Drywall joints. Sealing drywall seams: steps and nuances. Final work on the processing of putty joints

Sheathing the walls and ceiling with drywall is only half the battle. In order for these surfaces to shine with beauty, we need to perform two more steps: puttying and applying the finishing material itself.

It is the issue of puttying, and specifically, puttying the seams between sheets of drywall, that we will touch on today. This working stage is technologically not so complicated, however, ignorance of the basic rules can lead to the fact that in these places the finish will have bumps or, even worse, crack over time, which simply cannot be eliminated. Do-it-yourself video sealing drywall seams will help us in mastering the material.

Preparation for work

Before undertaking any work, you need to clearly understand what materials and tools you will need for this. It is also important to know the theoretical nuances regarding the surface you are working with. We will talk about all this in this chapter.

Types of drywall joints

So, there are two types of drywall joints. The first author of this article calls the factory. What is meant by this?

If you take a sheet of drywall and look at its edges, you can immediately notice that the longitudinal edges (length of the sheet) are completely covered with drywall.

If you look even closer, you will notice that this very edge along the entire edge has some thinning compared to the main body of the sheet - the most common edge option today. What does it all mean?
This means that a certain volume of putty mixture, necessary for its strength, can be placed inside such a seam. These seams are the easiest to seal with putty.
They are also good in that reinforcing tape is placed in them without problems, without going beyond the plane of the sheet surface.

However, this does not mean that every factory edge will be just that. There are other options shown in the diagram above. As you can see, there are models without thinning and even without rounding for putty. This means that these seams, although they are factory-made, can be equated with additional ones, which we will now talk about.

If you continue to study the sheet and go to the transverse edge (sheet width), you can see that it is not glued with cardboard, and this is due to the production and installation technology.
Now imagine that we installed a sheet, but its length was not enough to cover the height of the room. What are we doing? That's right, we put an additional piece of drywall of the desired length. As a result, we get a single-plane joint without thinning with an open gypsum core.
It is most difficult to seal such joints, since there is no place for either putty or fiberglass mesh. The same problem exists with factory seams, which also retain thickness at the edges.

How such seams are properly processed, we will describe in the second part of the article.

materials

Here is a small list of those materials that we need in our work.

We need a special putty for drywall joints. These are probably produced by every manufacturer of mixtures, but the most popular and common option will be Knauf "Fuenfüller" or simply "Fugen".
This putty is packaged in paper bags weighing 10 and 25 kilograms.
The average cost of a large bag is 500 rubles. Expensive, but do not forget about its high strength and quality. At the same time, the putty consumption is low, which means that it is enough for processing large area drywall.

The same company offers another mixture that costs almost 4 times more for a bag of the same weight. However, this putty is distinguished by very high strength, due to special additives.
When sealing a PLUK-type edge, it can be used without a special reinforcing tape, although in our humble opinion, why overpay for a mixture of 1,500 rubles when you can buy a sickle for 100 and seal everything with Fugen ?! Here, of course, everyone decides for himself what he needs.

Tape for sealing the seams of fiberglass drywall is called serpyanka. It is a mesh with an adhesive base, which allows you to quickly mount it on the surface of drywall sheets and effectively fill the seams after that.
Serpyanka provides good reinforcement of the seams and their protection from frame movements, however, there is a more durable material.

Drywall seam paper is somewhat reminiscent of masking tape, however, it is completely different from it in its characteristics.
The tape does not sag when interacting with wet putty, plus it is durable.
There are perforations along the tape, which allows you to strengthen the adhesion of paper with putty layers, however, these holes are not enough to fill the seams through them, so the technology for its installation will be different.
We will describe all this in the second part of the article.

Strengthening the seams is also required in the corners. You can use the same sickle for the inside, but for the outside you can’t do without such corners. In addition to the fact that they will significantly strengthen the structure, they will also simplify the process of deriving an even outer corner.

We also need a primer, which processes the entire surface of the drywall and the exposed parts of the core in particular. This is required in order to knit the lagging particles of gypsum and enhance the adhesion of materials.

Tools

To carry out the work, we stock up on the following devices:

We will use two spatulas. The first should be wide - from 20 centimeters and above. It will be convenient for them to stretch the mixture both along and across the drywall joints.

The second spatula is narrow. It is convenient for them to knead the putty, clog the seams with the mixture and work it out when working with the previous tool.

Some craftsmen prefer to use such corner trowels when drawing even corners which are external and internal. This tool requires some skill to operate, so you have to practice.

it will come in handy for tightening poorly tightened self-tapping screws. They should be slightly recessed into the drywall (about 1 millimeter), however, installers cannot always keep track of all the screws, so they have to be tightened manually. If this is not done, the spatula will cling, which will greatly interfere.

Advice! In stores, you can buy small spatulas, on the back of the handle of which a Phillips screwdriver is built in. It will be very convenient to work with such a tool.

