Drywall – Caulking a corner instead of taping with joint compound

caulkdrywall

Is it considered acceptable in drywall / sheetrock work to use caulk to finish an interior corner instead of using tape with joint compound?

This is not my own DIY idea – this was suggested to me by a drywall contractor.

In this specific instance it was a wall-to-ceiling corner which is about 26' long.

My sense of things is that this would be a shortcut, and if caulking was a high quality substitute for taping then no one would ever use tape. I'm pretty sure caulk would be more prone to cracking over time, especially since caulk shrinks and the joint would have no reinforcement.

But there could certainly be methods and/or products I'm not familiar with!

Best Answer

First I would not even have a conversation with that contractor. Gone instantly. If he is cutting corners here, what else would he do without you knowing? Bye.

Caulk in corners - I have had to do this as a temporary fix but here are your issues:

  • your corner isn't really a corner. Corners look good because of the sharp angle. You can for sure see if a corner has been caulked and it looks off to the eye. If you don't care about aesthetics then no big deal.
  • paint does not adhere to caulk like it does drywall/mud. No matter if you use the most paintable caulk in the world, the caulked part will look off. Paint will chip, paint will be more easily discolored, and touching up painted caulk will look lumpy.
  • caulk will not last unless the home environment is both well conditioned and very stable. So you might get away with caulking an inside wall on the first story of a two story house with a basement that is always set to 68F. Might last you 7-10 years if you don't touch it. Doing a wall on a ranch in a temperate climate, the drywall will shrink and expand, make the best caulk pull or get brittle within a year or two and you will have to constantly have to recaulk. Simply not a long-term solution.

But the fact that this topic was breached with a home owner is a huge red flag. No normal contractor that does drywall would even have this thought in their head.

Related Topic