skim cracking over scrim joints?

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jh4757

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Hi im james i have been in the trade for about 5 years now stating from the bottom and working my way up.

Recently I have been working on a whole bungalow re board and skim and part cove..the customer wanted most the walls stripped back down to bare brick boarded taped and skimmed. The only thing the customer wanted to do was only hit a few rooms at a time which was fine by me as I could fit jobs around jobs.

I boarded, skimmed and coved the lounge and one of the utility rooms first then left the job for the painter to come in. I then returned 6 or 7 days after this and started in different rooms but I spotted a few hair line cracks in my previous work and one crack which looked like there had been considerable movement of some sort. Almost like the cracking of plaster u tend to see when your working on an extended house. This was only on 3 of the 8 walls (2 rooms) that I had skimmed. The ceilings are fine.

I instantly told the customer and agreed to come back tape and over skim the damaged walls for free as I thought this was down to me somehow my fault....now the walls have been painted again and still mayb 2 very fine hair line cracks have re appeared.

How is this happening? all boards where solid and straight, scrim and skim was done just as I always do (I have never had a complaint or and seen this problem before). Although ths customer did not mind about these 2 cracks re appearing it is really bugging me.

I have searched the internet for reasons and have read everything from temperature change to movement, This has led me to this forum where I will hopefully get an answer.

Many thanks,
James
 
Possibly dried too quickly with heat from rads, maybe the stud walls are weak,and the move slightly when a door is banged..
 
Got tobe movement. Once plaster is set and dried then its not your fault.

Agree with above doors banging on stud wall.

As buildings dry timber used can move a warp, or shrink. This can also cause probs. main thing is your not at fault.

Some building move more that others. I did new house on bicen beams 6 months later big crack from one side of building to other. Tried to blame me even though I didn't board! Got backing from gypsum and no more was said.
 
The only timber I boared over was ceiling joists, but the ceilings are fine. The cracks appeared on boards that have been dabbed to brick walls, the customer has had the heating high of an evening in order to get everything dried for the painters which I did say may be a cause. I had no problem correcting work as I felt I was liable, but if this happens again in this house (hopefully it won't) what do I do from there? Obvioulsy going round in circles correcting work costs time and money.
 
were the cracks in the middle of the walls or the angles cos i have had disscussions with customers who have tried to blame me for cracks that have been caused by a ham fisted joiner when fitting skirts etc
 
Don't panic mate the job im on they've got a lad to do the insides and its all crazed but they think it looks amazing
 
raggles said:
were the cracks in the middle of the walls or the angles cos i have had disscussions with customers who have tried to blame me for cracks that have been caused by a ham fisted joiner when fitting skirts etc
Click to expand...

Ham fisted joiner hahahhahahah
 
Sounds like it was dried 2 quickly(you returned 6 or 7 days after),this time of year they should be ok unless theres also movement in the substrate.Did you "cork" fill the joints prior to skimming ?This can help .
 
Are the plasterboards butted up together or is there a little gap <3mm.
Too tight and the join will be weak as plaster can't get into the joint.
 
Sounds like from what you mention originally that you dabbed onto bricks/ blocks.
therefore there are several possibilities of failure.
suction control before dabbing, not enough dabs,skimmed too soon before adhesive has set. Etc, etc
 
turn heating down ,plaster is half water when mixed,thus dryin and shrinking with heat (not good) the longer it takes to cure the stronger it is!
 
did you brush the dust off the brick/block work as maybe some of the dabs may have come loose and may move enough to crack the joints in the boards and it only takes a knock or two to move them.
 
It could also be that you've not got your dabs close enough to the edge of the board so you have got a bot of movement there, we are all guessing to be honest without actually getting on the job and having a look. Mind you if you do get movement cracks I would have used paper tape instead of fibre tape as it is much stronger.
 
I think the standard of fibre tape is half the problem these days went to the us and they do a great fibre tape it has fibres running at different angles as well kris cross would not crack threw that , just did my own loft conversion and fibre taped it as normal then cut loads of render mesh in strips and stapled it over joints not one crack worth it in my own home . Always use this method on bad cracks and crap boarding
 
Hi mate dont take this the wrong way. but did you stagger the joints. on the boarding. or did you put them floor to ceiling. as bungalow are around 2.4 high. i did this befor and had a similar problem. i then scrimed the joints and skimed again no prblems after that. the next bungalow i did i staggered the joints putting the boards on there sides. i had no problems from there. also as said did you pva the wall befor dot and dabbing. and did you leave a gap from the floor about 2 inches. as ive seen a few trades that didnt and the movement from the floor boards was pushing the plasterboard up and down causing very slight movement which with multi that just cracks. also did you use square edge board or tapered edge board. regards tony
 
Some on here swear by paper tape. rather than fiba :RpS_unsure:
think BG recommend paper tape? .....then again they recommended unifinish :-0
 
I think BG rec paper tape on ceilings but not on walls if my memory serves me right but you don't see many dry lined joints crack. I did hear a rumour that the buildging regs were going to/had changed to reflect this but I've not seen anything or heard it from more than 1 source who should have been reliable.
 
I've not seen a roll of scrim in years that's as tough as the stuff that first hit the market all them years ago and that includes actual Fibretape.
There's little doubt in my mind that joints reinforced with paper tape is less likely to crack than with the modern fibre tapes.
 
old cotton for joints and dute scrim for angles and or dute everywere making sure you put a thick coat on , them was the days !! NOT
 
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