Taped joints all failing in new house?

[ABCwarrior]

Our house is only 6 years old, but in the last few years ALL the taping is failing all over the house. The plasterer who did it is referred to locally as "slap-dash"(!!), but he was subbed in by an NHBC registered main contractor. The joints have been paper taped, not the mesh tape, and as the house is all timber a lot has been down to not only poor materials and workmanship, but a fair bit of movement in the house.
Can anyone advise whether this is normal, I certainly don't think it is- to have to re-tape an entire house which was sold as "affordable". Does NHBC cover this failure?
I'm resigned to doing the work myself, I am a stonemason to trade so have done some rendering etc and have the tools ready to do this, can anyone advise what would be the best product to use- I'd rather go for some "readymixed" in a tub material than the mess and faff of mixing the plaster, as it will be done in small bursts, room to room not in one big push...need to juggle the existing room contents to keep the mess to a minimum....??

 

[stevethespreader]

I was advising someone a few months ago on here who studded his whole house in timber that it would all crack, thats what your problem is not the materials used for the taping, when jointing papertape is used at the ceiling line and angles, and scrim is used on the straights, even if your house was skimmed you would still have cracks and even if you repair them odds on the cracks will come back, why? because timber shrinks and expands

 

[stevethespreader]

Also just to add if his workmanship was bad your tape could blow this happens when not enough compound behind the tape

 

[ABCwarrior]

I've said this to the missus that we're P**sing against the wind- and the entire house sits on 12 pad foundations so no real solid floor, high wind loadings here in the Highlands, our house is heated by a multifuel stove so internally and externally we have huge temperature variations..... The plastering is bad though- on the stairwell I've removed the tape(it wasn't a case of it being split on the joint, the outer edges were off the wall as if there was some rotational twisting going on??) and the gaps between the boards are shocking where they've bridged the right angle dog-leg to make 135 degree angles.....they haven't even been filled to a rough surface level prior to taping...I'm not that bothered about the cracks...but the missus hates it!!

 

[stevethespreader]

As I say it could be his bad workmanship where there's not enough compound under the tape ,wide gaps between boards?mmn I used to skim for a partition company going behind two partitioners who would sometimes leave gaps almost as wide as the scrim , the smaller the gaps the better because this can cause problems which is why anyone having boards put up should inspect the job first before any finishing takes place, this best you can do is retape and see how long it lasts

 

[ABCwarrior]

Cheers Steve- that's the plan I reckon- do the living room ceiling, stairwell and the bedroom above the living room where it's really needing done and fill any other hairline cracks... then monitor it for a year or two, house needs repainted and I'm closing off one side of the living room (open plan, hear all the noise from the kitchen) so may as well crack on and have an experiment! (Any tips on a "readymix"? I'm assuming you're a pro so probably wouldn't touch this type of material!!!)

 

[stevethespreader]

For a novice I would recommend easifill that seems to do it all but a pro would most prob use joint filler + joint cement/achmes you put joint filler on the joint to bulk it out then you go over that with the joint cement which if you don't get it right the joint filler is a bug#er to sand down so its got to be covered with the joint cement, tbh its a bit of an ask for a novice so use easifill

 

[ABCwarrior]

Thanks again- never heard of easifill will prob get the "60" so got a bit more time- does this need a drill mixer attachment or could I get away hand mixing it(got quite a few bucket trowels)??

 

[stevethespreader]

A small whisk on a cordless drill would do you, don't go mad though only knock a small amount up at a time you can always make more up if you need it, it's expensive suff

 

[stevethespreader]

Also get a good taping blade and a trowel

 

[ABCwarrior]

Never heard of a taping blade....got a Marshalltown internal corner trowel, standard "pre-worn" 11" trowel...Just seen Screwfix do these Marshalltown taping ones for £12, may as well get one on the trip to Inverness....Sorry to sound a divv, but would I then rough apply the easifill with the trowel then finish off with the blade? I'll need to hit "you tube" and see what tutorials are there! One thing that may be a problem is that as the joints have already been done, when I remove the existing tape this leaves a channel- I can retape using the scrim but as the boards already have plaster feathered out from these channels should I just aim to fill and sand the channels or is it best to feather it out further...I'm aware this would increase the overall depth from the bare boards and may be more noticeable.....thankfully I've a few areas to practice on- leave the high profile areas like living room ceiling to last !!!

 

[joe-90]

Easyfill is overpriced rubbish. I find Wickes plasterboard adhesive to be far better at a fraction of the cost.

 

[stevethespreader]

Easyfill is overpriced rubbish. I find Wickes plasterboard adhesive to be far better at a fraction of the cost.

So you tape and joint with Addy? Must look a right mess, if I would be doing it for him I would use wodertex 25 kilo bag for £11http://www.siginsulation.co.uk/show_prod.asp?ProdID=2192&CatID=21&SubCatID=202

 

[Happyplumber]

He doesnt actuslly do anything,a googler.
Easi fill is very good and not expensive ,lafarge jointing stuff is quality.Nothing rubs down with such little effort as easi fill

 

[stevethespreader]

He doesnt actuslly do anything,a googler.
Easi fill is very good and not expensive ,lafarge jointing stuff is quality.Nothing rubs down with such little effort as easi fill

nothing rubs down as easy as easifill? Stick to your own trade bud wondertex comes from a firm near us and is widely used by the jointing trade round the south of england and as a matter of fact any brand of joint cement rubs down easier than easifill