Installation of drywall without a clerical knife is unthinkable. It is convenient for them to cut sheets, as well as trim the edges. Remember what we wrote about additional seams? So, in order to properly hammer them with putty, jointing is required - the creation of an oblique chamfer so that the seam becomes V-shaped outwardly. This is usually done at the stage of drywall installation and a special tool is used for this.

This tool is an angle planer.. However, installers, even with good experience, often forget to do this. In this case, a clerical knife will help us. We simply, as accurately as possible, cut the edge to the desired width, creating a gap for putty.

Also, a clerical knife will be useful when cutting sickle and removing separating fibers from it, which greatly interfere with puttying.

In the bucket we will knead the mixture. It is very important that it is initially clean.

Other tools include a brush and a roller for applying a primer.

On this, in principle, everything, you can proceed to the work itself.

Seam sealing process

Plastering drywall joints begins with surface preparation:

Take any brush and sweep away all the dust from the drywall. Separately, take a small brush and clean the additional seams from plaster dust.
After that, we take a primer, pour it into a bucket or paint tray and prime the entire surface of the drywall with a roller. Additional seams are also separately processed with a brush.
In the video "how to seal the seams on drywall" you will see this procedure in action.
We leave the surface to dry, as required by the instructions for the primer. It is best to do this all in the evening, so that in the morning you can get to work without delay.

The further procedure will differ, depending on how we are going to reinforce the seams. Let's take a look at both technologies separately.

Working with fiberglass

The undoubted advantage of fiberglass mesh is the speed and ease of its installation.

It is done like this:

We take a skein, find its edge and unwind it somewhere by 50-70 centimeters.
We bring the sickle with the sticky side to the drywall so that its center coincides with the middle of the seam.
We apply the edge and lightly smooth it with your hand, making sure that it holds.
We bring the skein to the surface and, without tension, smooth the sickle to the entire available length.
Next, holding the glued sickle near the skein with your palm, we unwind it further, as far as the arm span allows, and continue smoothing.
At the same time, carefully monitor the direction of the tape so that it does not go to the side. See that you do not get folds, otherwise it will be almost impossible to hide them with putty.

Advice! The fewer sickle joints you have along one line, the easier it will be to hide it in the putty, so there is a reason to glue the longitudinal seams in one run. However, it is not always convenient to do this under the ceiling, in view of the fact that you cannot move in space without releasing the skein. If you try to do this, then with a high degree of probability he will peel off the sickle with his weight and pull it down. In order not to suffer, ask an assistant to hold the tape with a stick, and quickly change your position yourself.

We glue all the seams with a sickle, including the outer and inner corners of the structure.
It is very important that the sticky layer of the sickle is of high quality, otherwise it will constantly move away, which will turn the work into torment. Therefore, refuse to buy the cheapest options. Material from the Zubr or Stayer companies will be excellent solutions.

At the same time, make sure that the sickle does not overlap each other anywhere - adjust the edges as accurately as possible, cutting them with a clerical knife.
After passing the seam, tear off the tape. This can be done by pressing it with a spatula and pulling it to the side, or, better, by cutting it with a knife.

When unwinding the tape, the longitudinal fibers necessarily begin to get rid of it from the sides, which greatly interferes with work. Carefully cut them, trying to preserve the structure of the fiberglass mesh. Do the same with any hairs that unruly separate from the already pasted tape.

Advice! Alternatively, individual hairs can be set on fire with a lighter.

Now you can start diluting the mixture and direct puttying.

The main feature of gypsum mixtures for gypsum plasterboard joints is that they cannot be kneaded by machine, that is, using power tools.
It is bred by hand and here's how it's done.
Pour a small amount of clean water into a clean bowl. cold water. For a trial batch, 500 mg, or even less, will be enough. This is enough to understand how the putty behaves in a diluted state, how quickly it seizes, and so on.
Next, pour the dry mixture on top so that a small slide forms above the water.
We take a small spatula and begin to mix and knead everything. We look at the consistency - ideally, it should turn out to be a little thick, but elastic enough to be easily smeared on drywall.
When kneading the putty, you will see that small lumps remain in it, which are difficult to break. There is nothing wrong with this - they will leave already when puttying.
After reaching the desired consistency, let the mixture stand for about two minutes, then stir it a little more. Putty is ready, we begin to seal.

We take our spatula, collect the mixture with a small one and transfer it to a large one.
Next, with a small spatula, removing a little of the mixture from a large one, we fill our seams. You need to do this with transverse movements.

Having passed a certain area, remove the excess mixture with the same spatula, stretching it longitudinally, and return them to the large one. Repeat the manipulation until you fill the entire seam, after which you can move on to the next one.
It is difficult to lay the putty evenly into the seam with the first layer, and this is not required, since there will be one more pass. Now we are required to create a primer layer before leveling, carefully fill the voids in the seam and completely hide the sickle.

