Uneven walls and the absence of square corners may make it difficult to properly install wall finishes, fixtures, and cabinets. This can be a problem in both new and older construction. Walls can become uneven for a number of reasons. Over time, old plaster walls crack, and in an effort to restore them, the surface is distorted. Drywall board may be damaged and not properly repaired or suffer moisture damage at some point, causing the wallboard to soften and possibly bow before drying again. Or, walls may not have been installed square when initially built.
If these walls are to be retained in the new project, problems can arise whenever this uneven surface interferes with the installation of a product. For example, if you are adding tile or stone to the wall, the pieces may not lie flat on the surface. Uneven walls will not allow a plate glass mirror to make complete contact on the wall, or the edges of a glass door to fit flush or flat. If you do not plan to replace these walls, find surface treatments, such as liners or wall panels, that will help smooth them out enough to meet your purposes. If the walls or corners are off-square, you may find that preformed showers or other fixtures may not fit well into corners, so gaps may need to be filled in. Cabinet fillers may also be needed where gaps exist as cabinets are placed against a wall. If you are adding squares of tile to an off-square wall, you will also notice that the tile lines will not be even, causing the tile sizes to vary as they are installed down the uneven wall.
