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Repairing Drywall Seam of Tray Ceiling

16 years ago

I had a leak in my ceiling which was coming from a dry rotted vent boot. I have repaired the boot but now need to figure out how to repair the seam on the drywall where the leak came through my tray ceiling. The leak was at a bend where the ceiling comes out horizontally then pitches upward at 45 degrees. The drywall tape has separated from the bend and there is a stain that goes out about two inches on either side of the seam. The length is about 1.5 ft.

What do I need to buy to repair and how to do it?

I'm a single mom with no relatives in my area and have learned how to fix everything that goes wrong at my house - from the toilets (simple) to the roof vent (tricky). I'm not afraid to try but supplies are expensive and this economy won't allow me the luxury of trial and error.

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Comments (3)

brusso
16 years ago
Scrape off any loose pieces of mud. If the tape is reusable, no tears or rots, just apply some mud under it and use a knife to smooth it down. Let it dry then add a bit more mud on top of this to build up tp the existing level of mudd. then sand it. To get rid of the stain, assuming a white ceiling, it is easiest to use bleach. Just brush some clorox on the stain. It might take two or more coats depending upon the amount of stain. Usually , after bleaching, you are done. If you cant use bleach, then prime the area and paint the offending area or perhaps paint the entire ceiling.
vhehn
16 years ago
good advice so far but if you can post a pic we could probably help more.
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You don't need to skim the entire ceiling, but after doing the repair, you will need to match the texture before painting.
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Hello Christine, >> Pretty easy fix for the tape: * Get a small tub of vinyl spackling compound or "joint cement". * Gently lift the tape, and put just a tiny bit of "mud" onto the wall with a narrow putty knife. A thin "see-thru" layer is fine. * Next, use a wider (4"-6") knife and spread an even layer on top of the tape to "set" the tape into the wall mud. Use LIGHT pressure at the wall-corner! Ya don't wanna tear into the corner tape. * Object here is to have a seamless application of mud over this tape area. After it's dry, LIGHTLY "feather-sand" your patch with a 220-grit sanding sponge. * Vacuum off the dust from area, prime (1 coat) and paint (2 coats!!). The most common is FLAT on ceilings...usually because people don't want sheen from lamps, etc. on a ceiling. However, Eggshell is a nice choice too. Very subtle sheen (depending on brand!!). TOOLS: Use the best brushes/roller-covers you can buy. * Get a nice stiff roller-frame...$5-$10 for a good one. * Buy/borrow a STIFF pole!! Painting overhead with a "bendy" pole/roller-frame is a PITA! * Use a 3/4" or maybe 1" nap for popcorn ceilings...3/8" or 1/2" for smooth surfaces. Enjoy! Faron
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If we use three inch wide casing four inches of drywall will still be exposed. This is a presentation window and cracks at the corners of the window are unacceptable to me. We had a lot of serious issues in our home due to ghetto construction by the original builder 30 years ago and subsequent contractors. I spent the better part of the last year reframing and planning the walls to make them plumb and flat and used 18 gauge metal studs to level and flatten the ceiling. I made it clear I wanted full sheets used along with a Level 5 smooth finish. We paid 4,000.00 for this work. Looks like my wife and I will have to rent a truck to pick up two sheets of 5/8Ã¢ÂÂ 54Ã¢ÂÂ wide drywall and redo the wall. I will ask that their tape & finish person completes the work. He has to come back anyway since he forgot to sand many areas.
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drywall_diy_guy
16 years ago
Personally, I would cut away the damaged portion and replace with patch pieces. You don't have to replace an entire sheets, just two 6" by 2ft squares on each side of the corner. Where the edge of your patch meets the existing drywall, fasten a piece of plywood under the existing wall so it sticks out and forms a place to fasten your patch piece. See the site below for an example. Then tape the new drywall and finish. The site below also gives instructions on taping.

Here is a link that might be useful: Drywall Repair

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