# Durabond bowed wall? 1/2" thick?



## daxsmith (May 17, 2015)

I've been googling and checked youtube and otherwise searching trying to answer this question on my own with no luck. I'm hoping you can help!

I have a finished and painted section of drywall that is straight except the last 14 inches or so is 1/2" out of plane from the rest of the wall. In the attached photo you can see about a 1/2" gap in the corner.

I plan to tile this wall and I need a very flat wall. I'm considering nailing a spacer (floor to ceiling) at the corner to space out about 3/8 of an inch to use as a screed guide for my wide drywall knife. Then mixing up some Durabond 45 and run the knife top to bottom with one edge on the guide and the other on the wall allowing mud to fill in the low area. Let it dry. Remove the guide board and then do a second skim coat to fill in what remains including the slot left by the guide board spacer. Then feather it out. I'll probably have to re-tape the corner too, correct?

Anyone see a problem with my proposed fix? Before you say rip the drywall off and fix the studs, the framing is really tough with a lot of wiring running through the studs and plumbing pipe run horizontal through the studs. Ripping off the drywall to fix the studs is not a great option.


Will durabond at a 1/2" thick crack or fail over time? If need be, I could fill most of the low are with 1/4" sheetrock using glue and screws to eliminate some of the thickness required by the durabond coat and then skim with the durbond.

The last and also undesirable option is to shim the low spot and put another sheet of sheetrock up on the wall and then tape everything.

I'm hoping the skim coat in the corner will work as it seems to be the least of all the evils.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

If they are big tiles I'd just load up some medium bed thinset on that end when I set them.


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## madmax718 (Dec 7, 2012)

I wouldn't bother- the thinset in that corner will take care of it. If your using organic mastic it might shrink a lot, just be careful of that.


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## PCI (Jun 8, 2012)

Daxsmith, that is what I would do too. Try to skim it out as far as you can. Test it with a straight edge out about 36" or so. Try to make it gradual.


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

PCI said:


> Daxsmith, that is what I would do too. Try to skim it out as far as you can. Test it with a straight edge out about 36" or so. Try to make it gradual.


I agree . I think he's got it figured out.


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## daxsmith (May 17, 2015)

Thanks guys. Glad to hear I'm on the right track. Will that corner need tape after leveling?


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

No need to tape that corner if you are installing tile--


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## daxsmith (May 17, 2015)

I'm installing tile 1/3 of the way up. The top 2/3's will be painted. Since corner has been taped and I'm building it out I wasn't sure if more tape would be required.


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

daxsmith said:


> I'm installing tile 1/3 of the way up. The top 2/3's will be painted. Since corner has been taped and I'm building it out I wasn't sure if more tape would be required.


I'd tape and finish the angle.In that case.. top to bottom Just to keep the lines straight . And with that heavy build up the painted section could [will] crack without taping the angle.


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## charimon (Nov 24, 2008)

daxsmith said:


> I've been googling and checked youtube and otherwise searching trying to answer this question on my own with no luck. I'm hoping you can help!
> 
> I have a finished and painted section of drywall that is straight except the last 14 inches or so is 1/2" out of plane from the rest of the wall. In the attached photo you can see about a 1/2" gap in the corner.
> 
> I plan to tile this wall and I need a very flat wall. .


if you planon tiling this wall just screed mudfloat on that portion
run a thinset bond coat,lath the back 10", and wall mud it. 
This would be the best choice for a tile substrait


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

I'm not getting it. 14" inches horizontally (and it keeps going out of the pic?) or a skinny vertical thing? With the switches so close, it almost looks like a non issue, but maybe it continues. And if you skim out, will there be any new issues with the outlet box? 

BTW, what size tile? Help us out here! Details are vital to us curious folk.


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## daxsmith (May 17, 2015)

MarkJames said:


> I'm not getting it. 14" inches horizontally (and it keeps going out of the pic?) or a skinny vertical thing? With the switches so close, it almost looks like a non issue, but maybe it continues. And if you skim out, will there be any new issues with the outlet box?
> 
> BTW, what size tile? Help us out here! Details are vital to us curious folk.



Mark,

The wall is 6 feet long. It was only the last 14 inches (where it runs into a corner at the door frame) that was out-of-plane. 

I'm putting up 8 x 8 travertine capped with a border on top and then the border will have a capital on top of it. The capitals are a foot long so the wall has to be really flat.

Yes, I will have problems with the electrical box but I will pick up a 2 gang box extender and that will solve that problem. Worst case I might have to mill some off the extender using my bridgeport mill but I doubt that will be necessary.

I had to decide whether to fix the wall before tiling or deal with it while tiling. Since dealing with it while tiling could open a can of worms I chose to make the wall flat before tiling.

I already floated it this evening. I tacked 1/4" lath in the corner with some paint sticks on top of the lath for a little extra thickness. That put me about 1/8 inch low from where I want to be but I will build it out more with joint compound rather than hot mud. I screeded off the durabond using the lath as a guide. Let the mud harden. Removed the lath. Then filled the gap where the lath was previously. I'll let all that dry thoroughly overnight tonight and then will put on the next coat in the morning.

It looks rough now but at that thickness it was mostly important to get the mud on the wall. I'll make it look good with the next few coats. Once I get it close I'll switch from durabond over to more of an all purpose joint compound. I'll feather it out. Tape the corner and feather and then prime and paint.

Its a pain in the ass for sure. But I'm a perfectionist and its not in me to do something of a lesser quality than I'm capable of doing even it it means extra work to get me there.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

For every action there is a reaction. :whistling


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I wouldn't leave a rough surface just because it's a build-out. It just makes getting it smooth tougher. I also would have used a trowel and not a knife.


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## daxsmith (May 17, 2015)

hdavis said:


> I wouldn't leave a rough surface just because it's a build-out. It just makes getting it smooth tougher. I also would have used a trowel and not a knife.


I did use a trowel. I didn't realize I had said knife.

Then I used a 4 foot long aluminum guide as a screed. I had to add more durabond today because it was still a little low but I'm now at a point where I can start working on the finishing coats.


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## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

there is a easyer way


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## TiM Management (Jul 18, 2013)

You could have shimmed that corner out with a piece of 1/4"-3/8" rock and used longer screws in that corner.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Your a day late and a dollar short. :jester:


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Big Shoe said:


> Your a day late and a dollar short. :jester:


Story of my life!!


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## TiM Management (Jul 18, 2013)

Now you know next time around.


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