How to hide drywall seams

Covering drywall seams in itself is a specialized trade. Drywall taping requires a professional with years of experience installing and finishing drywall. Improper drywall installation and taping could lead to severe problems such as cracks and bubbles.

What are drywall seams?

Drywall seams are when the edges of one drywall sheet meet another drywall sheet. These seams need to be taped and mudded, or else there could be structural damage once the house has settled, resulting in a more expensive repair.

Why are drywall seams showing?

There are a couple of reasons why drywall seams may be showing in your walls. These reasons are

Your house is settling
Improper installation of drywall
Sudden Changes In Temperature

Home is Settling

After a home is constructed, the house itself settles into its final shape, and this process usually takes a few years. During this process, the house will shift, and drywall cracks will start becoming more apparent.

Improper Installation

Improper drywall installation could lead to long-term physical damage to drywall finishes. Drywall requires joint compound to be applied to the seams and sanded to create a smooth finish.

Changes In Temperature

Temperature changes lead to the walls expanding and contracting, especially the joint compound and tape used to cover drywall seams. If you can, keep the temperature indoors similar to the temperatures outdoors.

How To Hide Drywall Seams

Now, how do we hide drywall seams that start to appear? Find a list of methods below

Apply a level 5 skim coat of joint compound
Sand the appearing seam
Use dark paint
Hang up wall decor
Apply a primer
Put up wallpaper

Apply a level 5 skim coat of joint compound

Applying a level 5 skim coat across the entire wall will remove the seam, and it is the best solution for hiding drywall seams. Using this method will require a professional to apply an eighth-inch layer of skim coat compound to cover the seams and holes in the walls. Once done, you will no longer be able to see the seam for good. We have another article on different levels of drywall if you want to learn more about drywall finishes.

Sand the appearing seam

Wait for the compound to dry once the seam is taped and filled with the joint compound. Once it is dried and shrinks, it will be ready to be sanded. Lightly sand the seam until the texture is flattened out and in line with the rest of the wall.

Use dark or matte paint

Matte paint is the best option for hiding any imperfections that may have occurred during the drywall finishing process. If matte paint isn’t available for you, try using a darker shade of paint. The darker colour will limit the light reflection in the room, so the seam isn’t so apparent.

Hang up wall decor

One of the simplest ways to hide a drywall seam is to hang up wall decor. Some things that people use include photos, tapestries, paintings, and posters.

Apply a primer

Primer is made from polyvinyl acetate and is used to cover unfinished drywall before the painting begins. Ensure that the mud has been dried and sanded before applying a primer. If the primer is applied with the joint compound, the compound will shrink and cause cracks to show in the primer after it has dried. For hiding drywall seams, you will want to use a primer made for cracks.

Put up wallpaper

Similar to wall decor, wallpaper is used to cover up any imperfections or mistakes made in the drywalling process. Before placing wallpaper over the drywall seam, you will still want to use a joint compound to smooth any cracks. If there are too many cracks, do not start putting up the wallpaper. Cracks will allow trapped air to bubble, showing through the wallpaper.

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