Drywall tape that is not installed properly can bubble.
Drywall is used to face interior walls. It comes in sheets that must be joined during installation. This is commonly accomplished with paper drywall tape that is pressed into wet joint compound. When this compound is not the proper thickness, however, the tape can separate from the wall and form air bubbles. You can repair these bubbles yourself with a bit of work.
Instructions
Small Bubbles (Dime-Sized and Smaller)
1. Cut a slit in a small bubble with a razor blade.
2. Scoop a bit of joint compound into the cut bubble.
3. Smooth the surface of the bubble down.
4. Feather out the joint compound that squeezes out with a damp paper towel. When it dries, sand and paint it to match the wall.
Large Bubbles
5. Scrape the bubble with a drywall knife, ripping it open.
6. Pull off the tape around the bubble, exposing the seam between the two pieces of drywall.
7. Apply self-adhesive mesh drywall tape over the seam, smoothing it out to prevent new bubbles. Since it is adhered directly to the wall, it will not bubble due to improper amounts of joint compound used.
8. Apply a layer of joint compound over the tape with the drywall knife. It should be slightly wider than the tape, with edges that feather into the wall.
9. Allow the joint compound to dry completely.
10. Sand the joint compound lightly with 100-grit sandpaper if there are noticeable defects.
11. Apply a second layer of joint compound, feathering it out past the edges of the first layer. Let it dry and sand it if needed.
12. Apply a third layer of joint compound, feathering it even further past the first two layers.
13. Let the third layer dry, then sand and paint the area to match the rest of the wall.
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