Spent hours on a tricky bulkhead, but the payoff was worth it

The bulkhead in this kitchen remodel had uneven framing, and I was ready to call it quits. Decided to shim it out with cardboard strips before hanging the board. After taping, you couldn't tell it was ever off. Felt good to solve a problem without tearing everything out.

3 comments

3 Comments

karenmorgan1h ago

My contractor friend ran into a nightmare bulkhead last year that was out of square by a full inch and a half. He ended up using layers of leftover vinyl flooring scraps as shims (weird, right?) because that's what he had on hand. After mudding and taping, the wall looked perfectly straight, and it's held up through two seasons of house settling without a crack. It just goes to show that sometimes the improvised fix is the most durable one, even if it sounds a little janky at first. He said the key was spreading the pressure evenly so no single point took the whole load, which made sense to me.

blake_sanchez12h ago

Cardboard's a solid choice for shims in a pinch, but if you've got access to composite shims they're way more stable long-term. I had to deal with a wall that was out by almost an inch once, layered in cedar shingles trimmed to fit. The key is to glue them in place before you screw the board up, stops any shifting while you're working. A thick coat of mud over the tape and a careful sanding job makes all the difference. Looks factory when you're done, no one would guess the framing was a mess.

adamg3712h ago

I mean, idk if all that extra work is always necessary. Cardboard strips compress evenly and if you tape it right, it's not going anywhere. Maybe it's just me but I've seen glued shims crack the drywall when the house settles. A quick fix with what's on hand often holds up fine without the fuss.