Along with the plastering of the seams, the hats of the self-tapping screws are usually hidden. As a result, after the first pass, you should get something resembling the image below.

By the time you fill all the seams, the one you started with will probably already harden, so that the application of the second layer can be started without interruption in work.
Now we will work with a wide spatula. Apply the mixture and carefully smooth it along the seam. As a result, we should get a flush-filled edge of the PLUK.

Advice! Do not press the trowel too hard on the surface, as it will pick up too much putty as it bends, which can cause small depressions. You can always double-check by placing a straight spatula blade strictly perpendicular to the seam.

A little later, we will talk separately about sealing additional seams, but for now let's see how working with paper tape differs.

paper tape

So, the main difference is that before sticking the tape, we need to fill the seams with a mixture.

We take the putty and rather carelessly clog the seam with it, not particularly leveling anything, but only removing obvious excesses.
Having passed one joint completely, we quickly take the tape, unwind it and carefully apply it to the putty, as shown in the photo above.
We go through the entire seam, after which we cut the paper.
Now we take wide spatulas and, holding the tape, we begin to press it as tightly as possible into the seam.
Remove excess mixture on a second spatula or back into the bucket.
The paper tape does not have separating fibers, which means that it will be very easy to hide it in the putty with the next layer.
Immediately apply a second layer of putty and evenly smooth it. Outwardly, the result will be similar to that shown earlier.

The video "sealing in drywall" will demonstrate everything clearly.

Additional seams

If all the seams on the surface were factory, how would it simplify the task of the plasterer. But no, you still have to tinker.

So, we have an additional seam. Glue a sickle on top of it, and you will see that the layering has gone, which means that, whatever one may say, a small tubercle will turn out in this place. Our task is to make it as invisible as possible, although this also applies to drywall installers.

Interesting to know! In order for these seams to be invisible, they must run parallel to the light falling from the window.

What do you think the master in the photo above did? It is not difficult to guess that he created a furrow in which he wants to hide the sickle.
Theoretically, everything turns out beautifully, but technologically it is unacceptable to do so. The fact is that drywall is held precisely by the cardboard layer. The gypsum core is brittle and will easily crumble when mechanical action, therefore, with a high degree of probability, cracks will appear on such a seam, especially when it comes to a large ceiling. In small areas, such a solution can be considered, but we would not recommend it.
So how do you close these seams?
After you have glued the sickle, start filling the seam in the drywall. All movements are made transverse. We try to hide the tape with a minimum layer, especially its edges.

To create a smooth drop, the width of the putty layer should be from 30-40 centimeters - this will require some experience.
The seams also dry out, after which they are passed a second time. The thickness of this layer is minimal - just level the surface, removing everything on the shir.
If you do everything right, then the seams will be visible only with direct illumination at an oblique angle.

Further leveling of this difference occurs when the entire surface of the drywall is puttied - we make the descents even smoother.
Before applying a continuous layer, the seams and screws must be cleaned with a spatula and polished to remove all possible irregularities.

Such difficulties are needed if the surface is planned to be whitewashed, since a thin layer of paint will not hide the irregularities in any way, or even emphasize them. If you plan to stick wallpaper over drywall, then you can make small concessions to evenness, as they can mask the surface well, especially if they have a textured pattern.

That, in fact, is all. How to properly seal drywall seams - a video will help you master the process better, however, until you try to do everything yourself, you still won’t understand all the subtleties. Therefore, do not be afraid, try, spoiling something in this matter is almost impossible! Good luck in your work!

Z joining the joints of drywall sheets is a responsible procedure, since improperly sealed seams between the gypsum plasterboard will lead to cracks appearing on them that can ruin the entire appearance finishes, especially if you have → (you can learn about painting GKL without puttying at the link).

Let's find out how and how to seal the seams between the GKL sheets with our own hands so that cracks do not form, and if they do, we will reduce the damage from them.

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When cracks between GKL sheets are dangerous

Cracks between sheets of drywall are dangerous only in one case - when drywall wall painted, without wallpaper. Then these cracks will be visible, and spoil the appearance of the finish.

If the wall was prepared for wallpapering, then cracks in the drywall seams are not terrible, since they are not visible under the wallpaper, and the wallpaper will not tear from this - not that tension (unless, of course, the GKL is not mounted somehow and even hangs a little).

Let's get to the heart of the matter.

Preparation of seams for sealing (jointing, primer)

If the seams are with the factory edges of the sheets, then they do not need to be embroidered, they are already ready.

If the edges of the sheets are cut, they need to be chamfered (edge). It is carried out either before the installation of drywall with a special planer according to the GKL, or after installation with a conventional construction (stationery) knife with replaceable blades 18 mm wide.

