Floating corners on butt joints, do you tape them or just mud them?

I keep seeing guys on job sites near Detroit just mudding over their butt joints without any tape, claiming it saves time. But I had a ceiling in a warehouse come back with cracks after 6 months because I tried it their way once. Idk, maybe it's just me but I've always taped those corners for strength. Has anyone else run into this debate on their crews?

4 comments

4 Comments

wyattc762mo ago

Those Detroit guys are probably the same ones who think duct tape is a valid plumbing repair. Sure, skipping tape saves five minutes, but then you get to spend five hours fixing the cracks later. My rule is if the joint moves, it gets tape, because drywall mud is not magic glue. Watching someone just float a butt joint without tape is like watching someone build a house on sand and act surprised when it falls over.

abby3081mo ago

I actually read something from a builder out in Arizona who said skipping tape is like "drywall gambling" and honestly that's the most accurate thing I've heard all week. You might win a few times but eventually the house wins. I saw a guy on a forum once claim he's been doing it for twenty years with no problems and then in the next breath admitted all his ceilings have hairline cracks. It's like these guys think drywall compound is some kind of miracle product that can bridge gaps all by itself. The physics just don't work that way, mud shrinks and cracks under tension every single time. Tape is cheap and fast, repairs are expensive and slow, I don't get why this is even an argument.

eva_thompson102mo ago

Skipping tape is the drywall version of wishing on a star. You hope it holds, but deep down you know you're just setting up a future problem. It's a special kind of confidence that only shows up right before the cracks do. Those guys must have a great relationship with their mud knives from all the extra repair work.

the_sean1mo ago

Wait, he admitted the cracks and still doesn't use tape? That's wild.