Rant: That one corner in a 1970s addition that just would not line up

Got a job patching a ceiling in an old split-level, the kind with those weird dropped soffits everywhere. One corner where the new drywall met the existing plaster was off by a solid 3/8 of an inch, no matter how I trimmed it. The homeowner wanted it seamless for a skim coat. I must have cut, fit, and shimmed that one 2x2 foot piece five times over two hours. My partner kept saying 'it's good enough' but I knew it'd show. Ended up having to sister a new stud in just to get a flat plane. What's your go-to fix for a stubborn corner that just won't play nice?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakota_taylor391mo ago

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and reframe the corner. Shim kits are fine for small gaps, but a warped stud needs a new nailer to pull it straight. It takes longer upfront but saves a headache on the finish.

the_jake1mo ago

Yeah, that part about saving a headache on the finish is so true, @dakota_taylor39. I tried to just shim out a bowed wall for some built ins last year. Spent all day getting the face flush, only to have the crown molding look wavy once it went up. Had to pull it all off and sister a new stud in anyway. That extra hour of framing upfront would have saved me a whole afternoon of cussing at trim.

wendy_ross7122d ago

My brother-in-law tried to shim a whole wall for a tile backsplash. The grout lines looked like a toddler drew them. He spent more on caulk than he would have on a new two-by-four.