I have a problem that I could use some expert advice on. I recently bought a manufactured home. Lovely as it is, it has these one inch strips every 4 feet (or more over windows and doors), where instead of taping and spackling the wallboard seams, they put on these strips. They extend about 1/16th" out from the face of the wall. Oh, another thing is that these wallboards are covered with a vinyl plastic like wall covering, as are the strips.

I was told that if I got someone, a professional, to tape and spackle these seems, after removal of the strips, that the seams would crack or split open in the future. Another person told me that skip troweling is what needs to be done, and that at the cost of about $1400 for a 17 x 15 room. Too rich for me. The spackling cost was much less. Any expert out there can help me????

Thanks, Donna

 

The strips that cover the gaps between drywall panels serve to purposes. First [as you know] they cover the gap and secondly they are there in place of tape so any movement of the MH won't crack a taped joint.

If you decide to remove the strips and tape and mud the walls should be primed with a solvent based primer which will insure both the mud and the paint will adhere. Of course the taped joints will need to be reprimed when the mudding is finshed. The walls don't need to be textured, unless that is the look you want.