle's basement always smelled like wet dog until he found a hidden leak behind an untaped corner. Makes you wonder what else hides in those shortcuts. Pat_rivera has a point about saving time, but basements can be sneaky.
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pat_rivera3mo ago
Paul's story is one bad example, not the norm. Basements move less because they sit on the foundation. I've skipped taping corners for years without any cracks. Saving mud and time is a fair trade when the job is done right. Sometimes the extra step just isn't needed.
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paulw533mo ago
Remember this cheap flip house I worked on years ago where they skipped taping a bunch of seams to save two days. Looked fine when we walked out. Fast forward two winters and the new owners called my old boss furious, with cracks you could see from across the room. That cheap fix cost a ton to put right later. Your buddies might have a point about those basement corners, even if it seems solid now. Houses move more than people think.
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