So you have just finished painting the wall, and it’s looking lovely and perfect. But the uneven drywall seams start to appear after the paint has dried. Dang!
What should you do? Should you leave it like that? Do you have to repaint the whole wall? Is there anything that you can do to fix it? Can you actually prevent drywall seams beforehand?
No, it would be best if you didn’t leave the drywall seams like that, and you don’t always need to repaint the full wall. You can fix the drywall problem without scrapping the whole paint, and it’s definitely possible to prevent drywall seams.
Drywall Joint Compound isn’t the only thing you Need!
Admittedly, everyone uses the joint drywall compound before painting their walls. Regardless of what these joint compound manufacturers claim – Drywall Joint Compound alone can’t hold the paint, especially when it’s gloss or semi-gloss paint.
To achieve the perfect, even, and smooth painted wall, you may require some tools. Most of the tools necessary for this purpose are already available in your paint kit.
Whether it’s a freshly painted wall or you want to re-do the old painted wall – here is a list of things that you would need to fix drywall seam problems:
- Wall paint
- Drywall primer
- Drywall joint compound
- Drywall knives (4-,6- and 8-inches)
- 1-½” Drywall screws
- Drill with No.2 bit
- Drywall paper tape
- Detergent
- Warm water
- Spray texture
- Sponge, paint scrapper, paintbrush, and paint roller
- Sandpaper (120-grit)
- Work-light
Step by Step Procedure To Fix Drywall Seams!
Whether you want to prevent the drywall seams after painting the wall or fix the ones that appeared after finishing the wall – the procedure is the same for both cases.
You have to skip specific steps when it comes to setting the drywall once the paint dries.
Step 1 – Clean Off the Wall
One of the reasons the primer or drywall joint compound doesn’t stick is dust and dirt on the wall. The dusty wall reduces the adhesion of both the primer and the joint drywall compound.
Therefore you should clean off the wall first. For this, you need to make a solution of detergent and warm water.
Make sure to use a durable detergent formula such as trisodium phosphate. Use a clean sponge to clean off the wall from dust, dirt, and grease.
Step 2 – Chip off The Drywall Mud and Excavate the Damaged Area
After cleaning up the wall, use a paint scraper to chip off the seams’ drywall mud. Then use the drywall knives to excavate the damaged area. It will increase the coverage and provide a smooth, painted wall.
Step 3 – Puncture The Bubbles and Cut Off Lose Tape
Now use the paint scraper tip and puncture all the bubbles formed in the tape. You can also use the drywall knife to do the job. Once you have pierced all the bubbles, cut or pull off the loose drywall paper tape using the drywall knife.
Step 4 – Brush off The Extra Dust and Mud
Now take a clean and dry paintbrush and brush off all the dust and mud formed on the wall due to excavation and pulling off the loose tape.
Step 5 – Prime The Damaged Wall Area
It is now time to prime the wall. Remember, it is essential to prime the wall for increasing the adhesion and improve the coverage.
Apply a coat of a good drywall primer on all the damaged and excavated areas. You can either use a paint roller or a clean paintbrush to spread the primer.
Wait for the primer to dry before moving on to the next step.
Step 6 – Coat The Damage Area With Drywall Joint Compound
Once the drywall primer dries, apply a coat of a joint drywall compound on the seams on the wall. If you don’t have the joint drywall compound, you can also coat the seams with mud.
To spread even coat of the mud or joint compound using a 4-inch drywall knife/blade. Moistened the paper drywall tape with water and lay and scrape it flat on the mud.
Now apply a second coat of mud or joint compound over the tape and scrape flat.
Step 7 – Replace The Drywall Nails (if any)
After coating the seams with mud or joint compound, if you notice any popped drywall nails, then pull them out. Take a drill with no.2 Phillips bits and replace the drywall nails with drywall screws.
Make sure that the heads of the screws are 1/16” under the drywall surface. Also, don’t forget to conceal the screw heads with joint compound or mud.
Step 8 – Coat The Seams With Mud
Make sure that you coat all the uneven seams with drywall joint compound or mud using the drywall knife. Leave the first coat to dry overnight and then apply a second coat using a 6” knife, let it dry and recoat the seams a third time using an 8” knife.
Step 9 – Sand The Coated Area
Let the final coat dry and then sand all the repaired areas using 120-grit sandpaper. Use a work light to make sure all areas are flat, even, and smooth.
Step 10 – Apply The Texture
Your wall is now ready for the texture. Apply a texture the same as your exiting texture (in case you are fixing a freshly painted wall).
You can either use a spray can or spread it using a knife. Once the texture dries, apply the primer again, wait for it to dry, and then apply the paint color using a roller.
Final Word
Hope this information and our step-by-step manual were useful for you! Did you like the How To Fix Drywall Seams After Painting article? Please check our other posts – Best Subfloor Adhesive could interesting for you!