With a knife, we carefully cut the chamfer from 2 edges of the sheet “at an angle of 22.5 degrees to a depth of 2/3 of the sheet” - as it is written in the Knauf technology manual, the total angle is 45 degrees. You can cut at an angle of about 45 degrees (preferably no more) to a depth of half the sheet. Having embroidered all the seams in this way, we prime them with primer deep impregnation both the seam itself inside and at a distance of 5 cm from it along the edges, it is convenient to do this with a wide brush or a brush-brush. We leave to dry. This is not the only way to open seams, there are several more, let's see.

Quite a lot of people are surprised at how neat the drywall seams are made by craftsmen who for a long time use drywall in their projects. Such accuracy is connected not only with their experience, but also with knowledge of the technologies for performing drywall puttying. Experienced craftsmen never wonder - is it necessary to trim the drywall edge? Or other similar questions that torment the heads of many beginners in the field of repair. Of course, cleanliness in work, reliability of the design and excellent results come with experience, but a beginner can learn some tips from the masters that will help him get around most of the difficulties when puttying joints in plasterboard products.

We will tell you in detail how to properly seal the seams in drywall and about what is needed for this. The seams are sealed with the help of special putty mixtures, the choice of which we will also tell. If you don’t know why to close the seams in drywall products, then you probably haven’t done anything out of it yet, because just a frame sheathed with drywall looks very unpresentable and sloppy.

What is this article about

The choice of tool and putty mixture

Puttying drywall joints is done with a spatula, which means that you have to choose it. There are no special recommendations when choosing them. AT this case more important are your personal preferences, which should be considered when choosing a spatula. The main thing is that it bends well enough, and everything else is not so important. If it is more convenient for you to use a wide spatula, then take it, if it is narrow, then do not hesitate and choose a narrow one.

The choice of material that will be used to seal the joints of drywall must be approached very responsibly, otherwise they will simply begin to crumble, a bad putty will definitely not last for a long time. In the event that you will seal the seams of drywall, it is better to stop the choice on the finishing putty from the Knauf company, which may and has a price slightly higher than other similar materials, but it has passed all the necessary tests, thanks to which its durability has been proven by the manufacturer . Of course, you can also use the starting putty, but it is not particularly suitable for puttying the seams, so if you use it, then only if wallpaper is then glued to this surface.

Surface preparation

Before the drywall joints are sealed, it is necessary to bring the entire surface to be treated in order. For this you need:

Process the edges of drywall sheets, but only if the manufacturer has not done this, otherwise you can not make it easier, but complicate your task.
Clean the seam and adjacent surface from debris, pieces of paper.
You can pre-coat drywall with a primer, so it will absorb moisture much less and will not be saturated with paint, which will positively affect its durability. It is advisable to treat with a primer if the drywall is not moisture resistant, but moisture still threatens it.

Sealing drywall seams is not difficult, but it requires enough endurance and accuracy, since there can be a lot of seams, and all of them will have to be repaired, and if they are also located on the ceiling, then the master will be very tired. We advise you to take small breaks so that the quality of work does not fall, and so that the putty from the ceiling does not fall, you need to press harder on the spatula, so it will penetrate deeper into the seam more tightly.

Main works

Now you will learn how to putty plasterboard joints so that the whole product retains an excellent appearance for many years, perhaps, if you do everything right, then decades. First you need to dilute the mixture, but keep in mind that you still need to count on 30 minutes of work, because then it will simply harden and become completely unsuitable for further work. The calculation can be carried out according to this principle, in the case of cement and gypsum putties, you need to use about 1 kg of the mixture per square meter. But in order for the sealing of drywall joints to be more economical, we recommend using mixtures on glue base, they can be taken at half a kilogram per square meter.

If you don’t know how to properly chamfer drywall, then remember that this is done with a drywall knife, which, at an angle of 45 degrees, cuts off the edge from the edge of the GKL sheet. The finished mixture is superimposed on a spatula, you don’t need to put a lot, otherwise it will just be inconvenient to work. Now you need to draw a spatula along the seam line, maintaining moderate pressure on the tool and making sure that the putty layer covers not only the seam itself, but also a distance of 5-7 cm from its edges. If the puttying of drywall joints occurs on a rather long section, then divide it into several parts and process each.

After you complete the laying of the first layer of putty, you need to start attaching the reinforcing tape, which will contribute to a stronger and better setting of the seams. Experts often call it "serpyanka". It must be laid along the entire length of the seam to give it greater strength. It is necessary to apply sickle so that the seam is exactly in the middle of it, that is, the edges of the reinforcing tape should protrude beyond the edges of the seam, and the drywall edge should not be visible under the putty layer. Serpyanka needs to be drowned a little in putty so that it is better fixed exactly in the depth of the seam.

