Dealing with bowed wall

[CES020]

I have a job right now that the customer ordered. It's a several 24" x 18" panels, 1/2" thick. The backs are covered with VHB tape, the thin kind. Thought it would be a simple install. Just lay it out as discussed, stick them to the wall, and we'd be all done.

However, once we got there, the plan changed and they changed the location we looked at when we quoted it.

Lay it all out, go to put the first panel up. Dang it.......can't even get 2 corners to touch. Take my level and put it across the wall. Massive hump in the wall from the seam where they finished the sheetrock. I measured the bow in the wall and it's no less than 3/16". So even thicker tape isn't going to solve this.

Any suggestions on how to overcome it? I thought about stud mounting them, but it still won't sit flat no matter what. Then I thought about the cleat style hangers for the back that cause it to sit off the wall about 1/8" or so. Then it would space it from the wall a little and the tape would probably hit at the bottom fine.

I thought about changing their spacing, but between 2 of them, there's a 1/2" bow, which prevents me from moving them. They have no interest or desire to have the wall corrected.

Do you think the cleats will work or any other ideas on how to overcome it?

Thanks!

 

[FS-Keith]

i would either build up the tape on the appropriate corners or stud mount it and use stand off spacers

 

[MikePro]

+1 stud mount with standoffs

...and get paid for the extras

 

[John Butto]

french cleats

Fabricate out of 6mm pvc and attached to backs. Just make them 6" long and put on top middle and same material small square blocks, #2 per (no french cleat cut) on bottom to evenly space from wall.

 

[CES020]

Thanks everyone, John, that's about what my plan is. One good thing about using the cleat is that it pushes it away from being right against the wall. So it'll sit out 3/16" or 1/4" from the wall. The cleats I have are about 10"-12" long, and the wall seems straight enough to have that work.

It's one of those jobs I hate, as the customer is sitting at a table, watching me work. So doing all the calculations, etc. is all done while they are sitting there, which isn't helpful.

I think it's under control at this point. I'm going to install it on my own wall, back in the shop this weekend and see if it behaves like I'm hoping it will.

 

[Mosh]

Just vhb tape some 1/4 plastic stips to the back across the top and bottom. Then put the tape on those. This should hold the center out over the bump.

 

[stoliker]

Strip some corrugated plastic waste the width of the board about 2" high to create the spacers you need to make everything appear level. Those could be screwed to the sheetrock into the studs (if the finish is that bad I am sure the tape lines are visible) and tape the boards to the spacers.