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A common cause of separation between a wall and the ceiling is truss lift—this can happen to the ceiling of rooms directly under the attic when the seasons change and wood building materials dry out, shrink, and shift. Roof trusses often dry out at different speeds, and if the bottom pieces dry out faster than the top pieces, they can shrink and pull the attached drywall away from ceilings and walls, causing cracks. Fortunately, truss lift is only a cosmetic problem, not a structural problem, and you can fix it by separating the ceiling drywall from the roof trusses, and patching the cracks.

How you hang the drywall can affect the finishing process. It's often easier to finish horizontal drywall panels, as the seams run across the wall rather than up and down. Standard drywall panels are 48 inches wide, so the seam is easy to reach without bending down or stretching your arms.

Although they are used for similar tasks, spackle and joint compound are not the same. Joint compound, also known as drywall mud, consists of limestone and gypsum and is primarily used for large-scale projects like taping and finishing seams on new drywall. Spackle is composed of gypsum and binding agents, making it a thicker compound best suited for small wall repairs like filling nail holes or cracks, as it dries quickly and is easy to sand. For small repairs, either product can be suitable. However, you can use joint compound for small jobs in place of spackle, but you cannot use spackle for large-scale taping and mudding projects.

Water-damaged drywall should almost always be replaced. Not only does it look bad, it’s a breeding ground for toxic mold. Even if you think the area is dry and there’s no active leak, the only way to be sure is to cut out the damaged area and see for yourself.