The second layer of putty is applied after hardening and fixing the first. With the second layer, you are already leveling the surface, making it more smooth transitions between the seams. In addition to puttying the walls, it is also necessary to putty the self-tapping screws, which can go far beyond the height of the drywall sheet, therefore, before puttying the screws, they need to be tightened. You can check the level of their height using the same spatula, to do this, run it over the surface in which there are self-tapping screws. If he clings, then you need to tighten it more. It is necessary to putty self-tapping screws using the cross method: along, across, this way it turns out to mask the self-tapping screws much better.

Specialists who know how to putty drywall joints, I advise you to use finishing putty for puttying internal corners, but in this case, you will also need to use a corner, which must be attached to the base of the corner, in 1 layer of putty, and then covered with a second one. In the event that the drywall seams have a complex, curved shape, then it is worth using plastic corners, which can be puttied in the same way that no one will notice them.

Final work on the processing of putty joints

When all the putty applied to the walls is dry, you can start finishing the seams to give them a neat shape. To do this, take fine-grained sandpaper, carefully process all the seams and corners with it. Don't forget to wear a respirator, as sealing drywall is quite a harmful activity, small particles of putty can get into the lungs, which, unfortunately, is not very useful, otherwise the builders would be the healthiest people.

Note that there are professionals who can make a neat and completely even seam with paper tape, but such specialists have great experience, which allows them, because they literally feel drywall. They know exactly how to seal the seams on drywall, and most of their advice is in this article. If you read carefully, you will do all the work very well, but if you are a beginner, then there may be mistakes, but they will pass, the main thing is to start.
There is nothing complicated in this, so if you have coped with the manufacture of the product itself, then the putty will pass, at least it should pass, well. If something is not clear to you, we advise you to read other articles on our website, there are more detailed description processes that are explained here superficially, as it is quite complex.

There is no doubt that drywall is a very popular material that is used for interior decoration. But it is not the end result of such work, there will also be a decorative layer. This means that the surface must be carefully prepared. special attention requires sealing drywall joints. This stage is given a lot great importance, initially everything needs to be done correctly.

When starting any work, it is better to prepare everything in advance. Pay attention to tools minimum set which is:

A set of spatulas - it is better to choose three main ones: wide, medium and narrow. The first will do the least work, but it is very convenient for them to smooth the seams.
If you wish, you can add a falcon - a special device for working with putty. It is a flat plate with a handle. It is convenient to take a solution from its surface. Although, his role will be perfectly taken over by a wide spatula.
Level.
Drill with mixer attachment.
Brush and .
Bar and sandpaper.
Construction knife.

Tools for grouting plasterboard joints

We must not forget about the materials, which should be the required amount:

Two types of putty compositions:
Starting. They will seal the drywall seams.
Finishing. With this mixture, drywall joints will not be sealed. It is needed to apply a control layer, which will make the surface perfectly even.
Primer mix. It is better to prefer acrylic.
Special tape - mesh (serpyanka). She will glue the joints of the GKL. And it is needed so that the putty does not give cracks in the future.
We must not forget that the seams are also angular. Therefore, it is better to save special perforated elements. As well as reinforcing tape for corners.

Only by bringing everything together, we can say that the time has come for doing the work with your own hands. The grouting of drywall should not be interrupted due to a lack of something.

Advice! When choosing a putty, they are guided by the final decorative coating. So, under the wallpaper, you can pick up a cheaper dry mix. In any case, it is better to give preference to gypsum-based putty. This is a reliable composition that is well suited for such work.

Working with seams

Sealing drywall joints has its own characteristics. To do everything right with your own hands, observe the following conditions:

The optimal indicators for work are observed, which are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging of the putty.
Drafts should not be allowed.
Plasterboard slabs need to be checked for reliability of fastening to the wall (profile). Any “walking” of the sheet will lead to the destruction of the putty mixture layer, even when sticking the tape (mesh).

Now the puttying of the drywall joints begins, divided into several stages.

Stitching

This process is the processing of the edges of the material. The goal of the event is to get a surface that will be as suitable for work as possible. A construction knife is used.

In the places where two sheets of drywall fit, they remove everything superfluous (cardboard scraps, broken sections).
Start cutting the bevel. Do it at an angle of 40-45 degrees. That is, the joints of the plates should resemble one well-known symbol - a “tick”. It is more convenient to do this before the moment of attachment. Although, it does not put anything to do after.

On a note! There is a drywall on sale, the edges of which have already been processed at the required angle.

Primer

It is believed that priming is optional, but this is not entirely true. Yes, GKL has sufficient adhesive properties that will hold the putty layer and the subsequent decorative layer. That's just why take the risk. The cost of such compositions is small, they are applied quickly.

It will be correct to choose a mixture based on acrylic. It has good penetrating properties and dries quickly.

If you plan to paint the surface, then priming is a must.

