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?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyattc761mo 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.

eva_thompson101mo 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.