The Dos and Don’ts of Taping Drywall
A professional drywall contractor makes it look so easy, as they quickly slather compound on every joint and hole, and leave behind a smooth as glass finish. While taping drywall is not that hard, achieving a flawless finish can be difficult, as it requires the right techniques, tools, and a great deal of patience.
DO put your drill to work.
Drywall mud has to be smooth and free from any clumps before you start to tape. Mixing powdered compound and water manually can be somewhat time-consuming, and you will often not work out all the lumps. Instead, try using a mixing bit, attach it to a heavy-duty power drill to blend the compound until it has a rich creamy consistency. Even the premixed mud will benefit from a burst of this, as it will often settle in the container.
DON’T buy the wrong mud.
One of the most common mistakes is to use the wrong mud. Try using an “all-purpose” or “setting” compound for the first coat and for every one after it, with the exception of the final one. An all-purpose compound will go on smooth and adheres well to both the joints and tape. For the final coat, you need to use a “topping” compound, this will create a fine surface and will sand easily.
Unless you are an experienced taper, do not use “fast-setting,” or “hot,” mud, as this dries too fast, and will have set before you have a chance to smooth it, resulting in more sanding on your part.
DO prefill joints.
Gaps that are over an inch or more between each drywall sheet can give a drywall installation a subpar finish, however, gaps are not the end of the world. Just fill them before you get to taping! Because the compound used has a tendency to shrink, it may result in the paper tape warping if you fill the gaps at the same time that you apply your tape coating. If you prefill all the gaps and then leave them to dry before you apply the tape coat, the compound will not negatively affect the tape.
If you would like to make an appointment with our drywall contractor, please do not hesitate to call Cinto Drywall Service of Cary at this number (919) 568-1407 today, we are based in the Cary, NC area.