Seam putty

Sealing drywall joints begins with the preparation of a dry mix. It is diluted with water and stirred well. Letting her stand for a while, the procedure is repeated. Prepare a small amount - only for an hour of work.

Attention! In the work, a tape can be used - sickle, and there is also a paper reinforcing tape for drywall. They are similar in their parameters, but the latter is used with increased requirements for the resulting seam. For convenience, choose self-adhesive products.

The process technology is as follows:

For the convenience of working with joints, you can take a small container, put a little putty into it. So, work will be faster and more convenient.
So, the mixture is taken with a medium spatula, it must be literally kept at the tip. And with a smooth movement, smear into the seam.
It is necessary to ensure that the solution completely occupies the volume of the joint.
Now cut off the tape, which is glued directly to the seam. It should go in the middle.
Serpyanka is pressed a little. Next, apply another layer around the joint. Thus, the tape is immersed in the solution and becomes flush with the surface.
Everything is carefully smeared. Check the level.
When the layer dries, use sandpaper.

On a note! Working with a reinforcing paper product is somewhat different. It is cut right away. right size and pour boiling water. After that, a layer of mortar is applied to the seam. After waiting for it to dry, it is subjected to grinding. Then the tape is squeezed out, PVA glue is applied to the seam. Gluing the tape to the joint, it is immediately smeared with the same glue. The surface is smoothed with a spatula. The seam is very thin and strong. The whole process is easily done by hand.

There is another way, it is similar to the one already given. But to close the joints - you need a little skill in handling the tool. The matter goes like this:

The solution is quickly smeared with a medium spatula. At the same time, without smoothing and without removing excess.
Then they take a wide tool, put it at an acute angle - and draw it along the surface from the bottom up.
It will be right to press on him.
It turns out that putty fills empty areas and forms smooth surface on which the reinforcing product is already glued.

Corners close up in a similar way.

The result will be the surface that remains to be covered with a finishing layer of putty. If everything is done correctly, then there will be no cracks. In any case, the main thing is to do everything carefully and painstakingly, especially if such work has not been done before with your own hands.

How well you cope with such a task as sealing drywall joints depends on the stability of the future structure and its appearance. If the seam is processed incorrectly, then over time:

cracks or a fine mesh of them will appear in this place;
the service life will be greatly reduced;
the finish coating will be damaged, and this will certainly entail additional costs Money.

And if the sealing of drywall joints will be carried out according to technology and using quality materials, then you will never have to spend your family budget on remodeling final repair in the apartment.

Drywall joints can be processed in many ways. We will tell you the most popular and correct. Those that are carried out according to approved technological processes, in accordance with GOSTs, methods and building regulations. Their list is given at the end of the article.

It does not matter if you need to seal the joints of drywall, which is mounted on metal frame, or glued to flat wall. It is important to follow the process.

Conditions for the performance of work on sealing butt joints

In order to save the money, effort and time earned, several requirements must be met before starting work:

The surface to be treated must be cleaned.
The reinforcing tape in its width must correspond to the dimensions of the seam.
All fastener heads should be sunk into the sheet so that they do not stick out.
GKL on the surface, and even more so at the joints, should not have delaminations. The presence of such a flaw suggests that you need to cut off the paper at the very base and carefully clean this place with an emery cloth.
Check the reliability of the fastening of the sheets and the quality of the installation of the frame.
Create favorable microclimate in room:

humidity should be normal, since under other conditions the GKL will change its linear dimensions;
the temperature should be maintained at least +10 ° C, and this indicator must be maintained for the entire period of work and for the drying time finishing putty(in winter time temperature indicators should be within +13 - +20 ° С);
drafts, sudden heating of the room or cooling are unacceptable during the production process.

Sealing seams with sickle

Fiberglass mesh, professionals call it serpyanka, is made with an adhesive layer. It is intended for sealing butt joints of plasterboard sheets, gluing seams, cracks on repaired surfaces. Serpyanka well absorbs moisture. After interaction with the putty and final drying, it gives a single strong reinforced plane.

Mesh characteristics are shown in this table.

Consider how to sew the seams on with your own hands drywall construction with fiberglass mesh. Not worth it once again mention that the surface must be cleaned not only from dirt, but also from dust. Do not disturb the microclimate in the room. The process itself will consist of the following steps:

Seam stitching.
Joint primer.
Surface putty.
Fiberglass mesh sticker.
Re-spackling.
Grinding of butt joints.
Cleaning the surface from dirt and dust.

End joints for any type of seam sealing must necessarily have a chamfer. For this purpose, a special device is used - an edge planer. This tool will chamfer at an angle of 22.5 ° for 2/3 of the thickness of the sheet, which is quite enough for this type of work. Using a planer is much more convenient, and the process is much faster.

