sarahh48•1mo agoMost Upvoted

Vent: Please stop putting drywall screws too deep into the paper face

I just spent my Saturday fixing a new homeowner's patch job in their bathroom, and every single screw was punched through the paper face of the drywall. The mud is just going to crumble out of those little craters in a few months, and then they'll be right back here asking why their tape is cracking. Why do so many people think you need to bury the screw head deeper than just flush with the surface?

2 comments

2 Comments

baker.ben1mo ago

I remember reading something from a drywall taper who said "flush is your friend" and that stuck with me. People watch one YouTube video and think they gotta punch those screws in like they're driving nails. The problem is when you break the paper, you lose all the grip for the mud. It's not like the screw needs to be hidden behind a foot of compound, just break the surface and stop. That little crater you made turns into a bubble or a crack down the road, and then you're mudding over it again anyway. Blows my mind how common this is.

the_dakota1mo ago

Heard that loud and clear, @baker.ben. I once sunk a screw so deep I basically drywalled over a small sinkhole, then spent twice as long fixing the mess I made lmao.