Planing ceiling plat and second floor sill.

Klawman · 11-22-2009, 04:52 AM

Sorry if the nomenclature is all wrong. Situation is half way up an 18" wall there is a horizontal line in the surface of the drywall. The line is roughly 4: above the height of the plywood suface of the second floor. I always thought it was due to the bottom of the second floor not beign flush with the top plate of the first floor. As it is so high above the surface of the second floor, I am thinking that can't be the problem.

If it is cause by framing protruding beyound the plane of the rest of the wall, is it best repaired by removing the drywall and planing down the "bump" in the wood or should I let a drywaller work some magic?

Speaking of drywall, my best guess now is the original drywall was hung pretty bad.

I donn't think this is something caused by settlement or earthquakes. If it was it happened 20 years ago and hasn't shifted since. I suspect it was sloppy original construcion. Unfortunately, I only noticed it after the builder filed for bankruptcy.

My thinking is to wait until I am ready to repaint the room and then cut a small inspection window to see what the problem is. If it is something that can be planed, cut some dry wall away, and square the frame. If it was a lousy drywall job, get a good mud guy in. Either way, I will want a professional dry waller. I have done enough patching to know that if I do it the repair won't be that nice. At the same time I may as well have them refloat the patch job I did after some plumbers did a number on the ceiling of the kitchen.

Thanks

Bob Mariani · 11-22-2009, 06:58 AM

You might be seeing "blocking" Many times it get installed at this height but it should never be. Why? Because this is where the drywall seams are and it will give the results you are now seeing. And they might have not staggered the crowns on the studs so the bowing is more prominent.

tpolk · 11-22-2009, 08:11 AM

sounds like fireblocking in the wrong place

Klawman · 11-22-2009, 11:19 AM

Appreciate you guys, Bob Mariani and tpolk.

A sloppy job of firewall blocking it makes sense as does the problem being maginfied by placing the drywall panel seem on it. ( There is another poor but less noticible horizonal drywall seem at a level neat that one. Is the cure to have a drywaller cut a part of a sheet out so the seem is offset and/or plane the edge of the block down a tad or does a drywaller thin out the width of the drywall and float it so the seem is level?

Klawman