It is also acceptable to use a knife in this procedure. True, he chamfers at an angle of 45 about. But this is quite enough for high-quality performance, only you need to work more carefully and take your time. It doesn't matter what you cut with - what tool you have, work with it.

Beveling on a cut of drywall should certainly be done. This will be needed so that putty can be laid in the resulting recess. This procedure will significantly strengthen the design of the partition or wall.

If you do not do this, then when puttying on the cut, you will get a tubercle, which will have to be leveled with a thicker layer of finishing putty. And that will lead to more spending. building material and higher labor costs. If the layer is thin, then during operation the seam will crack, since a violation of the technology for sealing drywall joints was initially allowed.

The slightest deviation from the technology leads to the formation of cracks on the surface finishing and entails unforeseen expenses in impressive amounts.

Experienced specialists in such circumstances say that the miser pays twice. And, unfortunately, in practice this is a very common case of violation of technology.

Joint primer

Now you should start priming the joints. For this we need special compound bearing the same name. It can be bought in specialized stores. The primer composition is well absorbed into the material, an invisible film is formed, which has excellent connecting properties, adheres surfaces. This water-soluble mixture impregnates only upper layer drywall and does not penetrate inside.

During the subsequent surface treatment, the cardboard itself will draw water from the solution or glue into itself, thereby deteriorating the adhesion of the material. And the primer layer will prevent this process, since the film does not allow moisture to pass through, does not allow dust to get on the surface to be treated, and even has antifungal components.

The layer thickness must be at least 0.03 mm, and it can be applied:

with a regular brush;
maklovitsa - a special brush;
roller;
garden sprayer.

For convenience, the solution can be poured into a cuvette. And if the volume of the used container of the primer is small, use it by dipping the brush directly there.

Manufacturers offer us three types of primer composition:

Phenolic mixture. It is mainly applicable to work with wood and metal. But it can also be used as the first layer of soil for a drywall construction.
Alkyd mixture. Not suitable for drywall. This composition causes deformation of the cardboard layer of the sheet. The paper peels off, and bubbles are obtained, which then burst, hanging on the surface in tatters. It is clear that there is no need to talk about any strength of a clean finish.
Acrylic (universal) mixture. Ideal for drywall, used both before and after puttying.

When choosing a primer mixture, pay attention to one of the parameters - it must be for internal works. facade mix contains harmful substances, which are prohibited for use in residential premises.

GKL, treated with a special primer mixture, lasts longer, does not lose its aesthetic appearance and properties. In addition, the putty on the primed plane lies more evenly.

Puttying seams

This type of work is required to level the surface. According to our method, we will do this twice, then the joint between the sheets will become even, smooth and with good adhesive properties.

For work, we need dry or powdered putty. It is diluted strictly according to the instructions before being applied to the surface. It is impossible to prepare the composition for future use in large volumes - it dries quickly and you will have to throw away unclaimed material, as it will become unsuitable for work.

There are some subtleties here. If you dilute the mixture in large quantities, let's say you process a large amount of surface and you have a lot of workers, then when using a construction mixer for mixing, do not use high speeds. This method involves a lot of additional air in the composition, and its excessive amount has a bad effect on the strength of the final product.

If you are diluting a small volume, then pour the dry powder into the water until islands form on the surface of the water and stir gently. The color of the putty can be beige or gray. This indicator does not affect the strength of the material.

Two spatulas are required for work:

wide (25-30 cm),
narrow (7-8 cm).

A layer of putty is applied to the joint with a narrow spatula in such a way that the composition can penetrate deep, you can drown it a little - press it into the seam. In this case, you should not feel sorry for the solution, but you also do not need to show fanaticism. The remains can not be removed yet, because a grid will then be glued on them. Surplus will be removed at another stage of work.

Do not forget about the places on the drywall where the screw heads are screwed in - they also need to be puttied.

Processing the joint with fiberglass mesh

After applying the putty mortar to the joint, you need to attach the tape to the seam. It is better to measure it in advance along the length, or you can do it during work, but this is when there is an assistant nearby. Serpyanka is well cut with scissors. Using a spatula, firmly press it along the entire length to the joint.

The tape must be applied strictly in the center of the seam. If one piece is over, overlap the next one and keep going.

Using a wide spatula, go over the surface you are processing again and at the same time remove excess putty. Now it takes time for the joints to dry.

Second coat of putty

The top coat can be applied to the joints when the surface is dry. To do this, you need to wait from 8 to 12 hours. The second pass will remove all the flaws that were missed earlier and make the seam stronger.

It is necessary to achieve a minimum covering layer - so that the junction cannot be determined by eye.

But if this did not work out, there is the next stage in the technology of work.

Sanding drywall joints

Grinding of the areas we need is carried out in the usual way. sandpaper, abrasive mesh, which are fixed on a special bar, or a special abrasive grater. What you choose - decide for yourself.

Sandpaper is not very convenient to use, but you can stuff it on a bar - and then it will become much more convenient to work. Sandpaper during operation is constantly clogged with dust, so you have to constantly clean it. You can buy material in the store in rolls or cut into pieces. An important indicator for the acquisition this product is graininess. You can start work with P100-P180, this is a larger option, and finish with P 220-P280.

The abrasive mesh has a perforated structure and most of the dust passes through the holes. It is mounted on special holders, the change of grids can be done at your discretion. In stores, already cut into pieces is sold. It is convenient to work with such a tool, however, it costs a little more than sandpaper.

Think not only about the material, but also about yourself. The work you want to do now with your hands is very dusty. Therefore, you will need:

respirator;
gloves;
special glasses;
protective clothing.

The room must have good lighting, otherwise you will not be able to see the defects that need to be fixed.

If there are no practical skills in this process, first try sanding the joint on small area. This is done in a circular motion. Capture at the same time small area and control the pressure. If scratches appear on the surface, change the material number to a smaller one or reduce the pressure. After the work has been done, all dust and dirt will need to be removed.

By working on this technology, you will get an alternation of layers: putty, sickle, putty. This combination is made according to the approved technology and gives good effect. The junction is flush with the surface of the sheet and is difficult to determine by touch.

Sealing drywall joints with perforated paper tape

Now let's look at how to seal the butt joints on the GKL using perforated paper tape. In principle, the technology is the same as described above. Having a clean surface and observing the permissible microclimate in the room, you have to perform the following steps:

Expand the seams.
Prime joints.
Spatulate them.
Attach perforated paper tape.
Apply a top coat of putty.
Sand the butt joints.
Clean the surface from dirt and dust.

The execution of the first, second and third points is carried out according to the same technology as described in the "" section, so the information indicated there is useful for this type of joint processing. But at the fourth point we will stop and talk about this material in details.

Processing the joint with perforated paper tape

This material is a strip of paper on which there are:

micro-holes, it is they who do not allow the tape to swell and bubble;
a marking line in the middle, which serves for convenience and simplification of the workflow, especially for finishing the inner corners of the premises.

Perforated paper tape for drywall prevents cracking at the joints of the sheets. Its physical and chemical properties are identical to drywall, it reacts to any changes in temperature and humidity in the same way as it does. This means that deformation in the seams treated with this material is excluded.

The paper tape is presented to the consumer in rolls, width 52 mm, sold in lengths of 50, 76 and 153 m. pure material which is made from cellulose. It is made of extra strong paper reinforced with fiberglass in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Its surface is slightly rough to the touch. This helps to better bond with putty.

The internal structure with the presence of microscopic holes does not allow air inclusions to form during operation. If from paper tape tear off a small piece - you can see how long the fibers are. This means that it holds a high load at break.

True, it is worth considering that the tape should fit snugly enough on the putty layer to the seam, not have bends and bubbles. Therefore, the putty solution should not be thick at all. You can also avoid the appearance of bubbles by using a micro-perforated tape.

According to the technology, a tape that has been pre-moistened in water should be sculpted at the joints with cut edges. The process is more laborious than with sickle, the installation method differs from the mentioned technology and has some nuances.

The tape itself is not self-adhesive, which means it is applied to the putty layer. Pre-soak the measured pieces in boiling water for five minutes. Take one out and squeeze out excess water. To do this, the material must be skipped between large and index fingers any hand, thereby removing excess moisture from her.

Adjust the tape to the center of the joint and, in a taut position, lightly press into the putty. Adjacent ends must overlap. Gently pass the tape along the tape with a spatula - from the center to both ends alternately.

You need to apply some pressure for proper bonding, but do not overdo it so as not to squeeze a layer of putty out from under the tape. A layer of 1.5-2 mm should remain under its middle part, and 0.8 mm under the edges. Now you can use a spatula to remove excess mortar along the longitudinal edges.

Then you need to wait until the joints dry, putty them a second time and leave again for 8-12 hours. Do not forget - the necessary microclimate must be observed in the room.

After the seams are dry, you need to sand their surface. How to do this and with what, is described in the section "", in the subparagraph "".

The need to perform these works

The work described above is, of course, laborious, and they have to spend a certain amount family budget. But nothing can be done. After all, puttying drywall joints is as necessary as metallic profile and quality installation.

Forgetting to putty the seam or deciding to save on it preparatory stage money, one day you will find in your apartment small crack, which will increase in size. No matter how rigidly the frame is installed and the sheets are not securely fastened, under the influence of vibrations, unforeseen shocks, the joints of the plasterboard will “play”. Which will certainly lead to their cracking and loss of dried putty, since the owner did not use a reinforcing tape.

Violation of any of existing technologies leads to poor-quality performance of work, and subsequently - a shorter service life of all materials involved. What is fraught additional costs money and time.